Kevin+Brooks

[|Students react to dress code]

[|Pros and Cons of School Uniforms]

[|Benefits of Having a School Uniform]

__[|Public School Uniform Debate]__

[|Uniform Effects] =My Notes=

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[|Students react to dress code]

There are more ways students can express themselves than just by what they wear, Ervin said.

"You don't have to just express yourself in just your dress code," he said. "There's so many things at school, like the art club, that you can join to express yourself."

Standardized dress prepares students for their future, Ervin, 16, said. Employees wouldn't normally come to work dressing in baggy pants or tight shirts, he said.

"If you can't follow a dress code at school, how do you expect to follow a dress code at work or in life?" he said. "You'll want to look the way you can to get that job. All we're doing is preparing for life and for our future." _

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[|Pros and Cons of School Uniforms] Some say that a child in a school uniform is more likely to take school seriously. Putting on the school uniform signals he or she is going to school just like dad dresses up to go to work. Schools report that when students dress in "work clothes" rather than "play clothes" they take a more serious approach to their studies. Many think that school uniforms help maintain school discipline, decreasing the amount of discipline problems. The argument is that children today are lacking in self-discipline because parents refuse to discipline them. This makes it more difficult on the teacher who has to deal with classes of 25-30 students at a time. Schools report that school uniforms decrease fighting and violence that arrise out of arguments over fashionable clothes. Children invariably tease those who do not have trendy clothes. Those who can't afford name brand clothes are often sensitive about their clothing. Schools struggling with gang problems report that school uniforms help ease tensions. Many parents believe that students wearing school uniforms look nicer and that a school uniform policy ensures that children will come to school in appropriate clothing, avoiding distractions such as fads considered to be outlandish or overly revealing. Some students have turned school into an unending fashion show. This disctracts from learning, as some kids spend more time focused on thier clothes than on homework. School uniforms stress that individuality and self-expression are not determined by designer clothing or the latest fashion fad. School uniforms are a bargain. They are becoming far less expensive than many other clothes. Schools argue that school uniforms are economical, especially compared to designer clothing, and parents agree given school uniform durability. They say school uniforms last longer because they are made for repeated wash and wear. Many schools capitalize on this by starting used school uniform stores or swap meets. Parents can get used school uniforms at discount prices, or just use them as hand-me-downs between siblings. Some feel wearing a school uniform helps build school spirit It instills a feeling of belonging. As the Beach Boys said, "Be true to your school." Schools report an increase in school pride. Suppressing individuality is the most commonly cited objection to school uniforms. Educators argue that an academic program encouraging students to pursue individual thought is much more important than what they wear. They inhibit creativity and self-expression, forcing students to conform. Some students reject any rules. Forcing them to wear school uniforms only aggravates their rebellious spirit. They alter their school uniform by tightening, widening, shortening, or lengthening them, and teachers are given the impossible task of policing the students on a daily basis. Opponents insist that their is no credible evidence that school uniforms improve school discipline or promote higher academic achievement. The principal argument is that some great students are terrible dressers. Dress does not necessarily improve learning. _
 * Professional:**
 * Promotes Good Discipline:**
 * Reduces Fighting and Violence:**
 * Distractions:**
 * Values:**
 * Low Cost:**
 * School Spirit:**
 * Individuality:**
 * Causes Discipline Problems:**
 * Little or No Relationship to Academics:**

__[|Benefits of Having a School Uniform]__

Parents are able to save money on school clothes, since they only have to buy the uniform pieces. Often, uniforms are made of easy to find items, such as khaki pants and polo shirts. These items can be purchased at reduced prices from discount retail locations. Parents also do not have to argue with their children about what to wear. The answer is clear—they will wear the school uniform.

Having a school uniform helps the schools as well. One of the ways those in gangs identify each other and their rivals is through clothing. School uniforms eliminate some of this. Gang members are not able to identify their enemies while on school ground quite as easily, thus cutting down on school violence somewhat. Schools also do not have to regulate dress to make sure that students dressing appropriately. The school’s chosen uniform is always appropriate.

Whether they realize it or not, having a school uniform also benefits the students. Those who cannot afford name-brand clothes are no longer under the peer pressure to buy that $100 pair of jeans. Everyone is dressed the same at school, and students are allowed to show who they are, not just what they wear, as merit when establishing friendships. Students who are not used to the idea will usually complain when they first find out that they will have to wear a uniform, but they quickly get used to the ease of school uniforms. School uniforms take away some of the pressure to “fit in” and “be cool,” and what student won’t appreciate that. _

__[|Public School Uniform Debate]__

Educators, parents, and students site many reasons in favor of school uniforms: -
 * School administrators face a complicated task setting a dress code: with inappropriate coverage (for example, strapless, halter, and midriff tops and too-short skirts and shorts) and inappropriate insignia (for example, slogans for alcohol and cigarettes and clothing with vulgar language or representing otherwise objectionable connections, such as gang membership), it may be easier to have a uniform than to detail and enforce independently chosen clothing.
 * Dress code aside, the interest in fashion and fad combined with peer pressure can lead to pressure to spend money that some families can ill afford: school uniforms refocus this issue.
 * Wearing of school uniforms prevents the formation of dress-identified cliques
 * The wearing of school uniforms emphasizes membership and group identity, fostering a community spirit.
 * Crimes involving stealing items of apparel are unlikely to be perpetrated if everyone’s apparel is identical.
 * Because students can be easily identified, intruders in the school setting can be more readily identified and students on field trips are more easily accounted for.
 * The wearing of school uniforms helps students to realize that a person’s unique gifts and personality traits go deeper than their apparel and aren’t diminished by uniform dress

[|Uniform Effects]

(Long Beach Unified School District in California) In 1994, the 97,200-student urban district, located in the southern part of the state, became the first public school district in the nation to require all students in grades K-8 to wear uniforms. A two-year evaluation of that effort, conducted from 1993 to 1995, turned up some remarkable improvements: a 28 percent drop in suspension rates at the elementary level, a 36 percent decline in middle school suspensions, a 51 percent decrease in fights in grades K-8, and a 34 percent drop in assault and battery in elementary and middle schools.

Decatur middle school began to require uniforms, and test scores have been going up and in-school suspensions have been going down ever since the switch. Once targeted for “reconstitution” because of its low scores under the state’s former testing program, Decatur has been improving every year.

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