“Hey, why did I get a call from the school saying you were in in school suspension?” my mother asked.

“Because I got dress coded, and the nurse didn’t have anything for me to change into,” I said.

“What did you get dress coded for?” my mom asked.

“Pajama pants,” I said.

I feel that students should be allowed to wear pajama pants to school, and the rule should be changed.

Head principal Lori Mangan had a conversation with me about the topic.

Mangan said, “Pajamas have a specific purpose, which is loungewear, and that is to be worn in a specific area where you’re comfortable and that quite frankly is in your home.“

 Mangan thinks the dress code overall prepares students for their future jobs.

“I have certain expectations of what my employer says I have to wear. Students your “job” right now is school, so the expectation is you have a certain way you dress here vs. outside of school.”

As I agree with this, I also think that the school staff should be worried about a students mental health instead of their clothing. For example, a student could be struggling with mental health problems and they come to school and get dress coded. Once they get home their parents and/or guardians could yell at them, which can make their problems even harder to deal with. 

Another subject the school should be worried about is students’ grades. For example, when a student gets dress coded and sent to behavior modification, they are missing out on face to face learning, which can affect grades. Students have the option to having someone bring clothes into school for them to change, but parents may already be busy and unable to do that.  Students don’t always get sent to behavior modification though. Sometimes they have to change their clothes at the nurse’s office, but the student could be uncomfortable in the clothes they had to change into there. That student could be worried if they’re going to get made fun of instead of focusing on school work, which can also affect their grades.

The school staff should overall be concerned if students are even attending school instead of what they are wearing. Yes, the dress code is standard and helps prepare students, but students should be able to be comfortable while learning. At least their learning and not skipping classes or vaping in the bathrooms. 

Students express themselves with the clothing they wear, but if they get dress coded how are they supposed to express themselves? For instance, if a student is shy and doesn’t talk much, they may wear clothing that shows things they like, but if they get dress coded then that creative side of them gets taken away. Then they have to wear something they don’t like and could get bullied.

My thoughts on the dress code and pajama pants aren’t they as distracting as  showing too much skin, similar to wearing ripped jeans.  But with pajama pants there are no holes in them, but you can still get dress coded, that makes no sense.

“When it comes to pajama pants, just like other dress code clothing violations sometimes principals have to make determination calls,” Mangan said,

But as long as they aren’t see through I think that students should be allowed to wear them. Students just want to be comfortable and they should be able to.