Teacher Dress Codes in U.S. School Districts

• In Event: Habitus, Capital, and Power in Educative Spaces

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the expectations underlying teacher dress codes. Teachers are seen as role models and the way a teacher dresses influences public perception of the profession (Workman & Freeburg, 2010). I explored 250 employee handbooks to better understand expectations related to teacher dress codes. Overall, there did not seem to be differences in dress code requirements based on whether a state was right-to-work or union, with a few exceptions. While many districts did not establish substantially different expectations for male versus female teacher dress, some did. Finally, a small number of districts had language in their dress codes that could potentially be viewed as discriminatory to some minority teachers.

Author

• Amy Orange, self-employed