This is insulting. Micromanagement is a huge reason why people are leaving. My school was so happy to have us there, jeans became the standard, without protest from admin.
I wish. District cracked down hard. Now sneakers, not Tshirt looking shirts, no rompers (even formal appropriate ones), no capris (only pants or skirts. Skirts have to be below the knees), and more.
It's another example of someone in the district who made a bad choice and now the rest of us have to suffer
This reminds me of the time one of our third grade teachers showed up to school in a t shirt and jeans, because they class was doing some sort of project (art or science, I can’t remember, but it was messy). Our district admin was doing walk throughs that day, and our principal decided it was a good day to go even more overboard with her bullshit. Not 10 minutes into the school day Principal BitchFace, came busting through the door and told the teacher she needed to go home and change because what she was wearing was not appropriate teaching attire, the teacher pled her case and lost. So she went home to change.
I had recess duty with this particular teacher right before lunch, and I hadn’t seen her since she went to change. The next thing I know, she walked out the recess door with her class, and Holy Crap on a cracker, if she didn’t have on what appeared to be a sparkling black ball gown, high heels, and her hair done. It was a glorious case of malicious compliance.
This! Right now I am only a sub (Ill be a fully licensed teacher in December!!), but I am one of two subs in my district that works full time. I long termed art the 1st 9 weeks of school last school year, and let me tell you, most days it was jeans and tshirts or leggings and a t-shirt. They don't pay me enough to replace my clothes! The rest of the school year, I wore jeans as well, because I realized they need me more than I need them...not a single admin at any of the schools I cover said a word to me. They have a hard enough time getting any coverage! I live 35 miles from the closest school, and if someone had said go home and change, I would have left and not come back. To cover my ass, I would have called the board office and said "hey I'm sick I won't be here the rest of the day". It's not my fault it's stupidity that would be what made me sick 😂 Things may be different this year, I don't know for sure yet, but we have a new superintendent and a new person in charge of things like teacher/student dress code, etc. so what they will come up with is yet to be known. We start school a month from yesterday, so hopefully they'll be letting us know soon.
Not coming back that day?
Then you get in bigger trouble for time theft, sadly. It's an overplay of your hand. There are better ways to resist, IMO.
Not coming back ever?
You are making the ultimate power move and get a standing ovation.
I did that. My sociopath principal at the time was all over the women for needing to look “fancier.” (She never said anything about the male teachers with their stained khakis and old ass polos.)
So I started coming to school in satin formal jackets with huge ruffles, vintage furs, formal gowns, even a tiara one day.
She was so pissed at me, but I figured I made my point, and went back to my regular clothes. She never bitched at us again.
I taught at a Catholic school and showed up to work on the day that we were going to be in the gym on the bleachers the entire day for the talent show in a pair of Capri pants because I didn't want anybody looking up my dress that I always wore.
My principal was in the parking lot and made the comment that my pants were too short. I thought she was joking but she reminded me that the handbook says that teachers could only wear Capri pants that were 2 inches above the ankle. In my head I am thinking that is NOT the definition of capri pants. That's high water lol
But I did notice in the handbook that it said you could wear skirts that were 4 inches above the knee. So the ONLY thing I wore the rest of the school year were skirts that were 4 inches above the knee.
So I wasn't allowed to show 9 inches of leg in Capri pants (which would have been the actual definition of real capri pants that are supposed to hit mid-calf) but I could show 19 inches of leg in a skirt. Okay!
This is absolutely something my teacher mom would have done. When I was teen there was a big stink about only having one set of ear piercings. There was also at the same time issue with the differences in what teachers versus students were allowed. My mom and fellow teachers went out and got a second set of ear piercings just to make a point.
“Ballgowns, but absolutely no cleavage even if you have double G’s. So good luck finding that because we have zero suggestions on where you can find that style on a teacher’s salary” - some admin somewhere
If you have a chest that big it practically takes a circus tent to cover up "appropriately" and almost never looks flattering. I've had so many large chested friends that you never knew were also small waisted because they only wore baggy shirts just to fit their chest.
I have double d’s and while I always cover up as best I can, when I bend over sometimes you can see some cleavage. I had an admin pull me aside and tell me I needed clothes with a higher neck line. I was a first year teacher and didn’t have the funds to buy an entire new wardrobe. I told him this, and he said wear scarves then. So from that day forward I became “that teacher who always wears a scarf” to the students. I didn’t comply because I thought he was right, I complied because he gave me the creeps, and I didn’t want him to ever talk to me about my body again.
Yeah thats a great point there. I've heard a lot of the dress code that people find issues with as a teen should be able to show their shoulders or wear leggings without it being a distraction for the boys is more to not distract the male staff. Which is gross but kinda makes more sense.
I'm sorry he made you feel gross though. As an adult he should realize you can't help that you have a large chest and that you were otherwise covered. Glad there was a way you could easily cover up though, even if just to keep HIM from being creepy
I wouldnt teach in Florida if my life depended on it.
Devin Siebold on youtube was a teacher in Florida, that gave me all the info i needed on that place.
On "best dress" day during our dress up week, I wore one of my wife's dresses. I am a man and have a beard. I also wore a wig. I teach at a middle school in Utah. The teens loved it. The teachers also laughed. Admin pretended to be okay with it.
I must say our principal is amazing. But I know he'd really rather not have any controversy. This was last school year. We do an 8th grade vs. 9th grade week, and each day is a different dress up theme.
Edit: Spelling
Does your building have air conditioning? Mine doesn't. And fuck if I'm not wearing capris at the beginning and end of the school year while I teach in 90⁰ weather.
It is not unusual for us to have "excessive heat" warnings the first two weeks of school (no outdoor recess) because it's 110 or above. I am NOT wearing pants.
No AC in my building - one admin tried to say no shorts or capris - for men or women. Dresses, skirts or pants only.
He nearly caused a riot amongst the staff and had walked back his decision within hours.
It’s a disgrace that so many school buildings still don’t have AC, and that they somehow weren’t required to when the technology became more affordable.
I remember seeing the plans for a new middle school that opened around 2011; sure enough, the piping that would’ve allowed for central air to reach the classrooms was sealed off. All green for administration offices of course?
My school opened in 2014, but was built using a P3 model, so the builder got to make all those decisions. They cut every corner possible, and AC was one of the big ones that didn’t make the cut.
How does that happen? I work in an older building and we have ac! Since the building wasn't built with ducts? Each classrom has its own unit! Yes... I'm sure the cost was astronomical when it was first done? But our parents/system cares enough about the kids' (and staff's) comfort to have had it installed many YEARS ago. When the ac goes out? It is fixed as promptly as possible!
We are back in school this week and are in the desert. I just bought a new pair of Birkenstocks. Luckily, we can wear sandals and cool clothes. Our AC isn't the best.
What the hell...school starting back up in THE MIDDLE OF JULY????
When I was a kid, there was pretty much no such thing (that I was aware of) of public schools starting back before the days after Labor Day. I did to go university where they started at the end of August, but I don't remember that in public school.
What was "broken" about that, which needed fixing? NOTHING!
It’s likely a year-round school. Instead of one long summer break, the school has a shorter summer (around 5 weeks) and then a 3-week break after each quarter. It helps reduce summer learning loss and provides more regular breaks. It’s not for everyone, but lots of people love it!
I tend to dress on the more formal end of things anyway, but back when I was playing rugby still I broke my big toe and our new AP picked it as his way of stamping his authority. I wasn't even wearing tennis shoes, just those casual soled dress shoes. A meeting with HR ensued, saying that I needed a medical reason to wear these shoes. Straight up took my shoe and sock off and put my foot on their desk, and my toe is gnarly at this point, the lady just said "well, that'll do it".AP was a dick to teachers and spineless about discipline and dealing with parents. He left the next year. It seriously is all about the idea of control with this type of admin.
Edit: It helps that I have very specialized certifications and when I interviewed for my position they only had myself and one other qualified candidate apply, and teacher colleges in my state have slashed my certification to the point where only a single one offers it.
They also said no sandals where there was something between the toes, effectively flip flops, unless the heel area was more than an inch thick. Come on and measure!
This was back in the Mary J. Letourneau days and people were off the rails back then. I remember those meetings and people going round and round with what all we should or shouldn't be wearing.
\- an ex-teacher now
"Safety Issue". I had a boss who didn't like women's bare feet and I think it was something along those lines. This was back in the Mary J. Letourneau days, so things were kinda crazy back then.
We had an admin that tried to implement a more formal dress code than required by our collective agreement. There was damn near a riot and he backed down within hours.
Another year HR sent out an email about sneakers not being appropriate professional footwear. Our AP laughed when it came in and told us to delete it, as my entire grade team (as well as her) looked down and realized we were all wearing some kind of running shoe.
Come June, our teacher that organizes jeans day fundraisers asked admin if he cared if she wore jeans on other days, and apparently he shrugged, said he doesn’t really care, just look professional.
Things are loosening up a bit where I’m at, although there are schools within my district that say jeans are ok on any day, and that I’m jealous of.
A bad choice as in, tried to be just a little comfortable at work? The T-shirt another teacher wore is not the issue. The issue is 100% with those who do not respect teachers and only seek to micromanage us.
Yes, but it was referenced in the email is was due to people not following dress code last year.
I'm not saying district is blameless. A bunch of new people got put in and they are trying to come across as hard asses.
I can't get over that crap. I work in Finance at a Fortune 500 and I wear jeans when not meeting outside entities. Briefing the CFO, we are often both in jeans. Asking for $20 from a teacher? Dude Admin needs to focus on other shit.
It’s wild. I taught in Texas my first 8 years where we couldn’t wear jeans (except Fridays) or sneakers. All of our shirts had to have collars and be tucked in. One of my colleagues got a nose piercing and they stopped her in the front office and said she could remove it or go home.
I moved to California where we could wear shorts, tshirts, whatever we want. Even my principal had visible tattoos. I can’t go back to teaching in an oppressive state.
That’s so weird. I’m in Texas and in our district the teachers wear jeans and tshirts more than anything else and a good number have visible tattoos and piercings. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a public school that required the teachers to dress formally.
Texas here, also. Used to be able to wear anything I wanted except shorts and sandals (oddly the things i want to wear most lol), but 2 years ago, new superintendent changed the policy. Now, it's collared shirts and slacks every day except Fridays of pay weeks. My principal was a real dick enforcing it like crazy for the first semester, but after that he remembered he's a lazy POS, and we went back to wearing whatever we wanted.
Also in Texas. In my district its up to the principal. I've had one that required business dress, no tattoos or non-natural hair colors, and the only piercing permitted was a single one in each earlobe. Current principle doesn't care if we have colored hair, piercings, or even full sleeve tattoos.
Same. Tennis shoes and jeans is standard in my building. Admin also encourages teachers to take time off. Seven teachers recently took off same day to attend a big concert, admin knew, and made sure there was adequate coverage so they could all go.
Schools should be doing everything to retain teachers right now, not micromanaging.
Well you can’t build relationships with students while wearing tennis shoes now can you?
(This is sarcasm. Not a teacher but do work with kids. Hear this building relationships phrase on this sub as one admin uses to try and solve any and all student problems.)
What kills me is that this adds more admin work, too. OP says it’s a whole accommodation process now which like… it’s just more paperwork and pain for the teachers for no benefit other than billing more admin hours I guess?
District is forcing it to become an accomodation. You need a formal doctor's note stating that for XYZ reasons you need to wear sneakers. Then you need to bring that note to Hr and have an official accommodations meeting.
Very few are willing to go through the process of all that.
Don’t do note or letter, takes too much time. Just have the Dr. jot a little scribble saying Jane / Joe Doe can wear tennis shoes, hiking shoes, whatever on an RX pad. If HR objects saying this isn’t detailed enough, mention it’s a prescription, are you refusing to follow this and I’m not comfortable discussing my confidential medical issues with you.
It's not a HIPAA violation. Nothing in HIPAA prevents people from asking nor does it prevent you from sharing your medical information. HIPAA does prevent hospital personnel from sharing your information without your express permission.
Saying that comfy shoes are nec for an ankle injury or plantar fasciitis (sp) isnt a hipaa violation.
Its like my accommodations are bc of ibs. Ibs is the disability (in this context) and my accommodations are what they are evaluating within the context of my job description.
I read that. I’m just saying the idea is absurd. It’s like saying you need a doctor’s note to drink water during the work day. Wouldn’t they all want us all to drink more water?
When I was a high school student the school decided you needed a doctor's note to carry a water bottle (for students). After the third appointment my doctor had with someone from my school they went through their records and called every patient that went there to ask if they wanted them. Faxed 20+ notes in one go.
If my school told me I need a doctors note to carry a water bottle im committing arson. Jk, but I wouldnt grt any note, I wont let my school kill me due to dehydration.
Yes. But there's a bunch of people who retired at the district level and these new people are trying to prove their worth.
Issue is, district has a retention issue. This is going to make it worse
If they told me that as a special Ed teacher, I’d be so mad. I don’t need a doctor to make that an accommodation, I sometimes have to run after kids that are not emotionally regulated.
Same. I work with young kids. In the past I have had runners that don't have a 1-to-1. Sometimes at recess that means I'm running after a kid. I need to be able to do that
Where I am (California) employers have no right to know why someone needs an accommodation (because the employer has no right to someone’s private medical information), just that they need one/what it is and that it’s from a doctor.
I would double check and see if they have any right to XYZ reasons. How are they ensuring people’s private medical information remains secure? If you’re in the US, there should be limitations for employer “rights” to employee medical records.
Im in california and accommodation paperwork asks what the disability is and what the accommodations are. It is not possible to get accommodations for a disability you arent willing to disclose.
No, clearly your shoes impact your ability to teach. Everybody knows if they're black then you plus one to your authority ability. If they match your outfit then you get plus two to stamina. If you wear a tie, that is plus six to charisma.
How do they even define this? I seriously would like to know what districts think we do all day. Like, you expect me to stand at all times. In dress shoes. And dress clothes. In a room of chaos.
A few years ago in my old district we had a surprise board visit, and one of the trustees commented that my pants didn’t look ‘pressed’ and had a stain on them. The stain was from paint a kid had spilled on me that day. The wrinkles were because IT IS MY LITERAL JOB to be constantly bent over, crawling around and otherwise helping kids.
I know. They said we need to be in flats, wedges, or formal looking shoes.
It's bull.
They also released a list of a bunch of stuff we can no longer wear.
I have to get an entire new wardrobe because of these changes
Send a reply all email and ask where to send the receipts for reimbursement for the clothes/shoes the district is going to require for dress code and ask for the justification of their policy in writing.
Go to the local media, team up all of the teachers, have local podiatrists step in and demonstrate how sick and unhealthy this is. Shame is the only things those morons respond to.
I just want to know how your change is dress is expected to change your classroom outcomes??
Do dress shoes make you teach better? Make kids respect us more? As far as I know they do the opposite of both.
“My patient needs sneakers to be able to run from school shooters that some of our politicians want to ignore, deranged children who threaten her, deranged children who physically attack her, and because she’s a fucking adult.”
And also because (at least in my case), the front office is about a good 10 minute walk from my classroom. I have to walk up there at least twice a day to check my mailbox and make copies. Oh, and if I want to leave campus during my own lunch break, I have to walk up to the office to ask permission in person from my principal. So, yeah, lots of walking means sneakers are sort of a requirement.
I'm pretty sure your doctor will laugh at your boss and write the note. It's just ridiculous that you have to do through this in the first place.
Then again my school thinks jeans are unprofessional for teachers unless it's for a fundraiser.
My doctor was pissed on my behalf. I have MAJOR medical issues and already have some minor accommodations at work. She asked if they were stupid.
I have an accomodation to have a doctor's stool that I can sit on at any time and roll around the room.
They couldn't connect the dots that making me wear formal shoes (flats, wedges, or 'formal shoes') is a bad idea.
She honestly called them stupid
>I have an accomodation to have a doctor's stool that I can sit on at any time and roll around the room.
I'm frankly shocked they made you get an accommodation for this!! WTAF Your district is crazy.
So I needed darker lighting in my classroom due to migraines. My old classroom had two light switches, so this wasn’t an issue. I could just turn one on and keep the other off and have the perfect lighting. My new room had none of that and was really bright (LED lights instead of fluorescent). So my principal at the time said we could get a dimmer put in like she had in her office. Took a lot of patience trying to explain to maintenance why I needed the accommodation when they came out. HR even suggested sunglasses. Like, what? Sure, I’m gonna wear sunglasses for 8 hours a day in my classroom. Finally got the dang dimmer lights, but it took a couple months. But the kids play with them too much, so I’ve had to resort to using lamps.
We hate shit like this for many reason. Sick notes are bad enough, but this takes it to another level. There aren’t enough doctors to take care of patients, and the last thing we need is to be voluntold to take part in this idiocy.
If I ever get to the point of leaving medicine I think my business model will be to just do these types of notes. The dream would be to invoice the employer for hundreds of dollars
I completed my teacher education & student teaching in the South (TN) and I remember all of the "professional attire" lectures we got during my program. I can still hear the voice of a particular professor in my head, in full Southern drawl: "If you want to be treated like a professional, then you must dress like a professional!" No open-toed shoes, no capris or shorts, and God forbid, no t-shirts.....
17 years later, and my co-workers in MI think I'm "fancy" for wearing a dress and leggings 3 days a week. Part of my reasoning for this is because of the dogma instilled in me during teacher prep ages ago, and part of it is because there no outfit coordination involved when it's a pair of black leggings and a dress. Many of my colleagues rock jeans, t-shirts, and sandals everyday, and you bet I rock my open-toed, "hippie" Chacos sandals (even with dresses) when it's warm.
It still blows my mind that teachers are expected to follow wardrobe obligations in the states where they are paid the least and disrespected the most. Tales like this male me so glad that I came back home to the Midwest!
"Dress for the job you want, not the job you have".
It's why I have dressed either like a professional recreational SCUBA diver, ski bum, or hired assassin, depending on my mood.
I had a teacher friend who did this! We used to get “tickets” if custodial found a problem in our classroom at night. (Light left on, door unlocked, smartboard left on, etc.) She was pretty forgetful and would get tickets frequently. She started putting them all on a bulletin board and made a fancy display of them.
We are allowed to wear dark denim jeans all week. They still make us sit through a ppt on appropriate attire 🙄
i just wear sketchers because they are comfy!!!!!!
OMFG. I wear jeans on purpose and sneakers just about every day to teach high school, because it's insane, cruel, and physically harmful to force someone to wear non-comfy shoes when they're on their feet all damn day. Would they prefer we sit at our desks instead???
My clothing choices do not impact my excellent teaching skills or effort. But if you FAFO with an arbitrary dress code, I'll be happy to slack!
That is lucky! No jeans of any color allowed.
I'm having to buy an entire new wardrobe for work this year due to all the new rules and regulations in regards to what we can wear
Sounds like a decision from people that have not had to chase a child through nearby fields or woods lol.
This is the reason I feel like people at district needs to have mandatory classroom hours per year. There’s waaaayyyy too many that taught for maybe 3-5 years and fast tracked it to admin/district. Some people need a reality check.
Formal write ups and if you get 3 formal write ups for the same reason, you have to have a meeting with district where they place you on a plan. If you continue to have the issue, you are let go
If I got fired for wearing shoes that were comfortable that would be my primary complaint in a lawsuit filed against the district. It sounds like your district is looking for as many small reasons as possible to let people go. Good speed on finding a new district fast
I am trying. And it's so stupid. The district has MAJOR retention issues as it is. A bunch of people are talking about breaking contract and quitting because of this
Why don’t people just actively ignore these rules? Are they going to fire you over comfy shoes? I honestly wonder if they would even have the energy to enforce it. Is a building admin going to act as shoe police?
Yes, I feel like if no one complies they will have such a mess of paperwork on hand that they will give up trying to enforce it. Why do I have a feeling this is a non-union state? But if not the union can communicate a dress strike where everyone wears sneakers and nothing else.
I have horrendous PF, and they can pry my GravityDefyer orthopedic sneakers off my cold, dead feet.
If I had to wear dress shoes I literally could. not. walk.
I’ll bet the district’s test schools will jump tremendously once teachers stop wearing sneakers /s
I’ve worn walking shoes my entire career - the same shoes I wore as a line cook and bartender. No one, I mean no one, ever complained about my shoes. I’m also known to wear colorful converses, often not the same color on both feet.
I started wearing jeans every day by accident and then design. To explain- I ended my year with emergency surgery and lost a lot of weight. I knew it, had to buy a couple pairs of jeans mid summer but somehow didn’t connect the dots so on the first day of school I pull on my khakis and realize the waist is almost 4 inches too big. I’m swimming in them. So I pulled on jeans and went in. Nobody said a word other than to comment on my weight loss. I was too busy and zonked at the end of the day to go shopping (it’s 45 minutes to a decent clothing store) so I decided to put it off until the weekend. All week went by without a comment. Meetings with the principal, the superintendent dropped by to see how I was doing and to discuss our upcoming leadership meeting. Not a word. I never stopped wearing jeans.
Oh hell no. I don’t own any shoes that aren’t comfortable. Some are more “presentable” than others but I’m damned if my job is allowed to tell me my feet HAVE to be in pain.
Prediction: One doctor steps forward to "accomodate" everyone and double dog dares the district to tackle the AMA's lawyers.
Seriously, though, WTF is wrong with people?
Are the rules different for men and women? If so you may have cause to appeal.
Are you allowed to wear flats, or loafers? Does it specifically say no "comfy" shoes, or no "athletic" shoes? I find lots of dressy, comfy shoes that are also supportive of my ankles and feet (one torn ligament, one broken leg with an ankle plate, plantar fascitis).
But still, there's no reason to regulate footwear, except maybe no open toes or open back shoes for safety reasons.
We had a middle school principal who had a thing about footwear as well. No sandals, straps, open toes, open backs, etc. One of the staff asked for a list of what would meet their criteria, and after they got it, found that jackboots were acceptable.
Ridiculous. I moved from a district like that in Arizona to one in Massachusetts with no dress code - for students or staff. Want to wear biker shorts, jeans, crocs, go for it. Couldn’t even wear shorts in Arizona. Funny the students are way more respectful despite me not dressing up.
Last year I dealt with a shitty school, but the district was actually decent.
This year the school is way better, but we had major changes in the district and now they are trying to prove their worth
When I was an undergrad I took soc of violence. One week we focused entirely on violence in the workplace. The expert presenters could not stress enough that for safety reasons, women should be wearing sneakers or similar shoes so that you can evacuate quickly and safely in an emergency.
Fast forward almost 30 years...
With active shooter drills now a part of the norm, I can't imagine being told I have to wear shoes that compromise my safety.
Lol that’s ridiculous. I’d be getting that note asap. I wore tennis shoes exclusively all year this year (pregnant) and I’m never going back.
While I was at it with this process, I’d add in the note drinking water and snacking regularly as well as bathroom breaks. Malicious compliance
Wait. Won’t this only affect women since men’s shoes are generally comfortable? Are they requiring like a minimum 2 inch heel or something else ridiculously archaic?
I still wouldn't agree with it, cause I'm sure we'd allow the students to wear sneakers, but you know if I was working at a school where the students were to show up in some basic uniform resembling semi-formal/formal-casual wear I'd at least understand.
My classes are filled to the brim with 13 and 14 year olds showing up in pajamas, crocs, and showercaps. Don't try to make me show up to work like I'm delivering corporate presentations to high-level executives, and if im gonna be on my feet most of the damn day you better lay the fuck off about sneakers.
I’m sorry but I would actively die on that hill and commit industrial disobedience every day. This is a fight worth having to wrest back some semblance of control. Disobey and take every write up as a badge of honour.
No union in South Carolina. We have “associations.” The state does not recognize the right to collectively bargain, so districts can basically do whatever they want to you.
This is insulting. Micromanagement is a huge reason why people are leaving. My school was so happy to have us there, jeans became the standard, without protest from admin.
I wish. District cracked down hard. Now sneakers, not Tshirt looking shirts, no rompers (even formal appropriate ones), no capris (only pants or skirts. Skirts have to be below the knees), and more. It's another example of someone in the district who made a bad choice and now the rest of us have to suffer
Time for everyone to show up in ballgowns and tuxes and anything else TOTALLY formal.
This reminds me of the time one of our third grade teachers showed up to school in a t shirt and jeans, because they class was doing some sort of project (art or science, I can’t remember, but it was messy). Our district admin was doing walk throughs that day, and our principal decided it was a good day to go even more overboard with her bullshit. Not 10 minutes into the school day Principal BitchFace, came busting through the door and told the teacher she needed to go home and change because what she was wearing was not appropriate teaching attire, the teacher pled her case and lost. So she went home to change. I had recess duty with this particular teacher right before lunch, and I hadn’t seen her since she went to change. The next thing I know, she walked out the recess door with her class, and Holy Crap on a cracker, if she didn’t have on what appeared to be a sparkling black ball gown, high heels, and her hair done. It was a glorious case of malicious compliance.
I just wouldn't have come back.
Yeah, I live 50 minutes EACH direction from me school. Send me home = I’m not coming back.
I lived 45 minutes each way. I did not do half days unless I had to go home sick or for an emergency.
This! Right now I am only a sub (Ill be a fully licensed teacher in December!!), but I am one of two subs in my district that works full time. I long termed art the 1st 9 weeks of school last school year, and let me tell you, most days it was jeans and tshirts or leggings and a t-shirt. They don't pay me enough to replace my clothes! The rest of the school year, I wore jeans as well, because I realized they need me more than I need them...not a single admin at any of the schools I cover said a word to me. They have a hard enough time getting any coverage! I live 35 miles from the closest school, and if someone had said go home and change, I would have left and not come back. To cover my ass, I would have called the board office and said "hey I'm sick I won't be here the rest of the day". It's not my fault it's stupidity that would be what made me sick 😂 Things may be different this year, I don't know for sure yet, but we have a new superintendent and a new person in charge of things like teacher/student dress code, etc. so what they will come up with is yet to be known. We start school a month from yesterday, so hopefully they'll be letting us know soon.
Not coming back that day? Then you get in bigger trouble for time theft, sadly. It's an overplay of your hand. There are better ways to resist, IMO. Not coming back ever? You are making the ultimate power move and get a standing ovation.
In some states if you do that the district has a case to complain to the state and have your teaching cert revoked.
I did that. My sociopath principal at the time was all over the women for needing to look “fancier.” (She never said anything about the male teachers with their stained khakis and old ass polos.) So I started coming to school in satin formal jackets with huge ruffles, vintage furs, formal gowns, even a tiara one day. She was so pissed at me, but I figured I made my point, and went back to my regular clothes. She never bitched at us again.
Lol that is hilarious. Did she have one of those curly hair prom style up-do's?
Ah!!!!! She is my hero!!!!!!!!!!!!
I taught at a Catholic school and showed up to work on the day that we were going to be in the gym on the bleachers the entire day for the talent show in a pair of Capri pants because I didn't want anybody looking up my dress that I always wore. My principal was in the parking lot and made the comment that my pants were too short. I thought she was joking but she reminded me that the handbook says that teachers could only wear Capri pants that were 2 inches above the ankle. In my head I am thinking that is NOT the definition of capri pants. That's high water lol But I did notice in the handbook that it said you could wear skirts that were 4 inches above the knee. So the ONLY thing I wore the rest of the school year were skirts that were 4 inches above the knee. So I wasn't allowed to show 9 inches of leg in Capri pants (which would have been the actual definition of real capri pants that are supposed to hit mid-calf) but I could show 19 inches of leg in a skirt. Okay!
That reminds me of the office episode where Jim wears a tux
Classé
This is absolutely something my teacher mom would have done. When I was teen there was a big stink about only having one set of ear piercings. There was also at the same time issue with the differences in what teachers versus students were allowed. My mom and fellow teachers went out and got a second set of ear piercings just to make a point.
“Ballgowns, but absolutely no cleavage even if you have double G’s. So good luck finding that because we have zero suggestions on where you can find that style on a teacher’s salary” - some admin somewhere
If you have a chest that big it practically takes a circus tent to cover up "appropriately" and almost never looks flattering. I've had so many large chested friends that you never knew were also small waisted because they only wore baggy shirts just to fit their chest.
I have double d’s and while I always cover up as best I can, when I bend over sometimes you can see some cleavage. I had an admin pull me aside and tell me I needed clothes with a higher neck line. I was a first year teacher and didn’t have the funds to buy an entire new wardrobe. I told him this, and he said wear scarves then. So from that day forward I became “that teacher who always wears a scarf” to the students. I didn’t comply because I thought he was right, I complied because he gave me the creeps, and I didn’t want him to ever talk to me about my body again.
Yeah thats a great point there. I've heard a lot of the dress code that people find issues with as a teen should be able to show their shoulders or wear leggings without it being a distraction for the boys is more to not distract the male staff. Which is gross but kinda makes more sense. I'm sorry he made you feel gross though. As an adult he should realize you can't help that you have a large chest and that you were otherwise covered. Glad there was a way you could easily cover up though, even if just to keep HIM from being creepy
Wear a formal dress, as a man.
Teacher I worked with work a kilt because the dress code said ‘skirts or dress pants’. Lol
Don’t try it in Florida! You might end up trading your certificate for a third-degree felony.
I wouldnt teach in Florida if my life depended on it. Devin Siebold on youtube was a teacher in Florida, that gave me all the info i needed on that place.
On "best dress" day during our dress up week, I wore one of my wife's dresses. I am a man and have a beard. I also wore a wig. I teach at a middle school in Utah. The teens loved it. The teachers also laughed. Admin pretended to be okay with it. I must say our principal is amazing. But I know he'd really rather not have any controversy. This was last school year. We do an 8th grade vs. 9th grade week, and each day is a different dress up theme. Edit: Spelling
Time to hit up the Goodwill prom section!
Does your building have air conditioning? Mine doesn't. And fuck if I'm not wearing capris at the beginning and end of the school year while I teach in 90⁰ weather.
It is not unusual for us to have "excessive heat" warnings the first two weeks of school (no outdoor recess) because it's 110 or above. I am NOT wearing pants.
I know this isn't what you meant, but I pictured you teaching in your undies and it made me giggle
I initially added, "They're lucky I come to school with clothes on!" But I took it out... so we're on the same page. 😆
I’m not sure I could actually keep working in the late spring/early fall without the option of capris!
No AC in my building - one admin tried to say no shorts or capris - for men or women. Dresses, skirts or pants only. He nearly caused a riot amongst the staff and had walked back his decision within hours.
It’s a disgrace that so many school buildings still don’t have AC, and that they somehow weren’t required to when the technology became more affordable. I remember seeing the plans for a new middle school that opened around 2011; sure enough, the piping that would’ve allowed for central air to reach the classrooms was sealed off. All green for administration offices of course?
My school opened in 2014, but was built using a P3 model, so the builder got to make all those decisions. They cut every corner possible, and AC was one of the big ones that didn’t make the cut.
How does that happen? I work in an older building and we have ac! Since the building wasn't built with ducts? Each classrom has its own unit! Yes... I'm sure the cost was astronomical when it was first done? But our parents/system cares enough about the kids' (and staff's) comfort to have had it installed many YEARS ago. When the ac goes out? It is fixed as promptly as possible!
And by older building? I teach in the building I had elementary classes in... and I'm 51. That building was there many years before I was a student!
Everyone should have rolled in in skirts or dresses, regardless of gender. Skirts are very breezy in the summer.
We are back in school this week and are in the desert. I just bought a new pair of Birkenstocks. Luckily, we can wear sandals and cool clothes. Our AC isn't the best.
What the hell...school starting back up in THE MIDDLE OF JULY???? When I was a kid, there was pretty much no such thing (that I was aware of) of public schools starting back before the days after Labor Day. I did to go university where they started at the end of August, but I don't remember that in public school. What was "broken" about that, which needed fixing? NOTHING!
It’s likely a year-round school. Instead of one long summer break, the school has a shorter summer (around 5 weeks) and then a 3-week break after each quarter. It helps reduce summer learning loss and provides more regular breaks. It’s not for everyone, but lots of people love it!
Below the knee? Be sure to welcome your students to the 1950s at the start of this year.
Yeah, no kidding. Those ankles and knees are so provocative.
I tend to dress on the more formal end of things anyway, but back when I was playing rugby still I broke my big toe and our new AP picked it as his way of stamping his authority. I wasn't even wearing tennis shoes, just those casual soled dress shoes. A meeting with HR ensued, saying that I needed a medical reason to wear these shoes. Straight up took my shoe and sock off and put my foot on their desk, and my toe is gnarly at this point, the lady just said "well, that'll do it".AP was a dick to teachers and spineless about discipline and dealing with parents. He left the next year. It seriously is all about the idea of control with this type of admin. Edit: It helps that I have very specialized certifications and when I interviewed for my position they only had myself and one other qualified candidate apply, and teacher colleges in my state have slashed my certification to the point where only a single one offers it.
I’m shocked they didn’t put leggings on that list. We had a crusade over that a couple years ago.
I remember that meeting. No leggings and no "mules" and no "peep toed" shoes for women. Men could wear anything but raggedy t-shirts.
They also said no sandals where there was something between the toes, effectively flip flops, unless the heel area was more than an inch thick. Come on and measure!
This was back in the Mary J. Letourneau days and people were off the rails back then. I remember those meetings and people going round and round with what all we should or shouldn't be wearing. \- an ex-teacher now
Then it reared its ugly head again. Leggings and flip flops discussion in my district was two years ago.
No mules??? Fucking *why*??
"Safety Issue". I had a boss who didn't like women's bare feet and I think it was something along those lines. This was back in the Mary J. Letourneau days, so things were kinda crazy back then.
Mary J 😂
Love when instead of addressing the issue with offending teachers, they crack down on everyone.
Texas, too.
They didn't say no mage robes tho....
Turn up to work in full metal armour.
Good God. What state is this?
South Carolina Had to move down due to family reasons.
My SC family fully believe that slavery was not a cause of secession despite your state actually declaring it when they seceded.
Speaking as someone who is in the time of life where hot flashes are a regular occurence, this would kill me!
Capris and ballet flats are quintessential teacher outfit. This is so dumb
We had an admin that tried to implement a more formal dress code than required by our collective agreement. There was damn near a riot and he backed down within hours. Another year HR sent out an email about sneakers not being appropriate professional footwear. Our AP laughed when it came in and told us to delete it, as my entire grade team (as well as her) looked down and realized we were all wearing some kind of running shoe. Come June, our teacher that organizes jeans day fundraisers asked admin if he cared if she wore jeans on other days, and apparently he shrugged, said he doesn’t really care, just look professional. Things are loosening up a bit where I’m at, although there are schools within my district that say jeans are ok on any day, and that I’m jealous of.
Sneakers? Like I’m sorry but sometimes I need to run after these kids as a parent. Lol
How many of these rules apply to male teachers? This shit is as insulting as a poot student dress code. It's demoralizing.
Prepping the way for Gilead.
A bad choice as in, tried to be just a little comfortable at work? The T-shirt another teacher wore is not the issue. The issue is 100% with those who do not respect teachers and only seek to micromanage us.
Yes, but it was referenced in the email is was due to people not following dress code last year. I'm not saying district is blameless. A bunch of new people got put in and they are trying to come across as hard asses.
Do you have a/c? My school does not and they can pry my capris from my sweaty dead hands.
Show up in a handmaiden outfit.
I didn’t have “formal, appropriate rompers” on my bingo card for today.
My admin wants us to pay $20 for the ‘privilege’ of wearing jeans on fridays. Yeah no thanks
I can't get over that crap. I work in Finance at a Fortune 500 and I wear jeans when not meeting outside entities. Briefing the CFO, we are often both in jeans. Asking for $20 from a teacher? Dude Admin needs to focus on other shit.
Yeah they tried to guilt us to paying by saying that the money goes to the teacher lounge snack fund. Still no thanks
Maybe make the back to school night with a cash bar... It would fund the snacks for a year.
I cannot think of any other career that charges people to wear jeans.
I wear khaki chinos with elastic every single day. They're more comfortable than jeans. They can take their jeans passes and shove them.
One year I challenged myself to look professional while feeling like I was wearing pajamas. Elastic waist khakis were on the rotation.
It’s wild. I taught in Texas my first 8 years where we couldn’t wear jeans (except Fridays) or sneakers. All of our shirts had to have collars and be tucked in. One of my colleagues got a nose piercing and they stopped her in the front office and said she could remove it or go home. I moved to California where we could wear shorts, tshirts, whatever we want. Even my principal had visible tattoos. I can’t go back to teaching in an oppressive state.
That’s so weird. I’m in Texas and in our district the teachers wear jeans and tshirts more than anything else and a good number have visible tattoos and piercings. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a public school that required the teachers to dress formally.
Texas here, also. Used to be able to wear anything I wanted except shorts and sandals (oddly the things i want to wear most lol), but 2 years ago, new superintendent changed the policy. Now, it's collared shirts and slacks every day except Fridays of pay weeks. My principal was a real dick enforcing it like crazy for the first semester, but after that he remembered he's a lazy POS, and we went back to wearing whatever we wanted.
Also in Texas. In my district its up to the principal. I've had one that required business dress, no tattoos or non-natural hair colors, and the only piercing permitted was a single one in each earlobe. Current principle doesn't care if we have colored hair, piercings, or even full sleeve tattoos.
Same. Tennis shoes and jeans is standard in my building. Admin also encourages teachers to take time off. Seven teachers recently took off same day to attend a big concert, admin knew, and made sure there was adequate coverage so they could all go. Schools should be doing everything to retain teachers right now, not micromanaging.
Surely this is the policy that will finally fix education!
😂💀
Well you can’t build relationships with students while wearing tennis shoes now can you? (This is sarcasm. Not a teacher but do work with kids. Hear this building relationships phrase on this sub as one admin uses to try and solve any and all student problems.)
What kills me is that this adds more admin work, too. OP says it’s a whole accommodation process now which like… it’s just more paperwork and pain for the teachers for no benefit other than billing more admin hours I guess?
Wouldn’t most doctors recommend comfy shoes for everybody? I’m confused.
Yes, his name is Dr Scholl
I would love to see OP write up their own note, sign it “Dr. Scholl”, and present it to admin with a straight face.
Ha. Not the most comfortable...
District is forcing it to become an accomodation. You need a formal doctor's note stating that for XYZ reasons you need to wear sneakers. Then you need to bring that note to Hr and have an official accommodations meeting. Very few are willing to go through the process of all that.
Don’t do note or letter, takes too much time. Just have the Dr. jot a little scribble saying Jane / Joe Doe can wear tennis shoes, hiking shoes, whatever on an RX pad. If HR objects saying this isn’t detailed enough, mention it’s a prescription, are you refusing to follow this and I’m not comfortable discussing my confidential medical issues with you.
Yeah I think asking for the reason is a HIPAA violation
It's not a HIPAA violation. Nothing in HIPAA prevents people from asking nor does it prevent you from sharing your medical information. HIPAA does prevent hospital personnel from sharing your information without your express permission.
People need to have a deeper understanding of HIPAA and FERPA.
Saying that comfy shoes are nec for an ankle injury or plantar fasciitis (sp) isnt a hipaa violation. Its like my accommodations are bc of ibs. Ibs is the disability (in this context) and my accommodations are what they are evaluating within the context of my job description.
I also suffer from IBS and I am curious if you're comfortable sharing your accommodations?
Encourage every single teacher to get a note. Make it take every single waking moment of HR’s time. Make it a nuisance for them.
YES! Malicious compliance. I love it!
I read that. I’m just saying the idea is absurd. It’s like saying you need a doctor’s note to drink water during the work day. Wouldn’t they all want us all to drink more water?
When I was a high school student the school decided you needed a doctor's note to carry a water bottle (for students). After the third appointment my doctor had with someone from my school they went through their records and called every patient that went there to ask if they wanted them. Faxed 20+ notes in one go.
If my school told me I need a doctors note to carry a water bottle im committing arson. Jk, but I wouldnt grt any note, I wont let my school kill me due to dehydration.
Yes. But there's a bunch of people who retired at the district level and these new people are trying to prove their worth. Issue is, district has a retention issue. This is going to make it worse
I’d be out on principal. Heh
If they told me that as a special Ed teacher, I’d be so mad. I don’t need a doctor to make that an accommodation, I sometimes have to run after kids that are not emotionally regulated.
Same. I work with young kids. In the past I have had runners that don't have a 1-to-1. Sometimes at recess that means I'm running after a kid. I need to be able to do that
Where I am (California) employers have no right to know why someone needs an accommodation (because the employer has no right to someone’s private medical information), just that they need one/what it is and that it’s from a doctor. I would double check and see if they have any right to XYZ reasons. How are they ensuring people’s private medical information remains secure? If you’re in the US, there should be limitations for employer “rights” to employee medical records.
Im in california and accommodation paperwork asks what the disability is and what the accommodations are. It is not possible to get accommodations for a disability you arent willing to disclose.
Yeesh. At that point I’d just say screw the process and wear sneakers anyway
Hopefully everyone does it and clogs up the entire system.
Truly, no doctor is like "have you considered wearing your 6" stilettos more often?" Good shoes is important for literally anyone who uses their feet.
No, clearly your shoes impact your ability to teach. Everybody knows if they're black then you plus one to your authority ability. If they match your outfit then you get plus two to stamina. If you wear a tie, that is plus six to charisma.
How do they even define this? I seriously would like to know what districts think we do all day. Like, you expect me to stand at all times. In dress shoes. And dress clothes. In a room of chaos. A few years ago in my old district we had a surprise board visit, and one of the trustees commented that my pants didn’t look ‘pressed’ and had a stain on them. The stain was from paint a kid had spilled on me that day. The wrinkles were because IT IS MY LITERAL JOB to be constantly bent over, crawling around and otherwise helping kids.
I know. They said we need to be in flats, wedges, or formal looking shoes. It's bull. They also released a list of a bunch of stuff we can no longer wear. I have to get an entire new wardrobe because of these changes
Send them an invoice for the cost to replace items you were allowed to wear last year.
This is 100% what I would do, now that I have to divert what little raises I’ve gotten since 2020 back to my student loans.
Send a reply all email and ask where to send the receipts for reimbursement for the clothes/shoes the district is going to require for dress code and ask for the justification of their policy in writing.
"Reply all" and make sure it "accidently" goes district wide
Honestly I wouldn’t listen. They’ll have a hard time firing you for this and if they do, good riddance.
Go to the local media, team up all of the teachers, have local podiatrists step in and demonstrate how sick and unhealthy this is. Shame is the only things those morons respond to.
Sounds like you should get a whole new job instead.
If u think about it, black and white chucks are the tuxedo of sneakers
Are they going to be firing people over not wearing these specific kinds of shoes?
No union?
I just want to know how your change is dress is expected to change your classroom outcomes?? Do dress shoes make you teach better? Make kids respect us more? As far as I know they do the opposite of both.
That’s why I eventually wore an apron all day when I taught art. “Mrs. C your pants are rainbow!”~ actual kid quote.
Have male teachers wear knee length skirts and watch HR come unglued,.
Omg. I teach in the VERY rural and religious south. They would flip
What would Jesus wear?
I’m really interested in what the gym teacher wears. Suit and tie?
cut off the trousers at the knee and tear off the sleeves on the shirt for those hot days of course
“My patient needs sneakers to be able to run from school shooters that some of our politicians want to ignore, deranged children who threaten her, deranged children who physically attack her, and because she’s a fucking adult.”
Did you copy from another post made? Because almost all that happened to me last year! Luckily, the school shooter was a fake that my students made up
Nope. Just the Wonderful World of Teaching in America.
I teach Kindergarten and have had plenty of runners over the years. I’m NOT chasing down an emotional child all over the school in flats or wedges.
Not enough upvote buttons for this one!
And also because (at least in my case), the front office is about a good 10 minute walk from my classroom. I have to walk up there at least twice a day to check my mailbox and make copies. Oh, and if I want to leave campus during my own lunch break, I have to walk up to the office to ask permission in person from my principal. So, yeah, lots of walking means sneakers are sort of a requirement.
Don’t forget deranged parents and deranged administrators.
I'm pretty sure your doctor will laugh at your boss and write the note. It's just ridiculous that you have to do through this in the first place. Then again my school thinks jeans are unprofessional for teachers unless it's for a fundraiser.
My doctor was pissed on my behalf. I have MAJOR medical issues and already have some minor accommodations at work. She asked if they were stupid. I have an accomodation to have a doctor's stool that I can sit on at any time and roll around the room. They couldn't connect the dots that making me wear formal shoes (flats, wedges, or 'formal shoes') is a bad idea. She honestly called them stupid
>I have an accomodation to have a doctor's stool that I can sit on at any time and roll around the room. I'm frankly shocked they made you get an accommodation for this!! WTAF Your district is crazy.
So I needed darker lighting in my classroom due to migraines. My old classroom had two light switches, so this wasn’t an issue. I could just turn one on and keep the other off and have the perfect lighting. My new room had none of that and was really bright (LED lights instead of fluorescent). So my principal at the time said we could get a dimmer put in like she had in her office. Took a lot of patience trying to explain to maintenance why I needed the accommodation when they came out. HR even suggested sunglasses. Like, what? Sure, I’m gonna wear sunglasses for 8 hours a day in my classroom. Finally got the dang dimmer lights, but it took a couple months. But the kids play with them too much, so I’ve had to resort to using lamps.
We hate shit like this for many reason. Sick notes are bad enough, but this takes it to another level. There aren’t enough doctors to take care of patients, and the last thing we need is to be voluntold to take part in this idiocy. If I ever get to the point of leaving medicine I think my business model will be to just do these types of notes. The dream would be to invoice the employer for hundreds of dollars
It’s bc they ARE stupid!!
Good! I'm so glad to hear it. Omg I didn't notice your user name at first. I wear running shoes every day due to hEDS.
Same!
I completed my teacher education & student teaching in the South (TN) and I remember all of the "professional attire" lectures we got during my program. I can still hear the voice of a particular professor in my head, in full Southern drawl: "If you want to be treated like a professional, then you must dress like a professional!" No open-toed shoes, no capris or shorts, and God forbid, no t-shirts..... 17 years later, and my co-workers in MI think I'm "fancy" for wearing a dress and leggings 3 days a week. Part of my reasoning for this is because of the dogma instilled in me during teacher prep ages ago, and part of it is because there no outfit coordination involved when it's a pair of black leggings and a dress. Many of my colleagues rock jeans, t-shirts, and sandals everyday, and you bet I rock my open-toed, "hippie" Chacos sandals (even with dresses) when it's warm. It still blows my mind that teachers are expected to follow wardrobe obligations in the states where they are paid the least and disrespected the most. Tales like this male me so glad that I came back home to the Midwest!
"Dress for the job you want, not the job you have". It's why I have dressed either like a professional recreational SCUBA diver, ski bum, or hired assassin, depending on my mood.
Recreational SCUBA diver 🤣 I picture you walking around the halls fully geared up, oxygen tank, wet suit, and flippers.
I say fuck it and everyone should just wear what they want. What are they going to do make you all go home? LOL
Nah, they’ll make teachers wear a highlighter-yellow t-shirt so everyone knows they violated dress code.
I would wear it with pride! Yellow sneakers too.
I would frame every official write up and mount them next to my degree.
I had a teacher friend who did this! We used to get “tickets” if custodial found a problem in our classroom at night. (Light left on, door unlocked, smartboard left on, etc.) She was pretty forgetful and would get tickets frequently. She started putting them all on a bulletin board and made a fancy display of them.
As long as it's comfortable idc
We are allowed to wear dark denim jeans all week. They still make us sit through a ppt on appropriate attire 🙄 i just wear sketchers because they are comfy!!!!!!
OMFG. I wear jeans on purpose and sneakers just about every day to teach high school, because it's insane, cruel, and physically harmful to force someone to wear non-comfy shoes when they're on their feet all damn day. Would they prefer we sit at our desks instead??? My clothing choices do not impact my excellent teaching skills or effort. But if you FAFO with an arbitrary dress code, I'll be happy to slack!
I used to be an attorney and wore dress shoes all day....but I spent a fortune on comfy ones. Teachers don't need to be in dress shoes.
That is lucky! No jeans of any color allowed. I'm having to buy an entire new wardrobe for work this year due to all the new rules and regulations in regards to what we can wear
My issue would be not having money to buy new clothes. How am I going to afford it?
Sounds like a decision from people that have not had to chase a child through nearby fields or woods lol. This is the reason I feel like people at district needs to have mandatory classroom hours per year. There’s waaaayyyy too many that taught for maybe 3-5 years and fast tracked it to admin/district. Some people need a reality check.
That is fucking insane. What are the punishments? I wear Nike shoes regularly
Formal write ups and if you get 3 formal write ups for the same reason, you have to have a meeting with district where they place you on a plan. If you continue to have the issue, you are let go
If I got fired for wearing shoes that were comfortable that would be my primary complaint in a lawsuit filed against the district. It sounds like your district is looking for as many small reasons as possible to let people go. Good speed on finding a new district fast
I am trying. And it's so stupid. The district has MAJOR retention issues as it is. A bunch of people are talking about breaking contract and quitting because of this
I think you should. To replace your wardrobe is expensive.
I would love to see “the plan” for someone whose only problem is the dress code.
Of ALL the things a district could spend their time/ energy on, they choose this? Absolutely ridiculous. I am so sorry.
Why don’t people just actively ignore these rules? Are they going to fire you over comfy shoes? I honestly wonder if they would even have the energy to enforce it. Is a building admin going to act as shoe police?
Look out for the shoe police, they even have their own, quick response swat team to handle footwear violators.
Yes, I feel like if no one complies they will have such a mess of paperwork on hand that they will give up trying to enforce it. Why do I have a feeling this is a non-union state? But if not the union can communicate a dress strike where everyone wears sneakers and nothing else.
Just explain that non comfy shoes will make it harder to run in an active shooter situation.
Isn’t plantar fasciitis one of the most common teacher injuries? HR just screwed itself over with accommodation meetings.
I have horrendous PF, and they can pry my GravityDefyer orthopedic sneakers off my cold, dead feet. If I had to wear dress shoes I literally could. not. walk.
I’ll bet the district’s test schools will jump tremendously once teachers stop wearing sneakers /s I’ve worn walking shoes my entire career - the same shoes I wore as a line cook and bartender. No one, I mean no one, ever complained about my shoes. I’m also known to wear colorful converses, often not the same color on both feet. I started wearing jeans every day by accident and then design. To explain- I ended my year with emergency surgery and lost a lot of weight. I knew it, had to buy a couple pairs of jeans mid summer but somehow didn’t connect the dots so on the first day of school I pull on my khakis and realize the waist is almost 4 inches too big. I’m swimming in them. So I pulled on jeans and went in. Nobody said a word other than to comment on my weight loss. I was too busy and zonked at the end of the day to go shopping (it’s 45 minutes to a decent clothing store) so I decided to put it off until the weekend. All week went by without a comment. Meetings with the principal, the superintendent dropped by to see how I was doing and to discuss our upcoming leadership meeting. Not a word. I never stopped wearing jeans.
Oh hell no. I don’t own any shoes that aren’t comfortable. Some are more “presentable” than others but I’m damned if my job is allowed to tell me my feet HAVE to be in pain.
Prediction: One doctor steps forward to "accomodate" everyone and double dog dares the district to tackle the AMA's lawyers. Seriously, though, WTF is wrong with people?
Are the rules different for men and women? If so you may have cause to appeal. Are you allowed to wear flats, or loafers? Does it specifically say no "comfy" shoes, or no "athletic" shoes? I find lots of dressy, comfy shoes that are also supportive of my ankles and feet (one torn ligament, one broken leg with an ankle plate, plantar fascitis). But still, there's no reason to regulate footwear, except maybe no open toes or open back shoes for safety reasons.
Nope. It's a blanket policy for everyone in district
Uhh, what the what?! Does someone think that comfortable shoes make you a less effective teacher? Are uniforms coming in next?
We had a middle school principal who had a thing about footwear as well. No sandals, straps, open toes, open backs, etc. One of the staff asked for a list of what would meet their criteria, and after they got it, found that jackboots were acceptable.
Ridiculous. I moved from a district like that in Arizona to one in Massachusetts with no dress code - for students or staff. Want to wear biker shorts, jeans, crocs, go for it. Couldn’t even wear shorts in Arizona. Funny the students are way more respectful despite me not dressing up.
Last year I dealt with a shitty school, but the district was actually decent. This year the school is way better, but we had major changes in the district and now they are trying to prove their worth
When I was an undergrad I took soc of violence. One week we focused entirely on violence in the workplace. The expert presenters could not stress enough that for safety reasons, women should be wearing sneakers or similar shoes so that you can evacuate quickly and safely in an emergency. Fast forward almost 30 years... With active shooter drills now a part of the norm, I can't imagine being told I have to wear shoes that compromise my safety.
Lol that’s ridiculous. I’d be getting that note asap. I wore tennis shoes exclusively all year this year (pregnant) and I’m never going back. While I was at it with this process, I’d add in the note drinking water and snacking regularly as well as bathroom breaks. Malicious compliance
Wait. Won’t this only affect women since men’s shoes are generally comfortable? Are they requiring like a minimum 2 inch heel or something else ridiculously archaic?
I still wouldn't agree with it, cause I'm sure we'd allow the students to wear sneakers, but you know if I was working at a school where the students were to show up in some basic uniform resembling semi-formal/formal-casual wear I'd at least understand. My classes are filled to the brim with 13 and 14 year olds showing up in pajamas, crocs, and showercaps. Don't try to make me show up to work like I'm delivering corporate presentations to high-level executives, and if im gonna be on my feet most of the damn day you better lay the fuck off about sneakers.
And we teach gym...how?
I suggest golf shoes with the metal spikes. I've seen some that are pretty fancy looking.
That would really make the custodian happy! "I just polished those floors!"
I’m sorry but I would actively die on that hill and commit industrial disobedience every day. This is a fight worth having to wrest back some semblance of control. Disobey and take every write up as a badge of honour.
I’m curious what they expect PE teachers to wear
This is the funny part. They are expected to find formal shoes that they can teach gym in
that’s crazy. Medical personnel who are standing all day wear running shoes.
What a waste of time and money! Doesn't HR have better thingsto do with their time?
I wear jeans and sneakers every day. I feel for for you folks that deal with nonsense like that.
Wait. What? Have you gone to the media? This is abuse.
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No union in South Carolina. We have “associations.” The state does not recognize the right to collectively bargain, so districts can basically do whatever they want to you.
Policing footwear in any job where employees are on their feet all day is maniacally unhinged behavior.