The great back-to-school debate has raised a lot of different questions in these last few months. (And I do mean a lot.) If you opt to keep your kids home from school, will they fall behind? And if they return, how safe will it really be inside the classroom? But here's one we bet you never asked yourself since the pandemic first began: If your children continue with remote learning, will it matter what they wear during their "school day"? Apparently, it will if they attend Springfield Public Schools in Illinois. According to NBC News, Springfield parents have been told that whether their kids attend in-person or online classes, they can't wear pajamas.
The Springfield Board of Education is coming down hard on sleepwear, calling it "not acceptable school apparel."
Yes, even if "school" happens from your kitchen table, and your kid's PJ Masks pajamas can barely be seen on camera.
The new rule, which many parents are calling extreme, was just one of many outlined in a new student handbook put out in the district.
That's not the only "unacceptable school apparel" the handbook calls out.
In fact, it's just one of many.
"Hats, caps, bandanas, hoods of any type, sweatbands, sunglasses, pajama pants, slippers, or shoes with wheels attached to the bottom shall not be worn in the buildings," the rules state.
"Oversized, extremely baggy clothing or improperly-fitted clothing" is also not allowed, it goes on. "Pants, shorts or skirts must be worn at the waist — sagging is prohibited."
Considering that most of us (kids included) have not worn real pants in about five months, the whole "no PJ's" thing is blowing people's minds.
"As long as it's not inappropriate — who cares!!?" one person on Facebook asked, before asking others to consider "how adults dress while 'working' from home."
(Considering I am currently unshowered and still in last night's pajamas … I feel somewhat attacked by that statement, but I digress.)
"Are they going to make all the kids get up and parade in front of the camera to make sure they are to dress code?" another person asked. "I think teachers have a bit more to do than police that! Are they going to do the finger test for shorts and no spaghetti straps?"
Adhering to the dress code isn't the only new remote learning rule, though.
Students are also being told to get out of bed, get dressed, and look directly into the camera during the online class to ensure that they are fully engaged.
"We don't need students in pajamas and all those other things while on their Zoom conference," Jason Wind, director of school support, told school board members last week during a meeting later shared on YouTube.
"In our regular student dress code, it actually states that pajama pants and so forth are not acceptable school apparel," he continued. "And so this remote learning information that we put in, with the students' rights and responsibilities that will fall back under that dress code. They must follow the dress code of the building, and so no pajama pants."
It seems the concept is pretty simple: Creating a normal routine, even if you're just staying home, will keep kids clear-headed.
That is, after all, why many parents who are prepping to homeschool are busily preparing dedicated learning spaces for their kids. But according to the Springfield school board, it goes beyond simply having your kid sit at a desk to "attend" class. Having them get in the habit of waking up as they normally would for school, eating breakfast, showering, and getting dressed, will go a long way in gearing them up to learn.
Or so goes the logic.
Some parents have felt that the handbook goes too far.
"To put more barriers in place, 'You have to sit at a table, you have to dress a certain way,' does not make sense," John Freml, a dad of two in the Springfield district, told NBC News. "We have to meet families where they are and not put up more restrictions."
After the story swept social media, others seemed to agree.
"There should be more pressing concerns around remote learning," one person wrote. "Such as: are kids caught up in a pending eviction, are any family members suffering from Covid and will it impact child's participation, are children facing food insecurities, do they have electricity and internet access, do they have the tools necessary to complete their work, are their care givers still alive?"
"It's really very funny how some people still think that if person is too comfortable and relaxed, he cannot concentrate or something like that," another argued. "I ran a call center for 10 years and didn't mind people coming to work in shorts, sweatpants, pajamas for as long as clothes were clean. Couldn't wish for better, more efficient team."
But it doesn't look like the school board is budging.
In fact, Judith Ann Johnson, another school board member, said that parents in the district aren't really bothered by the rule — but people across the internet sure are. She says she's received no major pushback from parents yet.
Plus, she argues, it makes sense.
"If you're dressed nice you're better able to perform," she told NBC. But if you're rolling out of bed and showing up to class in your PJs, "you're not taking it seriously." (I mean, we all knew at least one of those kids in college, did we not?)
Either way, it doesn't look like the school board is planning to rule with an iron first on this one.
District spokeswoman Bree Hankins told NBC that any disciplinary action taken over the pajama rule will be "light touch." … Which I guess is something?
"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," Hankins said in a statement. "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," the statement continued. "We do not intend to be punitive or to prescribe what students wear at home during remote learning, especially in this period of uncertainty and adjustment for students, families and staff. If there is a specific concern as it relates to dress code, we will address it individually with the student and their family."
The story has been getting national attention over the last few days, as more and more schools inch closer to reopening.
And, as many parents are reportedly opting to homeschool instead of sending their kids back, it's likely hitting home for a lot of them. But at least on social media, there seems to be one main consensus uniting those who are responding to the news: Lighten up!
"As a teacher, I spent numerous days on Zoom in my pajama bottoms!" wrote one person on Facebook. "Who cares, so long as the children are out of bed and paying attention?"
