Should school teachers wear uniforms?

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Brooksville, Florida - The Hernando County school district has proposed tightening the dress code for teachers.

District officials say it's a way of having a consistent dress code across all schools. Over the summer, the school district delayed a plan to have all students wear a school uniform such as collared shirts and khakis until January. District officials say as they discussed the idea complaints came in about what teachers are wearing.

Some students and parents say if dress codes are changing then teachers should lead the way.

"If they're going to tell the students what to wear, they also should have a dress code," says parent Emmanuel Turner.

Parent Dianne Damm says, "I think it's necessary, because they're an example."

The school district is proposing strict guidelines for the teacher dress code that include no blue jeans, no shorts, no tank tops or sneakers except for PE teachers and on Spirit days.

Hernando superintendent Wayne Alexander says, "We're looking at what's appropriate across the board. You dress for success; you want kids to dress for success so we want the same for our professionals."

Brooksville Elementary teacher Sheryl Scrivens says, "Some teachers have gotten a little lax. But I don't think the school board or someone should impose a dress code for teachers."

As an educator for 34 years, Scrivens has taken pride in the way she dresses for work. "Individuals look at teachers as professionals. We want people to see us as professionals so we have to dress professionally," says Scrivens.

Scrivens remembers when teachers were required to wear stockings and dresses or pantsuits, rules she says may help a few teachers today. Over the years she's seen teachers wearing inappropriate clothing to school from skirts with splits to high and blouses with spaghetti straps and cut to low.

"As a professional, teachers should know how to dress," says Scrivens. The teachers union is trying to reach a compromise with the district. The teacher's union and the district are meeting this evening to hammer out this and other contract issues.

"Anything we put in contract the question is asked does it help student achievement, is it done fairly across the board. Right now look at what helps students more and this is taking away from that," says Joe Vitalo president of the Hernando Classroom Teachers' Association.

The union's counter proposal is to have teachers dress, "professionally and appropriately for their job assignments."

Vitalo says the problem is the current policy is not being enforced by school administrators. In the end, Scrivens says it's up to the teacher to be the role mode despite what the dress code says, "Teaching is about respect. You need to respect yourself as well as getting students to respect you."