Okay, I Want To Know The Backstory
I have no idea what’s going on in Little Rock, Arkansas, but whatever it is, underwear did not fix it.
In August 2013, the district announced — to the great dismay of the teachers union — a dress code that would require teachers to wear underwear. Every single day. Female teachers would have to wear bras, too. And the very worst of all: No spandex.
There ya go – fixed. No more problems with education. Teachers are now in underwear and all is well.
Wait. Maybe not.
Now, a mere 18 months later, the Arkansas Department of Education has voted to assume control over management of the school district, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports.
The narrow 5-4 vote on Wednesday by the state school board effectively wrests control of the district from the local school board (but keeps Superintendent Dexter Suggs on the job on an interim basis).
I wonder if Dexter wears underwear?
Well, so much for the magic of underwear. And, come to think of it, so much for the magic of local control.
Thanks to Scott for the heads up.
Will the school board encourage student informants?
I mean, if a misbehaving pupil is sent to the principal’s office for an infraction such as shooting spitballs or pulling a pig tail, can s/he fink on the teacher for a possible underwear infraction? In exchange for a lesser number of after school detention days?
1Too often these stories seem to come straight out of Ripley’s Believe it or Whatever … I swear the Southern States have totally fallen off the sanity cliff … there is no other explanation for the sheer lunacy of what comes out of there!!
2I’ve seen a number of written dress codes as I’ve moved from job to job in my life. Never seen one that went to the extent of requiring underwear. I guess I always regarded that as a given. Who do they have to hire???
3Well I’d like to know how they know if teachers aren’t wearing underwear. Does the superintend do inspections?
4Inquiring minds want to know..boxers or briefs or, dare I ask, thongs?
5Actually, at a call center I worked, they specified undergarments–not because someone was going around checking, but some folks were wearing outfits that made it painfully clear they were not. One woman did not wear a bra (and was very large chested) and she would wear tank tops that had large arm holes that people could easily see through as she moved. She also was known to sit and fan herself with the bottom of her shirt essentially flashing to floor as she did it. Short skirts and no underwear was not unheard of and was considered to create a distraction to fellow workers. Now–I expect teachers to have a bit more common sense about what they wear, but as shown in the call center–if the person doesn’t seem able to have the common sense, than someone else will step in and mandate it.
6Star–
As far as I’m concerned, women shouldn’t be under any pressure to wear bras (my somewhat conservative sister sent me a link to a study from Europe that found that they actually weaken the support muscles and are in several ways more harmful than helpful), and I told my ex for years that if he wanted me to wear bras all the time, he could choose between wearing a bra or a jock strap himself; fair’s fair.
I do think teachers have the good sense to cover up the hoochie, and others probably should, too.
7I recall a discussion with my godfather a number of years ago. He recalled when jean companies began using zippers rather then buttons in the manufacturing of bluejeans. He did not wear underwear at the time and recalled several painful incidents when delicate parts of the male anatomy would get caught up in the zipper. He began wearing underwear soon after that.
I am often asked what I am wearing under my kilt…my standard reply is ….”my Scooby-Doo boxer shorts, although I find a thong very comfortable.” Rut-rhoo….
8Whether my teachers wore (or did not wear) underwear or what kind did nothing for my ability to learn.
9djw,
I’m not saying I agree about being made to wear a bra, but if I catch flashes of someone’s nipples because they are wearing a revealing top or moving the shirt in such a way that they “flash” people, then I can understand why a workplace would feel the need to require it. But in reading the article, it was obvious they were imposing a more professional standard and encouraging people not to go for the trendy looks that include bra-straps visible, see-through clothing, and such.
Sometimes, the restrictions are more about one person’s perceptions than a needed rule. At that call center, I got angry at one lady (peer of my manager) who complained repeatedly about my work wear as being too casual and then when my boss left the room recommended I have breast-reduction surgery. Obviously, she had hang-ups.
10Who is going to “police” this edict? And who is going to enforce this edict? Just curious. Oh wait… it’s Arkansas.
11Never mind….
@Coprolite, the responses I’ve heard most often to the “What’s worn under your kilt?” question are:
121. My boots.
2. Nothing is worn. It’s all in fine working order.
SusanF and Coprolite, there’s an even ruder response about what’s worn under the kilt, but I don’t think Mama would approve. On the other hand, if you’re sitting here calling yourself “Coprolite”….
13I came across this story on Friday. After reading I immediately went back to when I started teaching. They required us (the men) to where a shirt and tie every day through Thursday with Friday as a jeans and staff shirt day. Women were required to wear hose with a dress or they could wear the pantsuit. Heck, that was barely before the turn of the last century.
We had an assistant principal we called “the dress code Nazi”. She policed every kid in the building and was always a button or two below professional on her blouse. Unfortunately, while you would think common sense is in order, as a 17 year veteran in the classroom, I’m here to tell you it’s not.
14Schools always have safety in mind and everyone knows it takes a good guy with a bra to stop a bad guy with a bra,
15Many, many years ago (I’m old) the president of the company where I worked was concerned when women started wearing pantsuits to work. He asked me if there was any way women could be convinced to always wear their jackets as some of the men objected to the way some of the women’s butts looked in pants. I told him “no” unless he also required the men to always wear their jackets too, and then I asked if he thought the women enjoyed looking at the ugly butts on some of the men at work. We walked away mumbling to himself and no change was made in the dress code.
16June, I wish there was a “like’ or “love” option for your comment.
17I hope they thought this through (I’m sure they didn’t).
If a rule is written that requires teachers to wear underwear, does that mean that outerwear is optional?
18It seems that this rule is aimed at women not wearing bras and has been generalized so as not to appear sexist. Checking for panties or drawers isn’t feasible, but it’s obvious if the girls are bobbing free.
19Then – there is always magic underwear. Maybe that will clear up everything in Arkansas.
20I can think of a rationale that could explain some of this. About a week ago, I was reading a blog post which had something to do with why women should dress modestly. It was with specific reference to a style which seems to be popular (although in this cold weather I can’t think of why) among the students as the Penn Snake Yewniversity. I’m not sure what the name of it is (yoga pants? yoda pants? skin tights?) but the blog post I read was about how women shouldn’t wear things like that because it makes men have lascivious thoughts and might tempt them to be unfaithful to their wives. The wives, of course, shouldn’t wear them because they would look like harlots.
At any rate, the distinguishing feature of this style is that they garment clings very closely to the curved area just below the waist and anything underneath it would disrupt the natural curvature. Obviously a good patriarchal school board member would be disturbed by such a fashion statement and that might explain why they issued that dictum.
21Some places have codes. Other places have standards. Thats what my sainted mom in law would have said. She taught for 30 years in a southern state. Not crazy. Just amazingly brave.
22Don A, I might be tempted to tell a male complaining that his skin-tight socks were causing me to have lascivious thoughts and distracting me from my work. Obviously it would be his responsibility to do something about that.
There is, of course, the chance that he would do the wrong thing about that, but in my case, not likely.
23How do they check for compliance? It’s simple.
It’s Arkansas, they wear their underwear on the outside.
24Ralph gets the prize!
25@Don A in Pennsyltucky
26Somehow, some way, in my demented 14 year old’s brain, “dictum” was the perfect word on which to end your paragraphs about low rise fashion statements.
Interesting how the onus is always on the woman to take the blame for men’s lustful thoughts and has been since Eve.
I’m pretty sure that Eve did not wear underwear.
27LynnN, yup and neither did Adam!
28I wear sports bras. They all have spandex. What the heck is the problem with spandex?
29Do Depends count as underwear?
30Coprolite-
31Comedian Craig Ferguson, when asked what he wears under his kilt, replied “On a good day, lipstick”.