Last year my female students staged a rebellion against the dress code.
Specifically, against the ban on tank tops. In a meeting with their teachers and the principal, they were able to clearly articulate their concerns that the rule was sexist, femme-phobic, and body-shaming. I found their words and actions to be inspiring and they encouraged me to further educate myself on the subject:
Researchers asked girls how they would prefer to receive breast information — via website, app, leaflet or private session with a nurse — the overwhelming majority replied that they wanted a girls-only session with a female teacher.
"It’s hard to be in the zone, focusing on athletic movement, on what your body can do, if you’re thinking about what others think your body looks like."
One of the key concerns is the implication that women should be hypercognizant about their physical identity and how the world responds to it.
“The dress code makes girls feel self-conscious, ashamed, and uncomfortable in their own bodies,"
The prevalence and convergence of today’s protests suggest that schools not only need to update their policies—they also have to recognize and address the latent biases that go into creating them.
Increasingly, the words "gender-neutral dress code" are popping up on school board agendas and at PTA meetings.
"It's a phrase I'm learning about," says Michael Allison, president of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. "I think we'll be seeing a lot of changes at schools around the country in the next few years."
The dress code Burmeister created a few years ago, when he was a principal, was gender-neutral. It listed five simple "norms" for students, starting with the most important: "All students must be covered from mid-thigh to top of chest in non-see-through materials.
"..the very act of teachers calling young girls out for their attire projects an adult sexual perception onto an outfit or body part that may not have been intended or perceived as such by the student herself. It can be disturbing and distressing for students to be perceived in this way and there is often a strong element of shame involved."
Shame: A Documentary (May 2015)
I haven't watched this yet, but am impressed that it's by a 16 year old filmmaker.
Young women around the country are arguing that the school’s reaction to a woman’s appearance is more distracting than her appearance itself.
Focusing so much attention on a young woman’s sexuality—the visibility of her legs, her bra straps or midriff—teaches her that these things are of major importance to others.
It turns out that modern middle school parents from San Francisco to New York have been forced to break out the ruler. Are those inseams too short? How wide are those tank top shoulders?
So where does that leave schools? With a mandate to educate — not stigmatize — students. Telling girls to “cover up” just as puberty hits teaches them that their bodies are inappropriate, dangerous, violable, subject to constant scrutiny and judgment, including by the adults they trust. Nor does it help them understand the culture’s role in their wardrobe choices.