Uniforms- should we have to wear them? CHANGE MY MIND PLEASE!
Hi "In the past decade there has been a dramatic increase in the flamboyance of the
everyday outfitting of school age kids. Price tags are in. In some neighborhoods, It's the "thing" to wear the price tag on the garment. What you pay for something is the status symbol.
There is heavy competition for dressing "right" and the peer pressure to perform and
conform is incredible. Many students take after-school jobs to maintain their own style. Often these paychecks go right onto their backs
and are not used for saving for the future or some other primary goal. A part time
job is not the issue here. The reason behind the job is our concern. As a school turns to mandated uniforms, All of the above becomes moot. All of the students look the same, At a base level.
Concentration returns to who you are, Rather than what you are wearing, Or what you
can afford. Students are less immersed in keeping up with today's trends. It's time
to eliminate from schools the status and respect many students give to clothing labels
and price tags. Student attention needs to return to learning in the classroom, Rather
than how they look when they are in that classroom. Mandated uniforms can serve to shift the emphasis from competition back to academic performance and
personal achievement. Uniforms have a helpful leveling effect in school systems where there is economic diversity. It can be quite expensive to dress our
children. $300. 00 per child is not an unreasonable amount spent on each child for
back-to-school wear. But that total is for September, Only. Most parents continue to purchase new
outfits throughout the entire school year as the weather and fashion perceptions change. That's a lot of money that can
be well spent elsewhere in most households. The average expenditure for a complete
French Toast uniform (pant/jumper, Shirt/blouse, Sweater, Tie) is $45. 00. Most children
will require two sets of them. That's $90. 00 total, Period, For the year. Our goal
at French Toast is to bring the level of dress to an even standard. Those without
means should not be penalized at this very basic level. And those with means can now
redress the exaggerated importance of outward appearance. Uniforms are cost effective. They are less expensive. Uniforms create a feeling of oneness and belonging. Everyone can be on the same team. As on
athletic teams, Uniforms are worn for immediate identification and to inspire a feeling of "oneness. " Put
on your team uniform and you suddenly belong. A sense of loyalty emerges from inside,
As does an extra effort to perform at the student's best. This result has been noted
in schools throughout the country who have made the transition to School Uniforms. They are reported over and again by school administrators, Teachers, And parents who, First hand, Have experienced these changes.
Many of our children have limited chances to feel a close part of their schools and
communities. If this program can offer unity for our children, Then it should be granted.
Our schools should inspire our kids to excel in learning and be community spirited.
Uniforms encourage students to develop their personal flair in methods other than dress. These
may seem exaggerated cases to those of you who have not experienced these changes
in our students and children. Our response is, "Ask parents and teachers who have
seen these changes occur, Essentially by initiating a uniform program. " It is human
nature to express our personalities and creative talents. However, Many students use
their clothing as their sole creative outlet. These children are misguided. Today's
youth need to learn that when channeled correctly, Their individual flair can bloom
within. Whether it's music, Art, Sports, Or academics, Uniforms allow students to express and define themselves beyond their labels and fashion styles.
A unique individual is developed not from appearance, But rather, Intellect, Personality
and skills. At this point it may be necessary to address the old cry issued from the
ACLU whenever the prospects of dress codes arise. These civil libertarians assert
that students' freedoms of expression are being suppressed by requiring uniform dress.
We believe that this has not been the case. These are old assumptions based on intangible
fears. We propose that dress codes offer us, Instead, Different avenues for our expressive
freedom. In the two most famous and precedent-setting legal cases involving dress
codes, The courts have struck down the ACLU's arguments on restrictive constitutional
freedoms. Our courts have maintained that when a child's safety is at issue, The freedom
of expression becomes a secondary consideration. It is the primary responsibility
of our schools to protect and keep safe their students. Unfortunately, Today's schools,
Especially those in the inner cities, Are far from the safe havens they are intended
to be for our children. Uniform dress codes do help our administrators address this
basic responsibility. Uniforms add measures of safety in identical dress. Gang identification is obscured. Group
violence and theft are dissipated. The Long Beach Unified School District in California voted to mandate uniform wear in order to reduce gang identification.
It had become dangerous and violent to attend school there. This program seems to have effectively decreased gang violence in the district.
Children are no longer identified by their "colors. " Uniform dress alleviated the
feelings of imminent danger for students who were afraid they might inadvertently
dress in gang colors. Today, School Uniform programs can be found in communities all over the country. Some areas include
New York, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Miami, Charlotte, Long
Beach, San Antonio, And Las Cruces, NM. In today's schools, Adolescents are killing
each other over designer jackets and expensive sneakers. With school uniforms, Incidents of theft and assault are down. Uniforms help eliminate violent crimes. Many school districts across the country have implemented School Uniform Policies and have seen positive results! In 1994, The Long Beach Unified
School District in California was the first public school district to mandate a district-wide School Uniform Policy. Within one year officials stated that the number of suspensions,
Incidents of violence and vandalism, Weapons and fights had dropped dramatically.
Many school districts since have followed suit, Also noting that the positives strongly outweigh
any negatives. In 1987, Cherry Hill Elementary School, In Baltimore, Maryland was the pilot school in Maryland for uniform usage. Parents, Tired of school theft and competition over clothes, Overwhelmingly voted (90%) in favor of changing
to a dress code. Not surprisingly, Theft was suddenly down. Children no longer had
to worry that they might not return from school that day with everything they left with that morning. At the same time, Ridicule
for an outfit that wasn't quite "right" was no longer heard in the classroom. In 1993,
The city of Baltimore took notice of the positive changes that occurred at Cherry
Hill. The city's entire school system has since enacted a School Uniform Policy. Also, Starting in the Fall of 1994, Suburbs of Chicago, Atlanta and
New Haven, Connecticut went the same route. In 1995, Charleston, South Carolina and
Cleveland, Ohio established voluntary dress codes. School Uniform Policies were enacted in 1996 in such cities as Birmingham, Alabama; Seattle,
Washington; Orange, New Jersey; Pasadena, Texas; Houston, Texas; and Polk County,
Florida. During the first half of 1997 Dade County, Florida; Waterbury, Connecticut;
and many others have established a School Uniform Policy. New York City has adopted a mandatory school uniform policy in the Fall of 1999 for all K-8 and middle schools. Across the United
States there is an increasing amount of support in favor of School Uniforms/" source:https://www. Frenchtoast. Com
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