School Uniforms

[Chicago526]

Ok, I may be the only liberal here to say this, but I don't really have a problem with school uniforms.

Nope, you're not the only liberal! I love the idea of uniforms! As someone that got teased and bullyed in school because I didn't have the "right" clothes starting in 3rd grade (and continueing until high school, my mom was cheap and wouldn't buy me anything "cool" ie designer), I have no problem what so ever! Getting ready in the moring would be easier too (let's see, the navy blue jumper or the navy blue jumper?).

Plus, little girls look so darn CUTE in those jumper dresses!

 

[Castlebound]

My kids wear uniforms and they are NOT more expensive that regular clothing. Frenchtoast only sells uniforms and you can get white stain resistant polo shirts for under $10 each. Pants and jumpers are under $15. We just bought our DS a couple of pairs of jeans for dress-down days and around the house. Kohl's had a great sale and the Levis jeans were $15 each. I was fine with that but the shirt that we also got him was $14! Why was there a dollar difference between a long sleeved tee-shirt and jeans? He is 8 y/o and doesn't care about brand at all. All he cares about is if it is comfortable. Girls clothes are even worse! I think they hike the price up just because they are for girls!

 

[Christine]

I just bought my son uniforms for this year. We have to buy some of our stuff from a special uniform store because it is monogrammed and specific to our school, but here is what I got for $300:

5 pairs of navy blue pants (purchased at uniform store)
3 short sleeved oxford shirts
2 long sleeved oxfort shirts
2 monogrammed sweater vests
3 plaid ties
1 pair of black Hush Puppy Shoes
1 black belt

This *should* last the entire school year with the exception of the shoes, which he beats up.

I'm not sure if I could get a better deal on regular clothes or not. I still have to buy "regular" clothes--just not that many as he likes the same things over and over again.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I really wish our schools would have them. Not at the elementary so much, but I just spent an inordinate amount of $ on the 8th grade DD when compared to the 5th grade DD and the 2nd grade DS. And I teach at a high school and while we "clamped down" last year, for the first few weeks first hour we are supposed to check the kids for baggy drawers (boys) or showing midriffs (girls). If we had uniforms 6-12 it would be great.
Unfortunately, these are public schools and public schools around here are very wary of instituting uniforms. Toledo public is doing it--last year was elementary, this year middle schools/junior high schools as well, next year all kids K-12 are required to wear uniforms. But they are doing it to "level the playing field" as someone said, and to reduce behavior issues. The suburban schools don't feel they have these issues, but they do. I see kids at our junior high wearing one pair of jeans that cost the same as 1 or 2 of DD's outfits.
Robin M.

 

[wdw4us2]

Ok, I may be the only liberal here to say this, but I don't really have a problem with school uniforms.

Well, I may be the only conservative here to say this, but I am against school uniforms, especially at the high school level. If schools have a dress code, and it is enforced, I see no reason why teenagers should have to be treated like automatons.

It's bad enough that they are regulated to within an inch of their lives. How are you preparing them for college, or life on their own, if you take every choice and responsibility away from them?

As for the argument that it levels the playing field between the rich and poor, that is ridiculous. Those who are well off will still know who is in their stratosphere socially and economically just as well as those who are not well off. Besides, one look in a high school student parking lot will tell you who is well off financially and who is not.

At my DD's high school, they strictly enforce the dress code and the students know this so they dress accordingly while still being allowed to express their individual personalities. This is as it should be.

 

[brerrabbit]

This is a topic near a dear to my family. My wife works in a Middle School and my DD is a sophmore in the same district. We have a dress code that equates to a uniform policy. Only five colors of pants are acceptable and only five shirt colors are acceptable. Dresses are okay for girls with limitations. Belts are manditory, and shirts must be tucked in, no labels on any clothing including coats and jackets. No fringe, no piping. Now in principle this is a good thing for all the reasons stated earlier. In practice it has gotten ridiculous. What it amounts to is in the world we live in today disiplining a student is next to impossible. Bad behavior means sending the student to the office and a pile of disiplinary forms. It means parent teacher administrator conferances. It means work for everybody and time away from the actual teaching. (preparing lesson plans, actual teaching etc.) With the very strict dress code you can as a teacher or administrator now take out the offender quickly, easily, and painlessly. You just find a dress code violation and send them to the office. No note, no paperwork, just "Johnny I have told you to tuck in your shirt three times, go to the office and tell them you are in violation of the dress code." Problem out of the classroom. Easy simple and none of that messy paperwork. X number of violations and the kid has to spend three days in ISS (In school suspension) isolated from his class doing his schoolwork with no talking, out of the teachers classroom. The ways it being used is quite effective but extremly detrimental to the learning process. It's educations answer to disruptive kids.

 

[tubaman]

Gonna have to borrow this from someone:"over my dead body"

Uniforms, over my dead body.

I think my mom has a good point when she says that she doesn't want to have to pay money for something I'm gonna take off as soon as I get home. Not in my school really, but in my county it would cause problems *cough*Hurricane*cough*
I just don't see them working.

 

[tinaluis]

My DDs go to a public school and wear uniforms (navy pants/shorts/skirts and light blue shirt with a collar). I love them!!!! No trying to pick out an outfit and no pressure to have the latest, hippest clothes which I'm sure will come when they're a little older. I really don't understand what all the controversy is about.

 

[Zandy595]

DS's public elementary school switched to uniforms this year. I can't stand it. They kept telling us how much easier and cheaper it was going to be. I don't think so! I spent WAY more money on uniforms then I have ever spent on regular clothes for school and I still don't have enough clothes for him. All the stores around here are sold out of uniform appropriate navy and khaki shorts. I have to do at least three loads of laundry in the middle of the week so he can wear clean clothes to school.

 

[bntlyclg89]

Hmmm as a former Catholic school student, I am very familiar with uniforms. Our school had uniforms in both elementary and junior high. In high school we had a dress code. For those people who think that uniforms are the great equalizer, I would kindly disagree. They do equalize somewhat but there are still the kids who wear really expensive shoes, jewelry, outerwear, have expensive purses---I mean, come on you know whose family has money and whose is struggling.

That being said, I do believe that uniforms promote good classroom behavior. No tacky shirts, no tiny skirts, no pants hanging with underwear showing. I think that teachers have an easier time (note--I did not say easy!) teaching if there are less distractions.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[JudicialTyranny]

We have uniforms at my children's school. Before the start of each school year, we have a "uniform exchange". You bring the uniforms that your children have outgrown (assuming they are in good shape) and exchange them for a larger size (which were exchanged from a child who moved up a size). It's all for free.

So if you get a number of people to participate and everyone takes decent care of the uniforms, you can defray some of the costs.

Some parents don't like to use the "used" uniforms, but they still turn in their outgrown uniforms to the exchange, so you can even come away with more than you brought.

 

[bajanswife]

I always wore a uniform, and my kids will too - all schools are uniform wearing in my country. It's so normal for us! The enforcement is strict too, so everyone looked pretty much alike. I liked that, coming from a family where my parents' priorities weren't clothes, and therefore they did not buy us all the latest fashions (which were expensive!). I felt inadequate enough on the weekends - good thing it wasn't every day at school too!

Uniforms will never take away all the cliques, and there are other ways to tell the "haves" from the "have nots" - but uniforms do take a clothing burden away at least. Some uniforms are hard to look sexy or cool in, so a lot of the preening etc that goes on with the older kids goes away, or at least dampens a bit. At our schools there is no jewellery allowed except for earring studs and a practical watch, no makeup, and skirts can't be more than 2 inches above the knee. Since these are enforced, kids can't pretty themselves up to attract each other - it puts a bit more focus on what they are really at school to do, and it allows them to get to know each other au natural, which is a good thing IMO. There's more to people than their looks and clothes.

And IMO, there's plenty of time on the weekends and holidays to express themselves however they choose!!

 

[fanofmickey]

In my area of town, there are several private (religious) schools that require uniforms. The only time I have any exposure to these kids are right after the highschool lets out - the girls hike their little plaid skirts up to their you know what, pull their white blouse out of the skirts to hang out, and light up their cigarettes. Now, I realize that not all kids do this, but as I say, this is my only exposure to these kids.

I vote no uniforms. We have a school dress code, but is rarely (and inconsistently) enforced. If they would enforce the one they have, it would be fine.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

Another liberal here who has no problem with school uniforms. I had to wear them in elementary school and high school. I had no problem with them other than they were incredibly ugly (now my old high school has changed them so they are much nicer looking). I liked never having to worry about what to wear. As for expressing individuality, kids found other ways to do it. I never had any problem distinguishing between any of my classmates.

I'm nt sure about what it does to improve behavior, but it was one less stress in my life to not worry about my lack of designer clothing.

 

[we3disneygo]

my dd11 is starting in a private school this year, there is a dress code but no uniforms as of yet, they have already done a phone survey to ask if parents would like the dress code we said yes. I think it would be so much easier...and the pressure of public school of where did you get that???etc. is so hard to deal with.

 

[rayelias]

I was in favor of school uniforms before. This video sinches it.

http://www.big-boys.com/articles/baggyclothes.html

 

[teacherforhi]

I teach in a middle school. This year will be our third year of uniforms. Before we started, I was against the idea, but now I can't imagine going back.

I instantly know what grade a student is in. I know if they're out of their assigned place, so it cuts down on tardiness.

No more arguing with girls about whether or not their shirts are appropriate (ie, cut too low). It's not a polo or a turtleneck. It's not appropriate.

No more dealing with inappropriate sayings on t-shirts or any writing at all across rear ends (which I can't stand).

As far as students trying to express their originality, most of them expressed their originality by dressing exactly like their friends. You had to have "these" kinds of shoes or "those" brand of pants. So, really, we've helped them accomplish their goal.

 

[eeyore0062]

In the public school system in Lake County Schools here in Florida, uniforms are highly recommended in elementary schools, but they cannot force the issue, unless they are charter schools. There are no uniforms for middle and high school, but they are EXTREMELY strict with their dress code, so it is no problem. When we 1st moved here my DD was in 4th grade and had never been subjected to school uniforms. Thinking it would be cheaper, we signed on. When she had outgrown everything she owned by Christmas, we found it was easier and cheaper for us to purchase one wardrobe as opposed to 2 (school and out of school--- she never would have worn those ugly uniforms outside of school), so I gladly signed the opt out voucher. After doing this, her grades actually went UP and her behavior improved. No more fighting about having to wear the hideous uniform, which in her words were "geeky" and "gross". She felt much better about herself. She won't even wear navy blue or khaki bottoms or polo style shirts anymore, because they remind her of the uniforms, and neither will any of her friends. Cute clothes that fit the school dress code and are stylish can be found inexpensively at places like Target and Kohls, so I don't understand the big argument over price, either. I really don't think it is the quick fix many do.

 

[diznygirl]

I agree with Rajanswife that there will still be ways to tell the "haves" from the "have nots." It will come out in how nice the uniforms look - are they hand-me-downs, is it one uniform that gets worn all week, etc - and accessories like socks and shoes and backpacks. That's the way it was in my Catholic school.

I think the argument that it makes it easier to enforce a dress code is interesting. It's too bad that we have to resort to - "That's it! Everyone just wear the same thing! And we are gonna make it real ugly!"

I know I looked forward to leaving my uniform days behind me when I entered public HS. So I'm really not looking forward to having to do school uniforms for my children, but I'll do whatever it takes to keep the peace at school.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

As far as students trying to express their originality, most of them expressed their originality by dressing exactly like their friends. You had to have "these" kinds of shoes or "those" brand of pants. So, really, we've helped them accomplish their goal.

That's a really good point actually. Almost every kid wants to dress like their friends...uniforms sure accomplishes that goal!