No pajamas allowed during remote classes at Illinois school district, officials say
An Illinois school district says students shouldn’t wear pajamas or stay in bed for online remote classes, irritating some parents who say it’s an overreach into their homes.
The Springfield, Illinois, school district’s dress code and policies don’t allow students learning from home to wear pajama pants and encourage them to find a desk or table. Administrators, teachers and parents helped develop the guidelines as the school navigates education in the COVID-19 pandemic, officials say.
The district is certainly not alone as schools across the U.S. adjust to new rules and policies, balancing educating children and keeping them safe.
A school district spokeswoman told McClatchy News it doesn’t intend to be punitive or “prescribe” what students wear during online classes.
“Our hope is that students approach remote learning as they would in a classroom setting, to the extent possible given each student’s individual circumstances,” the spokeswoman said in an email. “However, we understand the interpretation of the dress code in a remote learning environment will differ than in a normal school setting. It is understandable that during remote learning our dress code will be flexible.”
Parents have the option of enrolling their children in a hybrid of remote and in-person classes or online only. Face masks are required for students in school buildings.
Elizabeth Ballinger, who chose to keep her children home, told WCIA the school district is going too far.
“I don’t really see how any district can come in and say what my kid can’t wear in my house,” Ballinger told WCIA. “I don’t think they have any right to say what happens in my house. I think they have enough to worry about as opposed to what the kids are wearing. They need to make sure they’re getting educated.”
Aaron Graves, president of Springfield Education Association teachers union, said “raising the bar for all kids and helping them get there, whether (they’re) in their pajamas or tuxedo, is really what’s important,” WCIA reported.
The school spokeswoman says the district will address dress code concerns individually with students, and it’s ”open to making our guidelines more supportive and inclusive.”
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