How do teachers dress at your school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a public school teacher but send two of my kids to private school. I’ve also taught at private school. I was always taught to “dress a little better than the majority of your students’ parents” while on the clock in school. In public school that sets a really low bar, especially post-Covid. I can’t remember the last time a parent, male or female, has shown up for a meeting in a suit. Usually it’s jeans with a hoodie, sweats and a T shirt. I wear mine slacks a cardigan Orr fitted blouse

Sorry, my phone died before I could fix typos and finish this. Anyway, I dress a little better than my students’ parents. At my kids’ school, teachers have to wear khakis or black pants. Men have to wear collared shirts. I’m not certain about the dress code for women. I see a lot of blouses, nice tops, and sweaters/ cardigans when it’s colder. Women can also wear skirts or dresses. That also seems to be a little better than most of the parents. I would have no issue if a teacher rotated the same couple pairs of pants and tops. Many do this where I teach too.

[Anonymous]

At our secular private elsewhere, there is a strict student dress code, but no uniform. No denim or rivets or painters pants or t-shirts or brand logos ever. Boys must wear a tie starting in 7th grade.

Male faculty generally wear khakis, brown dress shoes, an OCBD, tie, and either a blazer or sports coat. Women faculty wear either a suit, a dress, or a long skirt/full length pants with a collared shirt, and dress shoes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With everything happening in the world right now, you’re worried about teachers wearing jeans?? Check your privilege.

This!

This is not about privilege. Go back to public school if you don’t care if teachers dress professionally. I also don’t want my doctor coming to work in pajama bottoms. Take your job seriously.

DP. I still am in awe of this expectation that you pay private school teachers much less but you demand so much more.

If the teacher wears the same pair of dress pants with a different sweater each day, is that enough for you? As long as they aren’t in jeans? I’m just wondering where the line is considering how little they get paid.

Yes.

Let’s not exaggerate here. Private school teachers aren’t forced to wear rags to school while public school is able to wear Versace. Private school teachers can afford to purchase some low cost professional clothes. Walmart and Costco are options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With everything happening in the world right now, you’re worried about teachers wearing jeans?? Check your privilege.

This!

This is not about privilege. Go back to public school if you don’t care if teachers dress professionally. I also don’t want my doctor coming to work in pajama bottoms. Take your job seriously.

DP. I still am in awe of this expectation that you pay private school teachers much less but you demand so much more.

If the teacher wears the same pair of dress pants with a different sweater each day, is that enough for you? As long as they aren’t in jeans? I’m just wondering where the line is considering how little they get paid.

Yes.

Let’s not exaggerate here. Private school teachers aren’t forced to wear rags to school while public school is able to wear Versace. Private school teachers can afford to purchase some low cost professional clothes. Walmart and Costco are options.

They are not your servants. OP, you are just disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With everything happening in the world right now, you’re worried about teachers wearing jeans?? Check your privilege.

This!

This is not about privilege. Go back to public school if you don’t care if teachers dress professionally. I also don’t want my doctor coming to work in pajama bottoms. Take your job seriously.

DP. I still am in awe of this expectation that you pay private school teachers much less but you demand so much more.

If the teacher wears the same pair of dress pants with a different sweater each day, is that enough for you? As long as they aren’t in jeans? I’m just wondering where the line is considering how little they get paid.

Yes.

Let’s not exaggerate here. Private school teachers aren’t forced to wear rags to school while public school is able to wear Versace. Private school teachers can afford to purchase some low cost professional clothes. Walmart and Costco are options.

They are not your servants. OP, you are just disgusting.

It's also ironic that in 78 posts, no one has mentioned HOW these teachers teach, just what they happen to wear. The research on this is fragmentary and tenuous at best, basically so incomplete that there are no clear conclusions much less definitive proof that better dress is more effective.

So it's all about the biases of various parents. Speaking as a teacher, how a teacher is dressed is way down the list of how I measure another teacher's effectiveness in the classroom, maybe at the bottom of the top ten factors to consider.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With everything happening in the world right now, you’re worried about teachers wearing jeans?? Check your privilege.

This!

This is not about privilege. Go back to public school if you don’t care if teachers dress professionally. I also don’t want my doctor coming to work in pajama bottoms. Take your job seriously.

DP. I still am in awe of this expectation that you pay private school teachers much less but you demand so much more.

If the teacher wears the same pair of dress pants with a different sweater each day, is that enough for you? As long as they aren’t in jeans? I’m just wondering where the line is considering how little they get paid.

Yes.

Let’s not exaggerate here. Private school teachers aren’t forced to wear rags to school while public school is able to wear Versace. Private school teachers can afford to purchase some low cost professional clothes. Walmart and Costco are options.

They are not your servants. OP, you are just disgusting.

It's also ironic that in 78 posts, no one has mentioned HOW these teachers teach, just what they happen to wear. The research on this is fragmentary and tenuous at best, basically so incomplete that there are no clear conclusions much less definitive proof that better dress is more effective.

So it's all about the biases of various parents. Speaking as a teacher, how a teacher is dressed is way down the list of how I measure another teacher's effectiveness in the classroom, maybe at the bottom of the top ten factors to consider.

I appreciate your service and agree one hundred percent!

Never has a teacher's outfit influenced how she or he made our DC FEEL or reflect the love of learning enstilled that year.

Thank you for all that you do!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This really seems to be more of a school culture question than anything else.

On one end of the spectrum, if the school prides itself on uniformity and "professional" student attire, adults should be more formal.

If the school is way more relaxed in atmosphere, no student dress code, adults could be way less rigid in their dress.

Learning doesn't care what you wear, but cultural cohesion can have an impact.

Choose a school for your child that fits what you're looking for.

I thought I did.

We toured.

We opted for a school with uniforms/dress code.

But there was no way to see all the teachers. And only recently have I attended events where I’m noticing this super casual approach by teachers/admin.

I would have expected this at another school, but not at one where they make a big deal about kids being in uniform (right down to their socks).

If it's a religious school, the teachers probably aren't paid at a level they can dress as formally as you want them to.

Omg come on. I wouldn't even mind if the teachers wore jeans and a sweater. But the 20 somethings of both sexes are wearing hoodies and sweatpants to teach. This while the kids are in polos, slacks and skirts.

[Anonymous]

I have never seen a teacher at any of the three schools my DC has attended or any of the schools we’ve visited during application processes wear anything below what I’d call “business casual,” barring special events like Halloween, field day, or a handful of spirit days when some were in jeans and a sport jersey because the theme was relevant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This really seems to be more of a school culture question than anything else.

On one end of the spectrum, if the school prides itself on uniformity and "professional" student attire, adults should be more formal.

If the school is way more relaxed in atmosphere, no student dress code, adults could be way less rigid in their dress.

Learning doesn't care what you wear, but cultural cohesion can have an impact.

Choose a school for your child that fits what you're looking for.

I thought I did.

We toured.

We opted for a school with uniforms/dress code.

But there was no way to see all the teachers. And only recently have I attended events where I’m noticing this super casual approach by teachers/admin.

I would have expected this at another school, but not at one where they make a big deal about kids being in uniform (right down to their socks).

If it's a religious school, the teachers probably aren't paid at a level they can dress as formally as you want them to.

Omg come on. I wouldn't even mind if the teachers wore jeans and a sweater. But the 20 somethings of both sexes are wearing hoodies and sweatpants to teach. This while the kids are in polos, slacks and skirts.

Name the school or I don't believe this happened.

Even at our prior public school, which was exactly like public school teacher PP above (parents typically in sweats/leggings/hoodies), the teachers didn't dress like that. Most female teachers were in nicer leggings and a nice top or fancier. Most male teachers preferred polos, though the occasional hoodie and jeans was spotted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just curious.

When I attended private school a million years ago, men wore suits with ties and women wore the equivalent.

Candidly, I’m a bit surprised to see teachers wearing jeans and a principal wearing golf clothes at evening events where parents and students are encouraged to dress appropriately for school (meaning girls showed up in dresses, boys in pants with polos, and parents in the equivalent).

I’m hoping teachers will dress at least as formally as students in the fall, but given what I’ve observed, I’m not confident.

What are these "evening events"? If it's after hours teachers can dress however they please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This really seems to be more of a school culture question than anything else.

On one end of the spectrum, if the school prides itself on uniformity and "professional" student attire, adults should be more formal.

If the school is way more relaxed in atmosphere, no student dress code, adults could be way less rigid in their dress.

Learning doesn't care what you wear, but cultural cohesion can have an impact.

Choose a school for your child that fits what you're looking for.

I thought I did.

We toured.

We opted for a school with uniforms/dress code.

But there was no way to see all the teachers. And only recently have I attended events where I’m noticing this super casual approach by teachers/admin.

I would have expected this at another school, but not at one where they make a big deal about kids being in uniform (right down to their socks).

If it's a religious school, the teachers probably aren't paid at a level they can dress as formally as you want them to.

Omg come on. I wouldn't even mind if the teachers wore jeans and a sweater. But the 20 somethings of both sexes are wearing hoodies and sweatpants to teach. This while the kids are in polos, slacks and skirts.

🤣🤣 I doubt that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With everything happening in the world right now, you’re worried about teachers wearing jeans?? Check your privilege.

This!

This is not about privilege. Go back to public school if you don’t care if teachers dress professionally. I also don’t want my doctor coming to work in pajama bottoms. Take your job seriously.

DP. I still am in awe of this expectation that you pay private school teachers much less but you demand so much more.

If the teacher wears the same pair of dress pants with a different sweater each day, is that enough for you? As long as they aren’t in jeans? I’m just wondering where the line is considering how little they get paid.

Yes.

Let’s not exaggerate here. Private school teachers aren’t forced to wear rags to school while public school is able to wear Versace. Private school teachers can afford to purchase some low cost professional clothes. Walmart and Costco are options.

They are not your servants. OP, you are just disgusting.

It's also ironic that in 78 posts, no one has mentioned HOW these teachers teach, just what they happen to wear. The research on this is fragmentary and tenuous at best, basically so incomplete that there are no clear conclusions much less definitive proof that better dress is more effective.

So it's all about the biases of various parents. Speaking as a teacher, how a teacher is dressed is way down the list of how I measure another teacher's effectiveness in the classroom, maybe at the bottom of the top ten factors to consider.

I appreciate your service and agree one hundred percent!

Never has a teacher's outfit influenced how she or he made our DC FEEL or reflect the love of learning enstilled that year.

Thank you for all that you do!

Thank you for the sentiment. I teach at a small school where the student dress code is nothing disruptive, and there is literally no teacher dress code. But even with that freedom, I wear slacks instead of jeans or (nice) shorts because that hits my comfort level vis a vis students mostly in sweats and T shirts. Everyone else there does roughly the same.

We focus heavily on engaging our students with our words, attitudes, and lesson plans. That's what kids remember. I doubt any student could tell you what I wore last year apart from a couple of witty T-shirts that I bring out now and then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With everything happening in the world right now, you’re worried about teachers wearing jeans?? Check your privilege.

This!

This is not about privilege. Go back to public school if you don’t care if teachers dress professionally. I also don’t want my doctor coming to work in pajama bottoms. Take your job seriously.

DP. I still am in awe of this expectation that you pay private school teachers much less but you demand so much more.

If the teacher wears the same pair of dress pants with a different sweater each day, is that enough for you? As long as they aren’t in jeans? I’m just wondering where the line is considering how little they get paid.

Yes.

Let’s not exaggerate here. Private school teachers aren’t forced to wear rags to school while public school is able to wear Versace. Private school teachers can afford to purchase some low cost professional clothes. Walmart and Costco are options.

They are not your servants. OP, you are just disgusting.

It's also ironic that in 78 posts, no one has mentioned HOW these teachers teach, just what they happen to wear. The research on this is fragmentary and tenuous at best, basically so incomplete that there are no clear conclusions much less definitive proof that better dress is more effective.

So it's all about the biases of various parents. Speaking as a teacher, how a teacher is dressed is way down the list of how I measure another teacher's effectiveness in the classroom, maybe at the bottom of the top ten factors to consider.

Your words are so true, but sadly appearance is everything in our society. And unfortunately, if you’re not dressed appropriately, you will not be treated with respect by the parents who are the paying customer. But this is true not only for teachers but for most professions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With everything happening in the world right now, you’re worried about teachers wearing jeans?? Check your privilege.

This!

This is not about privilege. Go back to public school if you don’t care if teachers dress professionally. I also don’t want my doctor coming to work in pajama bottoms. Take your job seriously.

DP. I still am in awe of this expectation that you pay private school teachers much less but you demand so much more.

If the teacher wears the same pair of dress pants with a different sweater each day, is that enough for you? As long as they aren’t in jeans? I’m just wondering where the line is considering how little they get paid.

Yes.

Let’s not exaggerate here. Private school teachers aren’t forced to wear rags to school while public school is able to wear Versace. Private school teachers can afford to purchase some low cost professional clothes. Walmart and Costco are options.

They are not your servants. OP, you are just disgusting.

It's also ironic that in 78 posts, no one has mentioned HOW these teachers teach, just what they happen to wear. The research on this is fragmentary and tenuous at best, basically so incomplete that there are no clear conclusions much less definitive proof that better dress is more effective.

So it's all about the biases of various parents. Speaking as a teacher, how a teacher is dressed is way down the list of how I measure another teacher's effectiveness in the classroom, maybe at the bottom of the top ten factors to consider.

Your words are so true, but sadly appearance is everything in our society. And unfortunately, if you’re not dressed appropriately, you will not be treated with respect by the parents who are the paying customer. But this is true not only for teachers but for most professions.

Uh, no, ten years teaching here and previous government experience. It's not "everything" in many fields now. Fewer and fewer people downtown are in coats and ties. I have been treated with respect and affection by many parents grateful that I could reach their kid and get them excited about learning again.

Happily, what you do in your job has come to matter the most. How much you can engage a kid and get them to learn is what matters in school. I've never worn a tie in a classroom (or any office since 2000) and never will.

Times change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This really seems to be more of a school culture question than anything else.

On one end of the spectrum, if the school prides itself on uniformity and "professional" student attire, adults should be more formal.

If the school is way more relaxed in atmosphere, no student dress code, adults could be way less rigid in their dress.

Learning doesn't care what you wear, but cultural cohesion can have an impact.

Choose a school for your child that fits what you're looking for.

I thought I did.

We toured.

We opted for a school with uniforms/dress code.

But there was no way to see all the teachers. And only recently have I attended events where I’m noticing this super casual approach by teachers/admin.

I would have expected this at another school, but not at one where they make a big deal about kids being in uniform (right down to their socks).

If it's a religious school, the teachers probably aren't paid at a level they can dress as formally as you want them to.

Omg come on. I wouldn't even mind if the teachers wore jeans and a sweater. But the 20 somethings of both sexes are wearing hoodies and sweatpants to teach. This while the kids are in polos, slacks and skirts.

The horror. The horror.