For the district I teach in (CA school), the contract states we can’t be told what to wear, but it must be professional. For men, collared, short sleeve shirts are the norm, especially on hot summer days. We do have the occasional tie person on a 100+ degree day, and we give him a hard time about it, but all in fun. We also have a teacher that is very relaxed in his dress, and some teachers speculate how effective he could be (parents do to!) and what kind of teacher he is, just based on his clothing.

I always try keep this in mind: what would I want my own child’s teacher to wear and still show that he cared about teaching?

Thanks for being one of the few men brave enough to work in an elementary school. Depending on the demographics of the school, you may be one of the few role models in their lives. I taught highschoolers who lost their beloved male custodian who was “Mr. D” to all the kids….for years. They actually had to move the viewing and funeral so that all from the very small town could attend.

The range is from no regulations to a suit and tie. Some if these regulations are covered by local school district by-laws and regulations, court decisions, arbitration and teacher contracts