School Uniforms

[ehenry]

Just trying to get several oppinions here. For reasons beyond my control my son goes to a small private school in the town where we live. This school has been established since the mid 60's. There has never been a problem with the kids teasing one another over their clothes that I am aware of. My son says he's never heard or seen anyone do it. But last night I was informed that the school board had decided that, starting in the fall of 2003 the students will be required to wear uniforms. The kids are adamantly opposed to this. The main reason I've come to find out is that there are about 5 to 6 female students in high school that are wearing clothes that aren't appropriate for school and a couple teachers are tired of trying to enforce the dress code on these girls. <br /><br />One of the problems I have with this is, the school has a dress code that was fairly well enforced when I went to school there. If we were not dressed up to code we were sent home and were given a zero for the class that we were sent home from. The other problem is that, I'm a stockholder in that school and they've made this decision without consulting the stockholders. They're shoving it down our throats and telling us take it or leaveit and there are a couple members of the board that don't even have kids going to school there. Its expensive enough as it is to send the boy there without another 300 bucks a year takced on to it.<br /><br />How do or would yall feel about this...just trying to get some other thinking. Thanks

 

[mattttt25]

Re: School Uniforms

not sure how i feel on the issue. i understand the dress code, we had one and it was enforced well. it does suck that it costs you more money if they go that way. the good point is your kids don't have to pick out clothes to wear each day. i enjoy that comfort in my line of work right now, and its great.

 

[ehenry]

Re: School Uniforms

I'll have to buy the uniforms plus reagular street clothes for him to wear. Its a double expense. With the way he's eating and growing now its going to be tough.

 

[JB]

Re: School Uniforms

Many years ago my oldest daughter was faced with a similar issue. <br /><br />Without consulting me she organized a student strike demanding that the existing code be enforced rather than requiring all students to look alike.<br /><br />It worked. Made me proud.

 

[amtsst]

Re: School Uniforms

ef,<br /><br />You're in a tight spot, buddy.<br /><br />I'm going to answer your question with a question: How many other parents feel like you do?<br /><br />Also, what do the majority of the stockholders think??<br /><br />If what you say is true, it seems like the teachers and administrators would rather put a $300 tax on every child than enforce the rules they already have.<br /><br />I say you convene a parents/stockholder meeting and invite the principal to speak on his reasons for the policy. If its actually as you say (6 girls causing trouble) then you might suggest that the school adopt a set of standardized penalties for infractions. (off sports team, lost a letter grade, etc.)<br /><br />All you gotta do is make the penalty tough enough so that the parents of the offenders will take the time to enforce the rules on their kids.<br /><br />Its so frustrating to hear stories where the parents aren't taking care of the discipline and expect the school to handle it.

 

[sloopy]

Re: School Uniforms

gosh high school girls are always pushing the dress code limits last month I switched schools from a 102 person cristian 6-12 school to a kindergarden to 12th school with 15 peopl!! in the last school that had 102 students (www.trinityhighschool.org) the girls were always pushing the limits of the dress code they would first wear something that was ok, the each day it got a littleshorter and shorter until it was braking the chool rules... then they would lengthen the skirt just a bit and slowly start shortoning it till they were right on the border line of good and bad! I remember one time our school was having some sort of prom ( a school with 102 students and only 50 highschoolers does not really have a prom) the school said that girls must have sleeves on there dress.... well needless to say that started a big war and all the girls started yelling at the teachers and cussing until the school said they can wear straps over 1 inch! funny thing is, is that the boys get yeled at for some reason...boys don't really care about how much skin is showing but to be fare they have to punish the boys too... <br />I can tell you all sorts of funny dress code stories if you ask!

 

[Scoop]

Re: School Uniforms

Ef, I think you do need to have the meeting and ask why. Do you know for sure what the reason is or is it rumor? If it really is 6 students and the people that run the school make this decision, then they are not capable of running a school. Making the vast majority of the parents pay more money because they can't control 5 or 6 students does not seem like a good decision. There is either more to it or they are incompetent.

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: School Uniforms

my sister is going thru the same thing with her high school daughter... i know my niece and the kids don't like the idea. i don't think my sister likes the thought of extra expense for clothing.<br /><br />i didn't have to wear a uniform to school at all, but i don't think it would've bothered me if i did. in highschool it was different, but when i was in earlier grades, i was dirt poor. so uniforms would let everyone be pretty even as far as clothing goes.<br /><br />i think the teachers should chastize and expl why the dress code is there, especially since the girls might be disrupting class. after that, the principal should handle it. often the BOE is not representing the teachers best interest, which to me, should be their main purpose. and i believe the superintendant controls the principal, and the BOE controls the superintdnt...<br />of course, it seems the root of alot of this kind of stuff is in the lack of parental control, and the BOE can be made up of parents with no background in child education. <br /><br />but i've heard from niece of girls who wear 'cover' when leaving home, only to take it off when they get to school, so this would prevent the parents from stopping it ahead of time...and lots of kids don't care if they are sent home, and end up failing. you know 20yrs ago, they would've gotten what they were headed for; kicked out for good. but now we push them back in, and force the teachers to come up with solutions to keep them in school, and passing...<br /><br />IMHO<br /><br />but for your boys sake, i hope the kids do what JB suggested and the 'bad' ones make the change.<br /><br />(i bet PFB has somethin to say on this topic )

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: School Uniforms

sorry EF, forgot you are dealing with a private school. hopefully all the concerned stockholders can get proper representation by the board, since i imagine that is their purpose. and i hope the 'problem' kids are punished adequately enough to want to follow the dress code, without affecting all the other innocents...<br /><br />since its a private school, maybe a denial of admission to the school,put in the faces of the responsible parents will do the trick?

 

[495v]

Re: School Uniforms

Went to a private school growing up and uniforms were not that bad. As one had mentioned, you never have to worry about what your gonna wear. I alway's thought that one of the main reasons for uniforms, was to have everybody appear as equals. Otherwise you have the rich kids wearing designer clothes and the poor kids, whose parents stick every last penny in to the expensive school for tuition, wearing ragged clothes and what not. Your situation sounds peculiar though. Why have stockholders or board members if you have no say so in the matter. Good luck.

 

[Jack Shellac]

Re: School Uniforms

I agree that "shotgun justice" is no justice at all, but look at the other side of the issue. Our public school system went to uniforms two years ago. Since then, there has been a marked decrease in "incidents" on the school grounds since you can immediately spot someone who is not supposed to be there [no uniform]. Of course, the private schools have always worn uniforms. This may not be a problem where you are and, if so, I would have expected to be involved in the decision also.

 

[ehenry]

Re: School Uniforms

I don't know how the board decides what their agenda is going to be at each meeting. Had I known that they were going to be voting on uniforms for our kids I would have atteneded the meeting to voice my concerns. My issue isn't with the uniforms them selves, its being told thats whats going to happen take it or leave it and not being notified that they were going to be talking about this.

 

[Fishbusters]

Re: School Uniforms

I ain't touching this my principal may actually visit this site and I don't agree with the way our dress code is enforced. What I can say w/o getting too deep into it is I think that there are a lot bigger problems facing our schools than dress code but you have to start enforcing the rules somewhere.

 

[Fishbusters]

Re: School Uniforms

BTW EF the school board I assume is made up of elected officials. They do answer to the voters and if enough people said something about it I am sure things would change. As well the School board is who is in charge of policy and sorry to say even as a stockholder you have no say it's what they decide that goes. The final say on any school related matter is the school board and thier dirrectives are suposed to be followed. Dang it I am starting got to get off the dress code subject.

 

[ehenry]

Re: School Uniforms

Just to let everyone know....There is going to be a stockholders meeting the 17th of this month and the stockholders will vote on the issue. If the stockholders decide to have uniforms I will not have a problem with it. While I really don't think theres that much of a problem with the way the kids dress and don't want to have to buy uniforms, I will have atleast been able to vote on it. That was my biggest issue anyway.

 

[upstate]

Re: School Uniforms

if my wife wears one sometimes ddoes that count?

 

[Scoop]

Re: School Uniforms

Welcome to the board Upstate. <br /><br />I will leave well enough alone.

 

[rudeafrican]

Re: School Uniforms

I'm on the school board of my daughter's private school (which has always worn uniforms) and we have no say in school discipline policy. We find it is best left to the principal to decide on discipline issues, after all it is her reputation on the line. Having stockholders dictate discipline issues to the principle undermines her authority to a large extent.

 

[ehenry]

Re: School Uniforms

Hey Rude, I'm not trying to dictate how to dicipline the kids to the principal. I just wanted a voice in the uniform decision wheather it went my way or not. They were fixing to cost me more money wheather I agreed to it or not. I agree with you that dicipline should be left up to the principal but puting uniforms on the all the kids because of the actions of 5 or 6 is wrong.

 

[Emby]

Re: School Uniforms

EF-<br /><br />Well it's the 17th and you are likely already at your meeting. But I just saw this post and thought I would give you my story. (This will also bump the topic, so please let us know what's happening.)<br /><br />At the time, my son was attending a preschool-8 church school. For a long, long time, the dress code simply stated that "appropriate" dress was required. It worked fine, but of course, over time definitions and attitudes change, so the dress code had to be spelled out in more exacting terms. (There were no discipline problems; it just needed clarification so everyone knew what was expected of them.)<br /><br />The school put it to the parents in a school-wide letter - do you want uniforms, or specific verbiage (eg: no tank tops, no bare midriffs, no jeans, nothing considered gang-related, skirts/pants a certain length, etc.). (There was more to it; this is just what I remember off-the-cuff.) The majority (including our family) wanted the verbiage, not the uniform. You ever try shopping for kid’s clothes that match just what I’ve listed here!? It cost two to three times what a couple of uniforms would have cost to re-do a third grader’s wardrobe!!!<br /><br />After having gone though it – I would now vote for uniforms. In the long run it’s cheaper.