Jeanne K. Bentley
Mark Keppel Elementary, after 11 months of dedicated effort, recently
became Glendale's second school to adopt mandatory uniforms. Board policy
permits mandatory uniforms only after a school follows a comprehensive
process to secure significant parental support.
According to the education code and board policies, schools wishing to
implement uniforms must give parents a six-month notice. Before asking
for board approval, the school must obtain support from a majority of
these parents, develop a plan to provide uniforms for economically
disadvantaged students, identify an exemption and waiver process, and
plan how to evaluate the policy's effectiveness for three years.
While this policy has served a purpose, I would like our district to
consider revising it to encourage much broader use or required uniforms.
My research and experiences as a teacher and counselor convinced me of
the advantages:
Noticeable impact on school environment and student behavior:
Information gathered from schools include observations such as, "It is so
quiet, the climate is more disciplined." "Improved behavior, better study
habits." "School uniforms promote safety and optimize learning."
Student safety: This is the driving force behind most schools that
adopted uniforms, and statistics show positive results. Safety is a
concern that must remain paramount. Gangs are not that prevalent in our
district, but they are here. There is no room in our schools for
gang-related attire. Also, we must distinguish between students who
belong on campus and those who do not. Uniforms make this possible.
Student learning: The focus of students ought not to be on what
they're wearing. Too many students become fixated on clothes. They're so
conscious of self and what others are wearing that sometimes they can't
decide how to dress for school. Instead of studying, listening and
learning, they spend too much time eyeing the name-brand clothing of
their peers. One girl said, "I would get headaches trying to figure it
out, and the next morning it would still take me an hour -- Guess skirt?
Gitano outfit? Jeans? I'd even take clothes with me on the way to school,
because I couldn't make up my mind. Now, every morning I put on my maroon
skirt and white blouse. That's it." Pretty convincing argument from my
perspective.
Student separation and unity: Sadly, students are often judged by what
they wear, not by who they are; uniforms can help overcome this. As a
