Throughout middle school and high school I was always fascinated about the amount of restrictions and rules that our public schools could impose on us. They were allowed to control our wardrobe, hair, and even types of piercings. This affects me because I do not believe that less strict dress codes would cause any type of chaos or distractions to students and their learning process. In my personal experience, dress codes were more trouble than they were actually worth. They caused disruptions in everyone's days and made it very hard to find clothing to wear to school. 

The first article, written by Chuck Fieldman for the Chicago Tribune, focuses on how many dress code issues begin in middle school and continues to grow throughout the years. Ruben Pena, the principal of a middle school, was quoted saying, "this is an age where our students are growing and developing, physically" in reference to why some clothes that used to fit may not anymore. Pena believes that every single dress code case should be handled individually and not forced into a certain mold. The values are definitely more leaning towards the needs of the children and not forcing everyone into this crazy dress code. But, this proposed "solution" could become an issue because of the difference in every child and every dress code violation. The author, Chuck Fieldman, has been writing for many years and showed a little bit of both sides of the argument so that it does not swing too much in one way. 

The second article mainly addresses the change of a dress code in order to not make dressing for school so hard. The author talks about how a school realized that putting such strict rules on dress did not help students who could not afford new clothes. This school wants to focus more on the children's learning and not dress. They plan on doing this by loosening the codes and treating cases individually.  This is a more realistic approach to the issue because of the realization of some of the children's living situations. The dress code is at stake here because of the newer rules and the possibility of treating every case individually. This also could lead to issues because of the difference in the teachers or administrators dealing with the dress codes. Different adults can think different outfits are inappropriate. I cannot find any information on the author; therefore her credibility could be questioned. 

The last article is focused on males in a Clovis, California high school that are protesting their schools strict gender pointed rules. The author writes that the current dress code policy states "male haircuts may not fall below the mid-point of a standard stand up shirt collar and earlobes must be visible," and "that earrings are 'not appropriate or acceptable' for male students". Clovis District schools are currently battling parents and children on their dress codes. Boys dressed in girls clothing to protest the lack of sensitivity towards people who do not conform to their gender, or a certain gender. I think many people who are LGBT advocates would be interested in this article because it is an issue that needs to be resolved for the students who are forced to conform to a gender and typical gender stereotypes. This is another reason why dress codes are becoming more and more of an issue. Society is just now starting to accommodate trans genders and non-gender conforming people. A simpler dress code that did not insist on certain genders dressing a certain way would be a great start. This author graduated and work in California, so is able to stay up to date and close to the dress code battles in the Clovis School District. 

The research question is still arguable because so many people disagree on a possible change or solution. Two of my articles mentioned that children need dress codes because of the age-old "distraction" excuse. Many school officials are against change, while outside forces see it as a necessity. I still see a need to reform school dress codes. They limit children's sense of self and often target based on gender. Revising school dress codes could possibly lead to greater student success because students won't have to worry about dress codes and will be able to feel comfortable in their learning environment. 
