My daughter goes to a middle school with a strict dress code for students. I can see why it might be necessary for kids who are troublemakers, but my daughter dresses respectfully—no skimpy clothes or gang insignia. Some of the teachers dress worse than the kids do. Can I opt her out of the dress code requirement?

Schools frequently insist on a dress code to ensure that students don't wear gang colors or insignia, on the theory that banning gang colors will reduce violence in and around the school. It's difficult to opt out of a dress code, since it allows parents and students some leeway in choosing clothes and is less restrictive than an insistence that all students wear identical uniforms.

On the other hand, you can try to opt out of a school's policy regarding actual uniforms. A school must notify parents and students of its policy on uniforms at least six months before it goes into effect, giving families time to purchase the uniform. The school must also let parents know how to opt out of the program if they wish; there's usually a form to fill out.

If you don't believe in any student dress codes and/or uniforms, you need to bring your concerns to the school site council. If the code is districtwide, then address your concerns to your school board.

As to what teachers wear, Long Beach, California set a standard. In 1994 it became the first and largest public school district in the nation to require its elementary and middle school students to wear uniforms. Two years later, its school board ordered all schools in the district to adopt guidelines for a dress code for teachers.