Teacher Dress Code: What's Appropriate?

Teachers are often criticized for what they choose to wear to work. Some teachers need to wear more clothing to work; whereas, other teachers need to improve their overall appearance.

In many cases, the public schools are at fault as many districts do not have a well-defined dress code. For example, in many teacher handbooks, you will find a very general teacher dresscode such as: Teachers must dress professionally while at work. Now, that sentence can mean twenty different things to twenty different people. Schools need to outline what teachers are allowed to wear to school. The first step to solving this issue is for schools to develop a specific policy, make teachers aware of the policy, and enforce the policy.

Teachers are on their feet the majority of the day, and schools need to remember this point. Teachers should maintain a certain appearance. Male teachers should wear khakis or dress pants and a button down or a polo-style shirt. Female teachers should wear a nice blouse and pants/skirts. Requiring male teachers to wear a tie is a school's responsibility, but then, how do you distinguish a teacher from a principal?

Teachers should be able to wear comfortable footwear while at work, considering that teachers spend a large part of their day on their feet. Should teachers be allowed to wear tennis shoes? Well, that is what school districts need to decide. What about open-toe shoes? I would say that sandals should be allowed, but flip flops are a no-no. However, some "flip-flop" style shoes look more appropriate than some dress shoes.

Some schools may wish to require teachers to wear uniforms to work. Some teachers would support wearing uniforms. It eliminates the need to think about what they are going to wear to work. Other teachers would hate uniforms as they may feel that such measures impose on their freedom of expression.

In this case, I would suggest that teachers have input into the teacher dress code and that their voice be heard. A teacher dress code is not an end-all solution as there are problems with requiring teachers to abide by a dress code. There will still be some teachers who will not press their clothes, and they will still come to work looking like a slob.