Why are some schools non-uniform wearing and others uniform required?

[Anonymous]

I would love them at my WOTP school, but there's no way it would ever fly because of the snowflakiness of the population. "My child has sensory issues and can't wear pants" or whatever.

[Anonymous]

We're at a rapidly gentrifying school. The principal did a poll last year to consider getting rid of uniforms and over 60% of parents said keep them so we still have them. I wanted to keep them - so much easier in the morning not having to deal with the what to wear questions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll be provocative: white parents don't want the uniforms, so when you see your uniformed DCPS switch to non-uniformed, you'll know that you've reached the tipping point.

Black parent here. This is why I don’t like the idea of uniforms, and the EOTP vs. WOTP divide in this—too much tied to race in DC. Also, uniforms don’t improve outcomes in low-performing schools, as had been previously thought.

White parent here who is fine with uniforms EOTP because clearly they are important to others and I am happy to defer to those who care about this.

PP. You're right, I also live EOTP and know people who like them for ease of getting kids dressed in the morning w/o hassle or arguments. But I either think all schools in a given city either have them, or not. It shouldn't shake out along racial/geographic lines.

I don't love it either, but I definitely wouldn't feel comfortable making that as an argument to get rid of them.

Gentrification has brought enough change and tension to our school already. I strongly prefer to defer to lower-income preferences where I can.

PP. But here's the thing, I don't know if that's anyone's strong preference. I feel like many of these decisions were made in the 90s and they just stuck--to my knowledge, it has not been raised as an issue at our school, at least in the past several years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll be provocative: white parents don't want the uniforms, so when you see your uniformed DCPS switch to non-uniformed, you'll know that you've reached the tipping point.

Black parent here. This is why I don’t like the idea of uniforms, and the EOTP vs. WOTP divide in this—too much tied to race in DC. Also, uniforms don’t improve outcomes in low-performing schools, as had been previously thought.

White parent here who is fine with uniforms EOTP because clearly they are important to others and I am happy to defer to those who care about this.

PP. You're right, I also live EOTP and know people who like them for ease of getting kids dressed in the morning w/o hassle or arguments. But I either think all schools in a given city either have them, or not. It shouldn't shake out along racial/geographic lines.

I don't love it either, but I definitely wouldn't feel comfortable making that as an argument to get rid of them.

Gentrification has brought enough change and tension to our school already. I strongly prefer to defer to lower-income preferences where I can.

PP. But here's the thing, I don't know if that's anyone's strong preference. I feel like many of these decisions were made in the 90s and they just stuck--to my knowledge, it has not been raised as an issue at our school, at least in the past several years.

Also, our school currently has only a relatively small % of families that are economically disadvantaged, and I'm not sure whether these families have a greater preference for uniforms than anyone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll be provocative: white parents don't want the uniforms, so when you see your uniformed DCPS switch to non-uniformed, you'll know that you've reached the tipping point.

Black parent here. This is why I don’t like the idea of uniforms, and the EOTP vs. WOTP divide in this—too much tied to race in DC. Also, uniforms don’t improve outcomes in low-performing schools, as had been previously thought.

My kids attend Bancroft and don't wear uniforms which is EOTP, but more like a WITP school with it's school "population".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll be provocative: white parents don't want the uniforms, so when you see your uniformed DCPS switch to non-uniformed, you'll know that you've reached the tipping point.

Black parent here. This is why I don’t like the idea of uniforms, and the EOTP vs. WOTP divide in this—too much tied to race in DC. Also, uniforms don’t improve outcomes in low-performing schools, as had been previously thought.

White parent here who is fine with uniforms EOTP because clearly they are important to others and I am happy to defer to those who care about this.

PP. You're right, I also live EOTP and know people who like them for ease of getting kids dressed in the morning w/o hassle or arguments. But I either think all schools in a given city either have them, or not. It shouldn't shake out along racial/geographic lines.

I don't love it either, but I definitely wouldn't feel comfortable making that as an argument to get rid of them.

Gentrification has brought enough change and tension to our school already. I strongly prefer to defer to lower-income preferences where I can.

PP. But here's the thing, I don't know if that's anyone's strong preference. I feel like many of these decisions were made in the 90s and they just stuck--to my knowledge, it has not been raised as an issue at our school, at least in the past several years.

At our school there was a poll and discussion, and this is how it shook out. I started off not caring, but came around to loving how visually quiet and calm it made the classroom, and made the morning routine so much simpler.

[Anonymous]

White parent. Love uniforms. Wish our school had them.

Sorry to disappoint, Provocative Poster.

[Anonymous]

Why do people think that lower-income families like uniforms and wealthier ones do not? is there evidence for this?

-another white mom who is happy her kid is in a uniform school now (easier and less expensive; uniforms are pretty inexpensive and need fewer outfits for weekends and evenings)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:White parent. Love uniforms. Wish our school had them.

Sorry to disappoint, Provocative Poster.

Add me to this list as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do people think that lower-income families like uniforms and wealthier ones do not? is there evidence for this?

-another white mom who is happy her kid is in a uniform school now (easier and less expensive; uniforms are pretty inexpensive and need fewer outfits for weekends and evenings)

Because that is what I observed at our school. I dress my kids in hand me downs so uniforms are actually more expensive for me, but whatever, it's fine. Wheh we switched to a non-uniform, wealthier school there was no end of fussing from my kids about what to wear each day and it was annoying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're at a rapidly gentrifying school. The principal did a poll last year to consider getting rid of uniforms and over 60% of parents said keep them so we still have them. I wanted to keep them - so much easier in the morning not having to deal with the what to wear questions.

This is also true at Ross. Three years in a row survey said parents wanted uniforms.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I'm the "Provocative Poster" and when I said white people, I definitely didn't include myself (white) and all of those (us, I guess) who like the uniforms (me included). To target the missile a little more accurately, it's schools with lots of white kids that don't or never had the uniforms, and it's parents, usually white, talking about how their kids need freedom to be yadi yadi WTF and free from the man, man, in order to live their own lives, man, who say they dislike uniforms. For me YES God man my daughter would never get dressed in time for school if she got to pick her own Fing clothes so uniforms are a gift from the above.

[Anonymous]

We have done both uniforms and non uniforms. A lot of the lower income families actually had a harder time starting at a school with uniforms. As they are items you generally get 2nd hand, on clearance etc. And many dcps have different colors so if you changed school tmyou have to buy a whole new set of uniforms. Where as with "street clothes" or no uniform schools you could just wear what you already have.

I liked uniforms at our old school. But my "snowflake" or whatever you want to call a child with different leanring does have sensory differences and it was challenging to find comfortable clothes that fit the uniform rules at a good price. Now at a non-uniform school selection of comfortable clothes is easier to find and we can make use of 'hand me downs'. Though we do need some planning in order to make mornings go more smoothly. Also, I am a black mom, middle income so not sure any sweeping generalized statements can be made on the topic.

[Anonymous]

It is more expensive to have uniforms. Kids change their clothes after school too, so you also have twice the laundry. My kids went from a no uniform school to a shirt, tie, and coat school and our clothing cost and the amount of time we spend on clothing more than doubled. I'm a fan in principal, but it is a PITA.

[Anonymous]

Asian parent -- love the uniforms. One kid is in a school with no uniforms in an upper elementary grade. It's ok because she's into fashion now. But the kids look great in uniforms and it makes getting ready easier in the morning.