School uniforms, your opinion?

[Anonymous]

My DD attends public school. Some public schools do uniforms, but ours does not. Who makes this decision? The principal? The district? Do parents have any say in this?

I love the simplicity of uniforms. I like how they are an equalizer, let parents save money, and force kids to stand out based on their personalities rather than their clothes. I don't like the fact that some kids in elementary school are already totally obsessed with brand names and expensive clothes. It's a bit ridiculous.

But I don't know how common my opinion is. If I start a petition and speak to the principal, am I likely to meet with a lot of resistance from other parents?

[Anonymous]

You would meet with resistance from me. I disagree with everything you said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You would meet with resistance from me. I disagree with everything you said.

Please explain.

[Anonymous]

I don't know who makes the call, but I love that my kid wears uniforms. It's awesome.

[Anonymous]

Different parent here and MCPS teacher. Depending on the school, yes, there is an obsession with certain brands as early as first or second grade. At lower HHI elementary schools, it's kids of both sexes influenced by pro athletes and rappers association with expensive athletic shoes and winter coats. At high HHI ES, it's mostly the little girls mimicking their moms' craving for high end brands.

I'd support uniforms, but I know most UMC parents in MCPS don't want them. As a private school alum myself and the parent of kids who did a mixture of private and public, I can assure you that kids express their personalities despite a uniform.

[Anonymous]

My Dd is starting 3 grade in Alexanderia, VA next month.Public School in mount Vernon area.I am not happy about the school and I will be sending her in uniform.I want her to be clean cut, serious and on point.I have no time and cash to waste on name brand clothing and shoes.I will be researching and applying to private schools for 4th grade.

[Anonymous]

Love uniforms. They look nice, wear well and eliminate arguments about what to wear to school. I wear uniform skorts from Lands End myself, almost every day. I'm in favor of uniforms for all school children.

[Anonymous]

I know the Virginia department of education has guidelines for the mandating of uniforms available online. Goes through the local boards of education and there are multiple steps that have to be undertaken - 1-2 year planning period, meetings with parents, legal team (you have to tie uniforms to a legitimate school purpose because of court cases/students' rights), forbidding of state funds for buying, etc.

Regardless of your state, I'd start with your local school board and take it from there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My Dd is starting 3 grade in Alexanderia, VA next month.Public School in mount Vernon area.I am not happy about the school and I will be sending her in uniform.I want her to be clean cut, serious and on point.I have no time and cash to waste on name brand clothing and shoes.I will be researching and applying to private schools for 4th grade.

If you can't afford school clothes that aren't uniforms, you may want to rethink private school.

[Anonymous]

MoCo parent here. I would love it if there were uniforms. It would streamline the process of shopping and getting ready each day, and organizing it all. I can see how it would be nearly impossible to sell an older kid on this idea, but if they were used to it from the beginning it would be great.

[Anonymous]

I went to parochial school, and I love uniforms. I was the poor kid who couldn't afford the right clothes. Yes, kids still knew that, and it wasn't like a uniform magically erases differences. But it is a great leveler. Saves time in the morning, because you don't have to decide what to wear. Clothing isn't a distraction in class. It's always funny to me that uniforms in private school are just dandy with parents, but uniforms in public school are a sign of something awful.

[Anonymous]

I love uniforms. I wore them growing up for MS and HS, I work in a public school that has them and my DS wears them in MS. My friends with girls love them because it eliminates the clothing battles.

[Anonymous]

I love uniforms. My kids were in one public school for the last two years. So easy. We are moving to a school with a different SES, and a slightly different student body demographic. No uniform. Saying I'm not happy is a bit dramatic, but it's nice to avoid the clothing issues.

[Anonymous]

I wore uniforms at school and didn't think much about it at the time and now looking back I realize it was a virtue.

People who reject uniforms generally are people who never experienced them to start with. But once people have experiences with uniforms they tend to quickly become converts and embrace them.

Uniforms are standard in the UK and there's absolutely no pressure or desire to get rid of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Dd is starting 3 grade in Alexanderia, VA next month.Public School in mount Vernon area.I am not happy about the school and I will be sending her in uniform.I want her to be clean cut, serious and on point.I have no time and cash to waste on name brand clothing and shoes.I will be researching and applying to private schools for 4th grade.

If you can't afford school clothes that aren't uniforms, you may w3ant to rethink private school.

I like saving money for college an my retirement.I like buying sensible clothing.