school isn't just for learning
Teaching isn't just from books, it's preparing kids for the real world. I work in an office with a lot of young-fresh-from-college kids that can't handle the simple dress codes here. Kids have to learn they can't always dress how they want in the real world and be a respectable adult. Sorry kids but unfair dress codes are a part of life you have to get used to, better do it now when the penalty is a little trouble in school instead of unemployment. By the way, how much individualism and self expression is there in a played out 15 year old trend that everyone and I mean EVERYONE that has been in high school in the last 15 years has taken part in. Kids aren't expressing themselves when they sag their pants their following a trend, which is the EXACT OPPOSITE of individualism. What exactly are they trying to express? That they can dress just like everyone else? Their already conforming they just don't know it yet. We can't let high school age kids decide the rules base on what they think is fair, are you kidding? So teach the kids when they grow up, they may have to wear cloths they don't want to wear, that responsibility / respectability isn't always fun. Most importantly teach them that there are a lot better outlets for self expression and CREATIVITY then following someone else's trend. I have never, nor has any other adult, meet an employer outside fast food that does consider how an applicant presents themselves in an interview - welcome the the real world.
Hmmm, that sounds a bit familiar, only it was with a different teen subculture. If I remember correctly, the original goth and emo kids at school dressed and acted that way, along with listening to "emo/goth music" while expressing anxiety and depression with their reason being, they were the nonconformists. When the emo/goth trend suddenly became popular around 2006-07, every 13 to 16 year old has been trying to copy the look, resulting in messy hair, overdone makeup, and wearing all-black clothing. Thank god it eventually went away though! But yeah, the person above me has made a good argument.
Well 206.126.170.20, I disagree :P.
I'm sure there is pressure in school to conform, but that shouldn't be used as an argument to take away all of their freedom of choice as to what they should wear. Just because there are examples of trends doesn't mean that's all thats involved in freedom of expression...people should have the right to buck the trend, start a new trend, choose who they want to be. You've just picked out one negative example, but there's a lot more to fashion than you give it credit for. Although I understand that this law will target only specific clothing styles, I still think its wrong because unless it adversely affects students learning, its really up to them.
Also I'm not saying let the high school kids decide whats fair or right to wear, but I did say that the simplest solution is just to inform them on the importance of a dress code in business, so that they can change their clothes for that situation. You say that people have trouble adapting to the dress code...I mean its the students loss. If they can't understand something as simple as a dress code, do they really deserve to work on a level that is more intellectually challenging than that simple decision? I mean surely you and other perfectly normal people sometimes dress in sweat pants at home, or wear some shabby old clothes that you wouldn't wear to work. You wouldn't make the argument that people have to get used to a dress code, so they should wear a suit and tie at home all the time! Different situations allow for different dress codes, and school simply isn't a place where you have to dress in formal business attire.
There are other outlets for creativity and self-expression, but just because they exist shouldn't mean that we should close the "lesser" outlets. Also who are we to make the decision? Fashion is extremely important to some people, some make a career around it (i.e. fashion designers).
Your last argument actually goes against what you're saying...you say that you've never met an employer outside of fast food that considers how an applicant presents themselves...I'm dubious about this, according to the many employment guides and counselors I've talked to, but if you stand by that then you should be arguing that dress code doesn't matter in school because presentation is irrelevant. Although perhaps you mean just the interview, although I'd think thats the most important part.
24.150.131.48 said, "You wouldn't make the argument that people have to get used to a dress code, so they should wear a suit and tie at home all the time! Different situations allow for different dress codes,"
Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple Inc., could dispute that. Have you ever seen him or his colleagues were suits or even any kind of uniforms to work, excluding retail store employees? No, Steve wears whatever he wants (black turtleneck sweater, blue jeans, sneakers, glasses) because he likes to. "We’re Apple. We Don’t Wear Suits. We Don’t Even Own Suits.” Lol, the understatement of the decade.
My apologies, that last part of my last post was a typo, I should have typed "does NOT consider". I know from experience apple does in fact have a dress code, I've been there. It's lenient, but they are still expect that employees be presentable - specifically no sagging pants or relieving clothing. No ones talking about putting all the kids in public high schools in suits and ties, what Florida is enforcing here is nothing more then the basic expectations in 99% the adult world..... Steve Jobs may not ever wear a suit but he does take great care in how he presents himself - fitted jeans, turtle neck (tucked in), black belt, clean sneakers. Not a three piece but still kind of conservative. Point is I'd bet cash you can't see anybodies underpants in the apple board room.