Dress codes may not be the first thought in educational reform but the dress code has been a topic of debate for a generation. Since the start of the 2009 school year a south Dakota Sioux tribe has initiated and withdrawn a lawsuit over their district's newly enacted dress code. The code specifies the color of both shirts and pants/skirts. Parents in this poverty stricken area protested the dress code as a financial hardship. Opponents also claim the code violates student's rights of self-expression. The school district is hoping the dress code will decrease gang-related violence in school.
Dress codes are necessary at school to prevent inappropriately short skirts, pants that reveal boxer shorts, and t-shirts with explicit or degrading messages. But what about taking the step to school uniforms? Proponents believe school uniforms put everyone on an even playng field, reduce violence, and keep students from being distracted by clothing choices. Approximately 3% of New Jersey school districts require school uniforms of khaki bottoms and school color shirts. Administrators feel uniforms take the focus off designer labels and aid in school security by making intruders stand out. Bill clinton supported school uniforms as a way to reduce violence in his 1996 State of the Union address. "And if it means that teenagers will stop killing each other over dsigner jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniforms."
The Department of Education published a manual covering school uniforms, also dated 1996. It opens with a list of how school uniforms improve a school. The manual provides multiple examples of schools that attribute an overall better climate and decreased incidents of violence and theft in part to their uniform policy. I have searched for statistics on school uniforms and come up with nothing more recent than 1994. My question is this; if something as simple as khaki pants and a white shirt can improve the school environment and increase academic achievement, why don't we adpot a national school uniform?
Now, before I receive letters from the ACLU let me say I have been unable to form a strong opinion either for or against uniforms. Reliable research in the area has escaped my attention or doesn't exist. I would very much like to hear from anyone who works in a public school district with a uniform policy.
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I currently do not work in a public school but I used to be a teacher's aide in a inner-city public school where the entire district wore school uniforms. I thought it was the best idea ever invented because I had no idea who the "poorer" students were. The school had a cross of students between poverty-stricken, middle-class, and upper-class. Only administrators at the individual schools knew who needed the financial help. If a family was unable to purchase a school uniform, there was a program that the school had where families could donate gently used clothing and those needy families could receive the items for their students.
ReplyDeleteI currently teach at a Catholic School where school uniforms are as normal as sliced bread. However, we are still capable of knowing who has more money than another because of the type of shoes they wear.
When I volunteered at a school in Orlando, Florida during spring break last year, it was school policy that all students bought the same shoes through a uniform company that the school used. I found that very interesting.
I am for school uniforms. Students are able to display their own uniqueness in other ways, especially academically, which should be our focus in schools.
I work in a school that does not require school uniforms and I'm not 100% convinced that school uniforms put everyone on an even playing field. I don't think school uniforms hide from where a child comes from. Wealthy students will still come with designer clothes (if they are allowed to find their own uniforms), nice shoes, jewelry and get dropped off in the newest SUV's. Some schools implement school uniforms to avoid students wearing tight, revealing clothing or baggy pants. I think if school uniforms are chosen you have to have someone making the call on what pants are too tight, etc. You mentioned that you had trouble finding newer information on dress codes. I wonder if dress codes are a trend of the past. I haven't heard much about them since I have graduated from college (4 years ago). I would like to see recent information and data on the positives of a dress code before I'm convinced.
ReplyDeleteDo you know of any schools that have school dress codes that require teachers to follow the dress codes also? In the past few years we have had problems with teacher dress codes. A few female teachers have tops too low and recently flip flops have come up in conversation. Do you think teachers are dressing too casual?
I have mixed feelings about public schools wearing uniforms. I do agree that it would even the playing field amoung the students, that they could focus on other things (i.e. academics). I teach in a district that does not required uniforms. Everyday, I look at girls wearing to tight clothes, to short clothes, and very revealing tops and the boys wearing way to baggy pants that I have not idea how they stay up and some that wear very tight shirts.
ReplyDeleteFive years ago, I was at small district. The principal was set on changing the dress code, not to uniforms, but to appropriate articles of clothing. The DGF student-parent handbook, it is given to parents and students every year and is reviewed with the students yearly, state "Clothing, tattoos, or similar, that have logos or words that promote or imply, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, or sexual connotations are not permitted; Use the finger tip rule to check length of skirts or shorts. Clothes must fit. No exposed midriff, bottom, underwear, or clothes with holes; no sleepwear, tube tops;
Coats, caps, and sunglasses may not be worn in the building; Clothing that denotes gang affiliation will not be allowed; Jackets are not allowed to be worn in the building during the day; Backpacks are not allowed in the classrooms. If you’re not sure you should wear it – DON’T! When, in the judgment of the administration, a student’s appearance, grooming, or mode of dress interferes with or disrupts the educational process or school activities, or poses a health or safety concern, the student will be directed to make modifications or a behavior report will be filled out for discipline." I watched him stop girls in the hall to have them do the finger tip test (shorts/skirts must be an inch longer than their finger tips) and make them either call parents to bring them clothes or go to change into their gym clothes and stop boys to give them some rope to hold their pants up. I loved it. With how mature looking some of these students are, there needs to be a stricker dress code to protect both the students and the adults working in the school.
My children attend a public school (my alma maters)that does not reequire uniforms. A few years ago, at one of the school board meetings, uniforms were brought up. It was quickly hushed and was never brought up again. When things come up that may be different or a change to how things were, if the 'right' people complain it goes away.
Don't parents monitor what their children are wearing? I know that kids can change their clothes at school, but if they know that they is a change that their parents will be notified, they might not want to risk it. My parents monitored what I wore to school and would make me change if they did not approve of it. Parents need to be more involved with that and not be suprised or mad if they get a call from the school saying that they need to their child clothes.
This is an interesting topic and even more interesting reading the negative comments in the USA today article.
ReplyDeleteIt does sound like the school should have given the public more time to prepare so they could be financially ready, but the school, I assume, is doing it for the best interest of the students. Whether safety or equality of style. It should not be a right for students to "express themselves" by what they wear. When did this right get written into the Bill. I understand that they should be allowed to express themselves, but lets not let the inmates run the cell. What is wrong with a dress code? It totally takes away gang colors, improper shirt labels, and the length issues. Also, the one comment was that they can't believe they were kicked out of school like they committed a crime. Well, they did, they broke the school rules. Lets not take this issue to the extreme. Black, brown, or khaki is the most common and closets or even second hand stores are filled with this stuff.
Philip
I can't wait to comment on this! I love this topic. I am all for uniforms, or at least uniform dress code. I agree whole-heartedly with all the reasons to implement one. Unfortuneately, I can also see the down side. But speaking from experience I have this to say:
ReplyDeleteI am a music teacher. Our school does not have a concert uniform. So I make it a requirement that the kids dress up for concerts. Well if it were only that simple. Do you know how many differnt interpretations there are for "dress up"? It is a recipe for disaster. After all the hard work all year all I want to hear is what a great job the kids have done. But what I usually hear is did you see "Susies" dress. Not what I was hoping for. For a few concerts I changed my requirement. Black pants/skirts and white tops were the new requirement. They were the best concerts ever! So many positive comments. It wasn't an actual uniform, but it was uniform dress code. It worked so well. Not everybody had the same pants/skirts but they were all black. You still run the risk of a short short skirt, but less than if you leave the playing field open.
When you talk about parents monitoring, I have to think back to a contest we went to where one of my students wore a dress with horrible low clevage. I was so embarassed that one of my kids did that. My bus driver (a pastor) leaned over to me and said "Where is her daddy". Well, unfortunately there isn't one in the picture and the mom works endless hours. Go figure. I suppose since parents aren't around to do the job, the school has to do it. So let them!
There are a lot of things about a dress code that can be very peculiar and parents and entire groups like to pick on them. My entire county has strict dress codes for every elementary, middle, and high school in the county. That means that 47,000+ students must wear some form of khakis and a collared shirt that is one of the school's designated colors. Surprisingly, we have not had too much resistance because parents were allowed to voice their opinions. Now saying that, every school in the county is a Title I school, we have a huge poverty problem in the county, yet despite that I would put our dress code violations down below 10%. At my school specifically, it has decreased gang activity and allowed for things to flow a little more easily. We still have problems with certain students and we always tell about 20 or 30 kids to tuck their shirts or pull up their pants every day, but they are punished for violating dress code and the parents support it. The county picked very neutral colors for every school and every item the students wear can be bought at a low-cost store, such as Wal-Mart or a thrift store. If students have issues getting uniforms, a social worker from the county takes clothes to the home for the child. I think it is great for areas where there are a lot of at-risk students and it can increase student participation in school and cut down on a lot of negative behaviors at school.
ReplyDeleteI have been unable to form a strong opinion on dress codes, especially if they include school uniforms. I understand the desire for students to express themselves through their dress. I don't believe we see dress as necessarily about money. In today's world, with holy jeans and t-shirst being part of the fashion, I don't think our school sees much conflict due to rich versus poor.
ReplyDeleteOur dress policies at the high school include no wearing of headgear in school; no shirts portraying alcohol, tobacco, drugs, or inappropriate language; no showing of the 3 B's (boobs, belly, butt). The hard part of these policies as a male teacher is calling attention to girls showing too much cleavage. I feel very uncomfortable telling a female student that their clothes are inappropriate especially if they are showing cleavage or short skirts or shorts. I know the female teachers are uncomfortable with some male students who wear pants below their butt. It is especially difficult when you have a female showing cleavage while wearing a shirt saying, "Why are you looking down here...my eyes are up there." The problem with this is that someone has to make a determination of whether clothes are inappropriate. Everyone has their own interpretation of these rules. I have also seen girls who wear shirts short enough that they creep up enough to show off their belly piercing. However, most of the time they are pulling them down so they are technically within the rules most of the time. For these reasons, I am in favor of some type of uniform. However, it seems like no matter how you set these standards, someone is going to find a way to push the line.
The reason I am not completely sold on uniforms is it does take away a certain amount of individuality. In addition, different sports teams dress a certain way (team t-shirt, dress shirt and tie, etc.) to call attention to the team on the day of competition. It is a reminder to all that they are competing and would like the school to come out and support them. You have clubs and organizations using special dress to identify their organization. Uniforms take away the ability to show unity as a group or team. In my school, if we had uniforms and gave exceptions to these and other events, there would be several days of the week that some students would not be wearing their uniforms.
Interesting blog this week. I think this is such a great comment and there is huge discussion to be had about it. I grew up not having to wear a uniform and there were times I was made fun of, I was the weird kid who was made fun of for the hideous outfits my mother made me wear. I remember talk of uniforms and even though I was teased from time to time, I didn't want anything to do with them. But I was young and what did I know at that time.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been in a school that requires uniforms but we have a dress code. I find this is important and sets boundaries of what a child can or cannot wear.
I have had the opportunity to discuss with parents of children who do have a dress code and am amazed at how supportive they are. She said it was the best thing the school could have done. There is no more arguing about what to wear and no more money spent on fads her daughters had to have and then refused to wear a week later.
I think there are pros and cons to uniforms and they are all in the eyes of that specific person.
Great post!
Jenna