Portland, Tennessee Blog

I agree completely with that one !!
Teachers should be dressed professionally to teach and to lead.....they would gain a lot more respect if they did that.
I have volunteered in a school here in town, and was very disappointed to see how teachers are allowed to dress.

I agree completely with that one !!
Teachers should be dressed professionally to teach and to lead.....they would gain a lot more respect if they did that.
I have volunteered in a school here in town, and was very disappointed to see how teachers are allowed to dress.

I think teachers need a dress code and it needs to be enforced. I say teach by example.

Hello- I teach in Metro. The coat thing is only inside the building. They can wear a coat to school, just not during class. If they are going to be chilly they must wear a light coat.

Everyone else- I see what you are saying about individuality, but I also see where constantly brushing your hair out of your eyes can be a distraction to learning, especially for younger students. Bottom line is that there will always be rules that we don't necessarily like or agree with, but as parents we must teach our children the importance of obeying. I do not think that children should be embarassed, but I also think that they should be adhearing to the policies that are in place in their school. I would assume that the hair policy was put into effect due to prior problems???

Just my opinion as an educator.

Is the school taking health precautions for handling kids hair? They should have adhere to the same standard of sanitation as beauty salons. Lots of nasty, nasty stuff can spread if they aren't careful. Does the health department know what the schools are doing? They should. Has the school followed through with it yet? This is one of the craziest things I've ever heard of. I think whoever came up with this stupid idea should have their head checked. Pun intended.

Yes, the hair rule does bother me too. I know what is unacceptable for my son's hair and when I (me, the parent!) feels his hair needs trimmed then I (me, the parent!) will see to it that it does get trimmed. I think I understand what the school is saying, but maybe the wording should be slightly different. You do not have to have relatively long hair for it to fall in the eyes. when my daughter came home the other day and was told that the teachers have the right to pin their hair back should they feel the need to do so, I was a little upset by that. My son likes to have his hair a little longer (sometimes longer than I would even like it) but as long as I feel he looks acceptable then I am happy and I know everyone's guidelines for "acceptable" are different, but take a look at his honor roll status and then let me know if his hair is a distraction!

The fact that it is a Portland rule, in my opinion, makes it even worse! It is so ridiculous that whoever made this rule, has nothing better to dwell on than someone's hairstyle! We, as parents, should want our children to be themselves. We should have more things to worry about than long hair. If I, the parent, don't have a problem with my child's hair, then why should anyone else. Of course, if I try to do anything about it, my child will suffer for it. That's the way it always is. So, as usual, we have to tell our children to 'just follow the rules' so you won't get in trouble. It is just a shame to me that now the school officials CAN tell people how to dress, and how to wear their hair. Does this not bother anyone else?

The hair rule is a Portland rule, NOT a Sumner County rule! I guess if I was a principal and my wife was my boss I could do whatever I wanted also.

I am not so much concerned about the 'dress code' as I am about the new rule that children must keep their hair out of their eyes! Give me a break! Do the people in our school system hate individuality so bad, that now they must tell people how to wear their hair? It should NOT matter how long a child's hair is, and contrary to what other people think, long hair, even if it IS in a child's eyes, does NOT interfere with the learning process. My son was told that if anyone's hair was in their eyes, they would be sent to the office and the office staff would pull it back. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? It is ridiculous to me that anyone would allow this from any school system. What do they want from our children? Children should be able to express who they are, and not be told how to wear their hair. WE DO NOT WANT TO BE CLONES! Long hair is a new style for guys, so I don't see what the big deal is. Personally, I think subjecting a child to ridicule by 'pulling their hair back for them', is pathetic. Why can't kids be themselves? We should be more concerned about their education and safety at school, than how they look or dress!

I am a transplanted Tennessean now living in Louisville, KY. My youngest daughter has attended Louisville public schools since entering Kindergarten and she's now a junior in high school. She has worn a school uniform in every school she has attended. As a mother, I can personally attest that school uniforms take the "pain" out of school shopping. School uniforms make everyone equal in terms of how they're dressed. No taunting or teasing by children who are more fortunate (affluent) than others. It puts everyone on a level playing field, so to speak. The best benefit of uniforms for Moms....no more arguing in the morning over what they're going to wear. The choice is simply..."What color of polo shirt would you like to wear today (white, blue, or maroon)?"

Parents...I'd highly recommend that you encourage the local school system to explore the feasibility of implementing a school uniform policy. You won't regret it!

I have 2 children that attend school. One in elementary, and the other in high school. Both are boys. I agree with the comment about the middle school making the boys tuck in their shirts. I agree, it does make a nicer appearance. There are other issues that need to be addressed at the middle school, other than the boys tucking in their shirts. I read what Davidson county dress code is. I agree with all of it except the part of wearing a coat. What about the cold weather? What is our children get sick? The Dollar General, Wal-mart, Target, all of those stores have uniform type clothes. At all affordable prices.

DA, What I was referring to is the way the principal will allow the girls to get away with not follwing the dress code but the boys have to follow it to the letter. This is discrimination. I know what I'm talking about. I have a grandson and a granddaughter in the middle school.

DebraP;
It's too bad you choose to look at the Middle School policy of "tucking in the shirts" as a way of discrimination. Personally, when my son was in Middle School, I was glad that the principal chose to make the young men do that. It's a good habit, one that they will thank him for when they are out of school and trying to look their best at a job interview.

My son now automatically tucks his shirt in whenever he is attending an important event. It makes him look, well, nicer. But maybe it is time to work on the girls' appearance as well.

School uniforms are a good idea. This would cut down on the discrimination against the boys at the middle school here in Portland.

I have attended schools where a uniform was required, and so have my children (and now, my grandchildren). I can see a lot of good reasons for it; less peer pressure, no decisions on what to wear every morning, and it does make things easier for the school administrators, who don't have to spend their time enforcing a dress code. With today's styles of sagging jeans and "barely there" tops, it would certainly be less distracting for everyone. The kids will find ways to be unique, even in uniform.

I do think, however, that the "uniform" should be clothing that is readily available in any department store. Buying special clothes for school shouldn't be a financial hardship for a family. After a few years, most schools will have some type of "uniform exchange" or school-wide yard sale to accomodate growing children. I struggle with the idea of public schools requiring strict uniforms, but a loosly stated(white shirt with dark pants) uniform is something that just about every family can conform to.