School Uniforms

As a public school teacher I am for uniforms.  In the next town several of the schools require uniforms and have had great success.  I teach in a school of the have and have nots, if we could eliminate the Abercrombie and Hollister kids we could improve the self esteem of some of the have nots.  I do not think this will end the problem, but research shows it does help.  Next we need to come up with a way to improve teacher self-esteem from looking at the student parking lot.  Today I saw two hummers, an escalade, three or four beamers and several Mercedes.  The teacher lot has broke down cavaliers and 10 year old minivans. 

I wore uniforms through middle school, and I have no memory of hating them or loving them. Looking back, there were enough things to worry about/ be insecure about in middle school -- it was nice that what I wore everyday wasn't actually one of those things.

Of course, now I have no idea how to dress myself, so, you know, there's that.

Although the boys in my grade school (way back in the 50''s!!!) were expected to wear slacks, a shirt and shoes while the girls wore the uniform green or blue dress with the white blouse. 

I kind of like those little Japanese shool girl sailor uniforms.  I've trying to get my wife to dress up like that for years but she will have none of it! 

I wore a uniform for 12 years.  Hated it when I wore it (looked like a green garbage bag over a lighter green shirt!), then in HS we got plaid skirts.  they were better and we could roll them up and make them short   LOL.  But looking back, I think it was great.  I was one of the poor kids who couldn't get all the cool stuff/clothes and totally would have been made fun of had I gone to public school. 

And now, my legs just do not get cold.....all those years of waiting for the bus in a skirt/dress thing got me used to cold legs!   

Hahahaha!

I would have to argue that.  My sister and both of my parents are elementary teachers. 

And I think that, with the number of behavioral problems that exist in today's schools, uniforms certainly help.

It's not a miracle solution.  I'm not trying to say it eliminates "all the discipline problems."  There isn't any conclusive research showing that it will eliminate them.  But ask any public school teacher who has spent a day in the classroom.  They spend more time with the kids than their parents, and there is no question that they have a good idea of who cause problems, who doesn't, and what might help to eliminate those problems.

Consider things like students getting jumped on the playground and having their shoes stolen.  Or an 18 year old high school student wearing a skirt short enough to cause a sexual harassment lawsuit.  These kinds of things do happen.  Eliminating the source will eliminate the problem.  (not all of the problems, but some of them)

****Jen sorry for the partial hyjack (hyjack: I love Canada)****

oh I had the mean nuns too.  the third grade teacher was the worst.  The ruler!  the ruler!1 ahhhh!!

I wore uniforms up till public school- tenth grade.  My kids wear them.  They're really strict at their school- down to the earrings and nail polish and hair color/style/length.  

I hate it NOW at work some folks (medical professionals, mind you) couldn't dress themselves properly, so administration took it upon themselves that we all now have uniforms- a certain color scrubs, approved polos with the logo and certain color chino pants.  No more skirts or dressing up or scrubs with cute designs on them.  Been that way for about five years now and we still hate it! 

of course, if you're a supervisor or administrator, which I ain't, you don't have to follow this rule...

It's not so bad but when you consider it's a huge hospital (800 somethign beds), other depts wear the same colors.  Don't like being mistaken for another dept.  Of course, the ID badges are required to be on at all times.....

I don't mind it really, the only time is when I see a cute Christmas/Bucs/whatever scrub top and knowing I just can't wear it to work.  So accessories are key now!

The polos are expensive- 30 bucks a pop. 

I'm pro-uniform, but I'm with you on the skirt thing. Here, at least at the Catholic schools I'm aware of, girls have the option of either wearing the plaid skirt, or the gray pants/shorts like the boys wear.

I would like my work uniform to be blue jeans and a logo polo shirt/sweater. I like possum's "uniform". If my slim-down plan works, I'll be needing new pants in the new year. I just may have to put together some "uniforms". If I could only find non-jeans that feel like jeans.

No uniforms.  I went both routes growing up and overwhelmingly preferred the right to choose what I wore.  Someone mentioned trying to measure up to the other kids and my solution was simple:  I didn't.  I know parents are concerned about their kids and the groups they fit with but I never fit into a group in school.  I managed to mingle with all of them, but was accepted by none (which could be a good or bad thing).  I also wore mismatched clothes (camo and tropical prints!) and never felt weird about it.

My wife is a teacher and talks about all the kids at her school and how they always have designer clothes and lots of "bling".  But she also mentions them not having lunch money and being otherwise broke as a result.

Anyway, I don't think uniforms for students has ever worked on it's own.  If it has worked it's been coupled with rules backing it up and consequences for transgressions.  It helps when the parents are teaching their kids values instead of expecting the school to do it for them (sorry, husband of a teacher rant there).