Dress codes can be a controversial topic in schools across the nation, and Hastings High is no exception. With the recent change in administration, an update was made to the dress code. Surprisingly this change affects teachers and not students. Yes, even teachers have a dress code that they must follow.
Starting with the 2016-2017 school year teachers are no longer able to wear shorts of any kind.
The reasoning behind this change was a simple one. Hastings High principal Thomas Szlanda wanted to make an update to an unwritten rule.
“We used to not have air conditioning here at Hastings High, and it would get really hot in the building. There were a couple different unofficial rules that I heard, like if it was going to be 85° teachers were able to wear shorts,” Szlanda said.
Since Hastings High has now had air conditioning for quite some time, Szlanda thought it was time to update this.
“We want every teacher to look professional and dress professional. That isn’t possible if shorts are allowed,” Szlanda said.
While shorts aren’t considered to be professional, skirts and other bottoms are still compliant with the teacher dress code.
There is one exception to teacher’s wearing shorts, and that is with Physical Education teachers.
“This rule simply does not apply to our Physical Education instructors. They’re all very active in their teachings and we want them to be as comfortable as possible,” Szlanda said.
As of right now, Szlanda has no plans to make any more changes regarding the dress code, but that may change.
“We’re looking into some things, but what’s difficult about that is we start working on the handbook and expectations at the end of the school and then styles and fashions and fads change over the summer and we don’t know what’s going to show up here at the high school,” Szlanda said.
According to an unnamed source, teachers had varying opinions towards this new change. Some teachers thought that it was unfair and that students shouldn’t be able to wear shorts if teachers can’t.
“I can understand where the arguments are coming from, but I don’t see anything wrong with it,” Spanish teacher Nathan Mueller said.
Mueller remembers what his first days at the high school were like before air conditioning.
“One time superintendent Craig Kautz was going through the halls with a thermometer that read 100°F. Shorts were acceptable then due to the heat, but now that we have air conditioning I don’t see why they’d be necessary,” Mueller said.
Librarian Faye Friesen was fine either way with the change.
“I personally don’t care because I can wear a dress or a skirt. I think shorts are perfectly appropriate, but we have a new principal and he doesn’t want teachers wearing shorts so we do not wear shorts,” Friesen said.
Friesen disagrees with the proposition of teachers having the same dress codes as students.
“I feel like teachers should be held to a higher standard. Students should be able to wear shorts. Students express themselves through the clothing they wear and as long as it’s not too short or too revealing I’m fine with it,” Friesen said.
No matter what side of the argument teachers are on, it seems the rule is here to stay.
