uniforms+money+and+selfesteem

= RAHS Note Page =

Source
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=9&hid=13&sid=0452fc15-1e6b-4ee5-bdec-52ac33820641%40sessionmgr13&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=f5h&AN=9604085809

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=110&sid=a6a2d443-d668-43b0-9665-dbcd6aa5101d%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=keh&AN=1636

Summary/Direct Quote
Selfe stated that she has noticed that **//clothes//** do affect students' perception of themselves, which was a factor in Bishop Healy deciding to change its uniform style. "We wanted **//uniforms//** to instill pride by helping the kids fully understand their heritage. Attitude is very important in behavior, and if students feel good about who they are, they will act appropriately at **//school//**," said Selfe about the uniform policy at Bishop Healy, which is the first and only parochial **//school//** in St. Louis to have Afrocentric-styled **//uniforms//**. Beverly Slater, assistant principal at the Florence B. Price Elementary **//School//** on Chicago's South Side, told JET that wearing **//uniforms//** could be a step in the right direction in curbing student violence. Though she says her **//school//** rarely has occurrences of violence, she notes safety was what her **//school//** had in mind when its local **//school//** council voted a uniform policy in place in 1992. "Around the city, at that time,there was so much violence with jackets and gym shoes being taken. We thought in terms of having a uniform policy for the children's safety," said Slater. Slater also said that not only do the students have a dress code, but she says that every Wednesday, the administrators, faculty and staff don forest green, the children's uniform colors, to show the students that they are in support of their four-year-old policy. "**//Uniforms//** would be an excellent idea because it could be easier on parents," said McFall, who's been an educator for more than 30 years. "It would be less expensive for parents who purchase popular fashions for their children. I think it would be a good idea for everyone to be dressed alike," McFall explained.

 The lack of evidence to support **//school//** **//uniforms//** doesn't matter to Heather Smith, a seventh-grade teacher at Irving Park Middle **//School//**, in Chicago. She just wants the peace of mind associated with **//uniforms//**. Since her students were required to wear dark-colored pants and light-colored tops four years ago, Smith reports, "I don't spend time on the business of who's representing their gang affiliation. Even if the kids aren't doing any violence in the **//school//**, they're intimidating."

"Contrary to what some believe," she says, "middle-school reform is not about making kids feel good. It's about equity and high standards of academic achievement. Students must be in an environment that is sensitive to their developmental needs; where they are treated fairly and with respect; where they receive age-appropriate, challenging instruction; and where they are held accountable for their dress, behavior, and school-work. Uniforms are simply one piece of the entire picture of school reform."

**Connected Topics/Uses** Uniforms prevent parents from feeling pressured to buy expensive clothes that kids are pressured to wear. When everyone dresses the same they arent envious, have better attitudes, and therefore focus more on school.