this cap, this do-rag, even these pants,

what do they all have in common?

They're all clothes that schools have banned.

Take a look at this scene.

Does it seem familiar to you?

(fast-paced techno music)

- [Principal] Your shirt's inappropriate.

Cover your shoulders

Take off your cap, and no jeans with rips.

- If you're in high school or middle school,

dress codes are probably something

that you're really familiar with.

Most dress codes require students to dress modestly,

so they don't distract or interfere with learning.

I remember when I was in middle school,

we had to wear uniforms,

but you weren't allowed to have long hair.

And I had braids, so the first day of school,

they literally were like, "Yo, cut your hair, or get out."

And in recent years, this old school dress code thinking

has gotten heat from opponents who say these policies

are sexist and racist, because they typically target women

and people of color by banning the things they might wear,

like short skirts, thin tank tops,

or dreadlocks and braids.

Like this little boy, who was banned from school,

because of his dreads.

According to this analysis, from Pudding,

the average dress code bans 32 items

with numbers reaching as high as 97.

It's becoming such a problem,

that students are using social media to expose this.

And it's been getting a lot of media attention,

like this viral video from a Texas school that was meant

to teach students the dress code, but missed the mark.

("Bad Girls" By M.I.A.)

So the big question is,

how should schools decide on dress codes?

This is where our friends from Etiwanda High School

in Southern California come in.

So let's talk to Samantha, Sesha, David, and Zhenwei.

These students are part

of a national youth journalism program

called PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs.

They researched, wrote, and helped produce this episode

of Above the Noise.

- We asked students from other schools around the nation

about how they feel about their dress codes.

- I think that the dress code is extremely biased

and it favors the guys, obviously,

because they can get away with more.

- When girls getting pulled out of class,

or a boy is getting pulled out of class,

so that they can go home

or fix their clothes, it disrupts their education.

- Personally, I'm not in support of dress code,

because I don't like the fact that they take away

your expressions with how you present yourself.

- Some students are so upset by their dress code policies,

they're taking matters into their own hands

and trying to get their dress code changed.

Like the students from Lincoln Middle School,

in Alameda, California.

They worked with their teacher to demand change

to the school's dress code policy back in 2016.

I think that they're the perfect issue

to get students involved in,

because it's something so critical,

just almost like homework policy

to hear students' voices in.

So the more student input on dress codes,

I think, the better.

- I was wearing just ripped jeans

that maybe had two holes in them,

both on the knees, nowhere higher than that,

and just a plain high-collared shirt like this.

I was getting pulled out of class,

and I think that's just not necessary.

It was disrupting my day at school

and made me feel really bad about myself.

- Boys and girls were wearing ripped jeans.

And girls were way more targeted and stopped by teachers.

I was involved in school leadership,

and we were listening to students,

and when this came up repeatedly,

we knew that there was a problem.

- I ended up writing a couple of speeches

to present to the faculty here, and to the school board.

- We really wanted to try to create an atmosphere

that was more welcoming,

where kids felt like they could be themselves.

And so, when we told the district that,

they really started to listen.

It ended up being myself as a teacher,

and four middle school students

from Lincoln Middle School, where I teach,

who got to sit down with administrators

from all over our school district

to come together and discuss

how are we going to make these necessary changes?

Our goal is for students to be in class,

and being able to focus on learning.

Not so much focused on what they look like,

or what other people are thinking they look like,

or are they going to get in trouble

for what they're wearing?

- Okay, so we've heard loud and clear

from many students, that they think

their school's dress code is just too strict.

But believe it or not, some students do think

a more strict dress code helps students focus on learning.

- Dress code's very important to have at a school,

because the students represent the school,

the students and staff.

And the students should represent the school appropriately,

and they shouldn't really

take school as a "let me show off my body."

- It's kind of important to a certain extent,

because there are a lot of people

who walk around with pajama pants.

And I feel like that's too casual.

I think there's a fine line between being casual

and being really dressed up, though.

- Many schools and administrators see strict dress codes

as a way to instill discipline

and prepare students for the professional world.

Lots of jobs require employees

to dress according to a set of professional standards.

Like, you don't see many cropped tops

and jorts in a typical office.

(wolf whistle)

And there are lots of jobs

that even require uniforms, so the argument goes.

By having a dress code in schools,

students are more disciplined

and better prepared for life in the workforce.

- [Zhenwei] We talked to Azande Aikens,

assistant principal of discipline at Etiwanda High School.

He thinks the dress code minimizes distractions

and prepares students for college and career readiness.

- I think dress code benefits the student body in general,

in a number of different ways.

One, it just helps sets guidelines,

or just helps students understand some of the things

that they should and should not be wearing.

It also provides a safe learning environment.

When I say that, really, I'm focusing

on things that are more offensive.

In safety, for example, wearing a ring

that's very heavy or that you could injure someone,

things like that.

I think there will always be some type

of dress code in place.

Student voice is very powerful.

I like hearing from the students, especially on this topic.

Making adjustments as things change, and time changes,

I think that's something that, definitely,

that districts and schools will look at.

- So Zhenwei, for you, what do you think

are the big takeaways from this?

- It seems the conversation about dress code

is never going to end.

But I think schools should really be listening

to the youth and their opinions on dress code,

because we're impacted the most by this system.

Right, Myles?

- Right.

It's a tricky situation.

How do you balance school rules with student rights?

We understand that rules are necessary,

but that doesn't mean that they have to be

sexist and racist.

So now we want to hear from you.

Consider your personal experiences with dress codes.

What do you think is the best way

for a school to decide on a dress code?

Let us know in the comments below.

Special thanks to Etiwanda High School,

and journalists Zhenwei, Sesha, David, and Samantha

for providing ideas and helping us

on the creation of this video.

And thanks to our partners at PBS SoCal.

And if you liked this video, check out this one

from students from Northview High School.

And stay tuned for more episodes like this one, coming up.

And for all you teachers out there,

your students can join the discussion on KQED Learn.

And as always, I'm your host Myles Bess.

Remember, stay Above the Noise.

Like, subscribe, you know the routine at this point.

Till next time.

00:07:15,270 --> 00:07:16,330 Bye.

See you later.

Peace out. (laughs)