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School dress code to change for nearly a million Americans

School dress code to change for nearly a million Americans

 


New York City public schools will soon have to comply with new citywide dress code rules.

On Thursday, the New York City Council approved a bill that will require the New York State Education Department (NYSED) to enforce school dress codes that allow students to express themselves.

“Resolution 292 advocates for an inclusive dress code that takes into account diverse cultures, gender expression and body diversity,” according to City Councilor Althea Stevens, who sponsored the legislation.

The board will now be required to post dress code policies on its website and report on policies in effect at public schools, “including information on whether each school has a dress code policy and data on dress code violations and sanctions, broken down by month, week and student race and gender.”

“Uneven dress code policies in New York City public schools have led to disproportionate discipline and consequences for students who simply express themselves,” said Diana Ayala, the New York City Council vice speaker who sponsored the legislation.

“Students and families should be able to easily access any school’s dress code policy in a central location on the Department of Education website and determine whether their individual schools’ policies are truly nondiscriminatory and consistent with DOE guidelines.”

While no dress code policy has yet been posted on the NYSED website, Stevens said there will be “meaningful dialogue with our youth and the Department of Education to refine the details of the dress code policy,” saying school-aged children must be allowed to have a say and “shape the changes they want to see in their schools.”

The school kids
Children on their way to school. A new law will require the City Council to create citywide dress code guidelines in New York City.

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She said she hoped the change would encourage “consistent, inclusive and equitable policies across our school system that do not unfairly target our students.”

According to NYSED, between 2022 and 2023, there were 937,118 K-12 students in the city.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that nearly all U.S. public school districts require students to adhere to dress codes.

“While school districts often cite safety as a reason for having a dress code, many dress codes include elements that can make the school environment less equitable and safe for students,” the GAO said in a 2022 report on K-12 education, which it said is more likely to impact girls and students of color.

He said school districts “more frequently restrict items typically worn by girls” — such as skirts, tank tops and leggings — than clothing typically worn by boys, such as “tank tops.”

“Most dress codes also contain rules regarding students’ hair, hairstyles, and head coverings, which may have a disproportionate impact on Black students and those of certain religions and cultures,” the GAO also found.