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Dress codes within reason are fine, in order to keep sleazy, completely inappropriate bits of indecent clothing out of the schools. I had them in my high school, and the principle enforced them whenever a student came to school dressed either like a slut or as a gang banger, otherwise everything was fine.

However, I'm against schools dictating every piece of decent clothing that a child may or may not wear, down to what types of fabric may be used, to what types of colors may be worn, to what types of socks and underwear are acceptable. This conform or else mentality, as enthusiastically expressed by some on this thread, smacks very much of fascism in my opinion. That a child was disciplined because he wore tigger socks, even though he knew he was provoking an incident, is inexcusable, and yet another symptom of a system run amok, in the opposite extreme. I wonder what the Founding Fathers would say about public schools imposing rules on what kinds of socks ro colors of clothing may be worn?

However, I'm against schools dictating every piece of decent clothing that a child may or may not wear, down to what types of fabric may be used, to what types of colors may be worn, to what types of socks and underwear are acceptable...I wonder what the Founding Fathers would say about public schools imposing rules on what kinds of socks ro colors of clothing may be worn?

I have worked in one public school system that had a uniform requirement. In that case, the uniform requirement was implemented after a good deal of community discussion, and with the approval and support of the majority of the parents. After the first few months, some parents didn't like the way some parts of the policy were being interpreted/enforced by some of the principals, and they petitioned the school board for clarification/changes, which were also implemented.

I'd say that is a rather democratic process, and one which might also have occurred in this instance; however, a small group of parents apparently took exception to what may actually have been a democratic process, and wanted exceptions for their children.

The uniform policy in this particular school actually seems to have been pretty lenient; it seems the children could wear any colors they chose, so long as they wore solid colors.

I had them in my high school, and the principle enforced them whenever a student came to school dressed either like a slut or as a gang banger, otherwise everything was fine.

The problem with this (I really don't think there's a problem) is that it requires judgment to be exercised. What most of these schools want is not to have to exercise judgment at all because then the one doing the judging can be accused of discrimination.