School uniforms

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If OP and others want uniforms, go pick out some for your kids and have them wear it. Done.

Typical answer from poster unwilling to think about anyone but them.

Demanding everyone buy uniforms/kids wear them as its easy and what you want is someone who only thinks about themselves. Lands end and those uniform stores are $$$. I buy what's cheap and on clearance so what I buy costs far less. I looked at privates and some of the uniform costs were outrageous - $30-50 per shirt and pants, $80 for shoes... no.

Costs far less? You really don't think about anything other than yourself. Your kids will thank you later for contributing cheap clothes to the landfill. Uniforms are not only in "inner" cities
You/your kids can still buy clothes to wear during non school hours. Some schools will even do non uniform days once a week.

So, you want uniforms and everyone else should because you do. We wear cheap clothing. Who cares. My kids don't and would rather us spend the money on them in other ways. No way I'd agree to uniforms for public.

So you go private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to school in England and wore a uniform. My kid was in mcps thru 2nd and is now in private. They have a uniform. It’s a polo shirt with school emblem and then any khaki or navy pants they like. I get her pants from the thrift store, the shirts are about $20 each. It’s not expensive to me, including the PE uniform it’s about $100 every 2 years.
I’d love to see all kids in uniforms, itll never we happen here though.

In England state schools (that means public here, but public schools in England are private) require expensive uniforms with very specific requirements. It’s not just a polo shirt and trousers of a certain color it’s a full blazer, dress shirts, ties, skirts, shoes that meet certain requirements (formal, black, leather) and a detailed PE kit. There are school colors and scarfs and even requirements about socks. For girls there is also a summer uniform that is distinct from winter. You are expected to buy your uniform from a specific supplier and it is VERY expensive. The blazer alone for one kid is around $100 at my nieces school. I know that because I paid for the uniform because it was completely out of reach for my single mum sister.

Unlike here, there are no provisions for families who can’t afford the uniforms and there is also no tolerance of anything that doesn’t meet the dress code. I had a cousin who was sent home in the midst of exam season for wearing the wrong color socks.

Not all schools are like this but very many are and schools have got stricter on uniforms in the past few decades. The high school I attended didn’t have uniforms in the 80s and 90s, for example but now requires the full blazer and tie (which is essentially business attire).

No. Definitely not a good idea.

Actually the UK state schools uniforms are often very generic and you can get them from a variety of places very cheaply.
I grew up partly in the UK (uniform) and partly in the US (no uniform). I hated my uniforms with a vengeance. All of them were hideous, uncomfortable and usually required skirts which meant cold legs in winter. Horrid horrid horrid.

I still believe they can be beneficial in inner city schools, however. Both sides of the Atlantic.

Actually you are wrong. Since I grew up there, when uniforms could be purchased easily from high street stores at prices that were not extortionate, most public/state schools have, like I said previously, switched to formal, branded uniforms previously only seen in private schools and very expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am from Asia. All public & private schools have their own uniforms and pins/patches representing schools. Everyone wear same shoes and no makeup/hair coloring is allowed. I wear skirts all years long, and we have long sleeves uniforms and short sleeves uniforms. I kind of like it growing up because you don't have to worry about what to wear. Unlike here, kids can wear pajamas or whatever they want to school. Many kids go to public library to do homework or self study after school.

I kind of wished we had school uniforms growing up being a poor kid, all those distracting stylish clothes I could never afford. However, having grown up to be a 6'8" adult, I suspect that it works better in Asian cultures where the standard deviation on height is like an inch. Not that I can find stylish clothes off the rack either they just don't make barf-a-bong in XLT, but unless you leverage something the scale of the military, they probably wouldn't have had uniforms in schools that fit me either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We can’t even enforce a dress code or make kids turn their phones off or quit vaping. We will never be able to enforce uniforms.

You need to go places outside your bubble a little more to see how uniforms are "enforced"

This is too cryptic. How exactly are uniforms enforced in public schools that have them? What happens when a parent drops off a 6-year-old not in a uniform? Or a 16-year-old says hell no and shows up in jeans? Our public schools right now would have no choice but to keep that child in class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We can’t even enforce a dress code or make kids turn their phones off or quit vaping. We will never be able to enforce uniforms.

You need to go places outside your bubble a little more to see how uniforms are "enforced"

This is too cryptic. How exactly are uniforms enforced in public schools that have them? What happens when a parent drops off a 6-year-old not in a uniform? Or a 16-year-old says hell no and shows up in jeans? Our public schools right now would have no choice but to keep that child in class.

You need to work on your parenting then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am from Asia. All public & private schools have their own uniforms and pins/patches representing schools. Everyone wear same shoes and no makeup/hair coloring is allowed. I wear skirts all years long, and we have long sleeves uniforms and short sleeves uniforms. I kind of like it growing up because you don't have to worry about what to wear. Unlike here, kids can wear pajamas or whatever they want to school. Many kids go to public library to do homework or self study after school.

I kind of wished we had school uniforms growing up being a poor kid, all those distracting stylish clothes I could never afford. However, having grown up to be a 6'8" adult, I suspect that it works better in Asian cultures where the standard deviation on height is like an inch. Not that I can find stylish clothes off the rack either they just don't make barf-a-bong in XLT, but unless you leverage something the scale of the military, they probably wouldn't have had uniforms in schools that fit me either.

You must be at a rich MCPS school as at ours the kids aren't dressing in expensive clothing nor care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If OP and others want uniforms, go pick out some for your kids and have them wear it. Done.

Typical answer from poster unwilling to think about anyone but them.

Demanding everyone buy uniforms/kids wear them as its easy and what you want is someone who only thinks about themselves. Lands end and those uniform stores are $$$. I buy what's cheap and on clearance so what I buy costs far less. I looked at privates and some of the uniform costs were outrageous - $30-50 per shirt and pants, $80 for shoes... no.

Costs far less? You really don't think about anything other than yourself. Your kids will thank you later for contributing cheap clothes to the landfill. Uniforms are not only in "inner" cities
You/your kids can still buy clothes to wear during non school hours. Some schools will even do non uniform days once a week.

So, you want uniforms and everyone else should because you do. We wear cheap clothing. Who cares. My kids don't and would rather us spend the money on them in other ways. No way I'd agree to uniforms for public.

So you go private.

The point of public is for most of us who cannot afford private and live on a budget. You want uniforms you go private. Privates have uniforms, not public.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Uniforms in public schools are for poor urban kids. MCPS parents wouldn’t want anything those kids have!

They cost more.

No they don't. They can be cost effective and less would buy fast fashion. Better yet if uniforms could be bought from sensible soured materials on a mass scale.

I have a kid who doesn’t care about brands so it’s more expensive if you have to buy through specific stores. If you don’t like how your kid dresses do something about it.

Having taught in public schools with uniforms and sent my kids to parochial schools with uniforms, uniforms can absolutely be cheaper. Public schools usually don’t say you need to go to a certain store. They say buy a blue shirt and khakhi bottoms of your choice, and those things turn up in Target and Walmart because demand = supply.

Then, after a year or two they start turning up in the used clothing stores, and the school’s donation cupboard, and the sack of hand me downs from the neighbor. Plus wearing from those sources is less stigmatizing when it all looks the same, as is only owning 3 shirts or whatever.

Your logic makes no sense as the rich kids will by their uniforms from expensive stores and other kids will from Walmart and Target, just like it happens now. So, why the need for the specific styles and colors except to meet your needs? If you have kids showing up in JCrew and Lands End and others in Walmart and Target, the disparity continues.

[Anonymous]

uniforms used in public schools are sold at Old Navy, target, Walmart, and Children's Place. For older kids, there is often a polo shirt and kids buy khaki pants and khaki shorts. and like many posters have Said, parents will trade them until no longer usable or donate to schools who will sell them at a low cost. Private schools will have uniform sales/trades as well. Most schools will specify the appropriate stores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We can’t even enforce a dress code or make kids turn their phones off or quit vaping. We will never be able to enforce uniforms.

You need to go places outside your bubble a little more to see how uniforms are "enforced"

This is too cryptic. How exactly are uniforms enforced in public schools that have them? What happens when a parent drops off a 6-year-old not in a uniform? Or a 16-year-old says hell no and shows up in jeans? Our public schools right now would have no choice but to keep that child in class.

They would have to change the rules and send kids home or consequences. Only a select few parents want it and they can send their kids in a uniform if its important. Its silly as if you go through a uniform company its crazy expensive. If you just select colors/styles then you will still have some parents spending a fortune and others at Target and Walmart and that defeats the purpose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:uniforms used in public schools are sold at Old Navy, target, Walmart, and Children's Place. For older kids, there is often a polo shirt and kids buy khaki pants and khaki shorts. and like many posters have Said, parents will trade them until no longer usable or donate to schools who will sell them at a low cost. Private schools will have uniform sales/trades as well. Most schools will specify the appropriate stores.

Again, you are creating a huge disparity as some parents will purchase from expensive stores and others will not. So, its silly. Our schools don't have clothing closets now as its too much work and no space who will run and organize it. If you want a uniform, you do it. Let the rest of us do what we are comfortable with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:uniforms used in public schools are sold at Old Navy, target, Walmart, and Children's Place. For older kids, there is often a polo shirt and kids buy khaki pants and khaki shorts. and like many posters have Said, parents will trade them until no longer usable or donate to schools who will sell them at a low cost. Private schools will have uniform sales/trades as well. Most schools will specify the appropriate stores.

Again, you are creating a huge disparity as some parents will purchase from expensive stores and others will not. So, its silly. Our schools don't have clothing closets now as its too much work and no space who will run and organize it. If you want a uniform, you do it. Let the rest of us do what we are comfortable with.

For those that have worn uniforms, no, parents don't purchase from expensive stores. There's one or two stores that will sell exactly same uniform and you buy from them. Same for swimmers on a swim team they buy their suits from the same few vendors. It can be done even in public schools, but majority dont seem to want uniforms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:uniforms used in public schools are sold at Old Navy, target, Walmart, and Children's Place. For older kids, there is often a polo shirt and kids buy khaki pants and khaki shorts. and like many posters have Said, parents will trade them until no longer usable or donate to schools who will sell them at a low cost. Private schools will have uniform sales/trades as well. Most schools will specify the appropriate stores.

Again, you are creating a huge disparity as some parents will purchase from expensive stores and others will not. So, its silly. Our schools don't have clothing closets now as its too much work and no space who will run and organize it. If you want a uniform, you do it. Let the rest of us do what we are comfortable with.

For those that have worn uniforms, no, parents don't purchase from expensive stores. There's one or two stores that will sell exactly same uniform and you buy from them. Same for swimmers on a swim team they buy their suits from the same few vendors. It can be done even in public schools, but majority dont seem to want uniforms.

Of course they do. And, some of our hs swimmers have suits that are a few hundred. Most don’t wear the team suits. If you want your kids in uniform go for it. Don’t impose it on the rest of us. Swim is a very expensive sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to school in England and wore a uniform. My kid was in mcps thru 2nd and is now in private. They have a uniform. It’s a polo shirt with school emblem and then any khaki or navy pants they like. I get her pants from the thrift store, the shirts are about $20 each. It’s not expensive to me, including the PE uniform it’s about $100 every 2 years.
I’d love to see all kids in uniforms, itll never we happen here though.

In England state schools (that means public here, but public schools in England are private) require expensive uniforms with very specific requirements. It’s not just a polo shirt and trousers of a certain color it’s a full blazer, dress shirts, ties, skirts, shoes that meet certain requirements (formal, black, leather) and a detailed PE kit. There are school colors and scarfs and even requirements about socks. For girls there is also a summer uniform that is distinct from winter. You are expected to buy your uniform from a specific supplier and it is VERY expensive. The blazer alone for one kid is around $100 at my nieces school. I know that because I paid for the uniform because it was completely out of reach for my single mum sister.

Unlike here, there are no provisions for families who can’t afford the uniforms and there is also no tolerance of anything that doesn’t meet the dress code. I had a cousin who was sent home in the midst of exam season for wearing the wrong color socks.

Not all schools are like this but very many are and schools have got stricter on uniforms in the past few decades. The high school I attended didn’t have uniforms in the 80s and 90s, for example but now requires the full blazer and tie (which is essentially business attire).

No. Definitely not a good idea.

Actually the UK state schools uniforms are often very generic and you can get them from a variety of places very cheaply.
I grew up partly in the UK (uniform) and partly in the US (no uniform). I hated my uniforms with a vengeance. All of them were hideous, uncomfortable and usually required skirts which meant cold legs in winter. Horrid horrid horrid.

I still believe they can be beneficial in inner city schools, however. Both sides of the Atlantic.

Actually you are wrong. Since I grew up there, when uniforms could be purchased easily from high street stores at prices that were not extortionate, most public/state schools have, like I said previously, switched to formal, branded uniforms previously only seen in private schools and very expensive.

Sorry, how am I wrong? Are you responding to the right post? There's still high street shops that copy the expensive uniforms, or did you not know that? Maybe you've been away too long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to school in England and wore a uniform. My kid was in mcps thru 2nd and is now in private. They have a uniform. It’s a polo shirt with school emblem and then any khaki or navy pants they like. I get her pants from the thrift store, the shirts are about $20 each. It’s not expensive to me, including the PE uniform it’s about $100 every 2 years.
I’d love to see all kids in uniforms, itll never we happen here though.

In England state schools (that means public here, but public schools in England are private) require expensive uniforms with very specific requirements. It’s not just a polo shirt and trousers of a certain color it’s a full blazer, dress shirts, ties, skirts, shoes that meet certain requirements (formal, black, leather) and a detailed PE kit. There are school colors and scarfs and even requirements about socks. For girls there is also a summer uniform that is distinct from winter. You are expected to buy your uniform from a specific supplier and it is VERY expensive. The blazer alone for one kid is around $100 at my nieces school. I know that because I paid for the uniform because it was completely out of reach for my single mum sister.

Unlike here, there are no provisions for families who can’t afford the uniforms and there is also no tolerance of anything that doesn’t meet the dress code. I had a cousin who was sent home in the midst of exam season for wearing the wrong color socks.

Not all schools are like this but very many are and schools have got stricter on uniforms in the past few decades. The high school I attended didn’t have uniforms in the 80s and 90s, for example but now requires the full blazer and tie (which is essentially business attire).

No. Definitely not a good idea.

Actually the UK state schools uniforms are often very generic and you can get them from a variety of places very cheaply.
I grew up partly in the UK (uniform) and partly in the US (no uniform). I hated my uniforms with a vengeance. All of them were hideous, uncomfortable and usually required skirts which meant cold legs in winter. Horrid horrid horrid.

I still believe they can be beneficial in inner city schools, however. Both sides of the Atlantic.

Actually you are wrong. Since I grew up there, when uniforms could be purchased easily from high street stores at prices that were not extortionate, most public/state schools have, like I said previously, switched to formal, branded uniforms previously only seen in private schools and very expensive.

Sorry, how am I wrong? Are you responding to the right post? There's still high street shops that copy the expensive uniforms, or did you not know that? Maybe you've been away too long.

Anyone who wants a uniform is welcome to dress their kids in one.