Anonymous
Post 04/22/2026 22:54     Subject: Dress code enforcement?
Anonymous wrote:If your kid is starting pre-K, see if a fellow parent will help you get access to the uniform swap. I've barely bought uniforms for my kids over the years. Or, if I find something one of them really likes at the swap, I'll go buy three more of the same thing, so they have that specific article of clothing that fits them. It saves me a ton of time I would have spent buying online and returning/troubleshooting random items of clothing to see what might fit them.
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2026 22:54     Subject: Dress code enforcement?
Anonymous wrote:If your kid is starting pre-K, see if a fellow parent will help you get access to the uniform swap. I've barely bought uniforms for my kids over the years. Or, if I find something one of them really likes at the swap, I'll go buy three more of the same thing, so they have that specific article of clothing that fits them. It saves me a ton of time I would have spent buying online and returning/troubleshooting random items of clothing to see what might fit them.


This is the way. I was stunned at how high quality the swap pieces were for the pk grades, but also it makes sense since those kids grow out of sizes quick.

One PK we went to had most of the pk kids out of uniform by the end of the year, our current one has pretty high compliance on colors. There are also a lot of uniform free days - my kid will still sometimes choose to wear the uniform. Definitely makes our mornings easier!
Anonymous
Post 04/20/2026 17:31     Subject: Dress code enforcement?
If your kid is starting pre-K, see if a fellow parent will help you get access to the uniform swap. I've barely bought uniforms for my kids over the years. Or, if I find something one of them really likes at the swap, I'll go buy three more of the same thing, so they have that specific article of clothing that fits them. It saves me a ton of time I would have spent buying online and returning/troubleshooting random items of clothing to see what might fit them.
Anonymous
Post 04/20/2026 17:25     Subject: Re:Dress code enforcement?
Anonymous wrote:How do you all explain to your kids that they have to follow the uniform guidance when so many other kids don’t?


We tell our kids that we follow school rules in our family, even if other families do not. We also tell them that teachers appreciate when families follow the rules, even if the teacher never says anything to our kids about it, and that it shows respect to the teachers and the school and will ultimately reflect well on our kids. We have used this logic on uniforms, cell phone rules, etc. They don't have to agree with us or like it but they do know where we stand and that we don't bend.

Anonymous
Post 04/20/2026 12:44     Subject: Re:Dress code enforcement?
Anonymous wrote:How do you all explain to your kids that they have to follow the uniform guidance when so many other kids don’t?


We try and give up by New Year’s. if the teacher won’t enforce it, then I can’t be bothered. Plenty of other fights to have in the morning.
Anonymous
Post 04/20/2026 12:01     Subject: Dress code enforcement?
My kids school's school is lax. Some in actual uniform, some in the tshirt color. And a few kids here and there that my kid reports never wear the uniform.
Anonymous
Post 04/19/2026 14:17     Subject: Dress code enforcement?
My middle school had a uniform policy as a kid because it was legitimately a gang thing- you definitely did not want to be wearing red in that neighborhood.
Anonymous
Post 04/19/2026 14:16     Subject: Dress code enforcement?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Varies dramatically. I went on like 10 school tours this year, and we saw some kids in regular clothes, some kids who theoretically had a "uniform" with low compliance, and some schools where there was a uniform (either a real one or a color scheme) and everyone was actually wearing it.

Post the school name and people will be able to tell you.

I'll say that my kids go to Tubman, the uniform is "any yellow shirt" and I would say compliance is <25% across all grades. Probably even lower.


What’s the point of guidelines if most kids aren’t compliant?


They aren't going to suspend kids for being out of uniform in dcps unless they show up in something totally outrageous. In charters they do, and it helps them get problematic kids/families out.



This is utter nonsense. It's also strange how you apparently think poor people are incapable of following any rules, and that you believe charters are just looking for an excuse to kick them out.

I am not arguing for this position, I am merely describing the position…

Charters can’t be selective about who they take, so they find ways to kick out people who don’t have their lives together and aren’t serious about school. It’s how they select their cohorts. It’s not a rich poor thing, it’s a who has their shit together thing, and they don’t want families who don’t have their stuff together.
Anonymous
Post 04/19/2026 14:03     Subject: Dress code enforcement?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’m so over my kids uniform. Like why do I have to think about this. Ready for all DCPS to drop them entirely.


I know this is hard to imagine but there are other opinions in uniforms besides your own. It makes our mornings much easier.


My kid went to a uniform school for years and now goes to a non-uniform school, but prefers to wear the exact same outfit every day.
Anonymous
Post 04/19/2026 12:44     Subject: Dress code enforcement?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Varies dramatically. I went on like 10 school tours this year, and we saw some kids in regular clothes, some kids who theoretically had a "uniform" with low compliance, and some schools where there was a uniform (either a real one or a color scheme) and everyone was actually wearing it.

Post the school name and people will be able to tell you.

I'll say that my kids go to Tubman, the uniform is "any yellow shirt" and I would say compliance is <25% across all grades. Probably even lower.


What’s the point of guidelines if most kids aren’t compliant?


They aren't going to suspend kids for being out of uniform in dcps unless they show up in something totally outrageous. In charters they do, and it helps them get problematic kids/families out.


DC law specifically forbids schools, dcps and charter, from suspending students for uniform violations.
Anonymous
Post 04/19/2026 12:38     Subject: Re:Dress code enforcement?
If kids at risk have a 30 per cent plus absentee rate, the school isn't going to suspend a kid who frequently misses school when (s)he does show up because (s)he isn't wearing a uniform.
Anonymous
Post 04/19/2026 06:27     Subject: Dress code enforcement?
I hate uniforms because I fight to get my kids to wear them to be good school citizens, but then for my 5th grader, compliance is genuinely sub 50% so it is hard to think it’s worth the fight. I’ve given up on pants compliance (khaki and dark green is hard for kids) as long as they’re plain.
Anonymous
Post 04/19/2026 03:38     Subject: Re:Dress code enforcement?
How do you all explain to your kids that they have to follow the uniform guidance when so many other kids don’t?
Anonymous
Post 04/19/2026 00:33     Subject: Dress code enforcement?
Anonymous wrote:I’m so over my kids uniform. Like why do I have to think about this. Ready for all DCPS to drop them entirely.


I know this is hard to imagine but there are other opinions in uniforms besides your own. It makes our mornings much easier.
Anonymous
Post 04/18/2026 23:56     Subject: Dress code enforcement?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Varies dramatically. I went on like 10 school tours this year, and we saw some kids in regular clothes, some kids who theoretically had a "uniform" with low compliance, and some schools where there was a uniform (either a real one or a color scheme) and everyone was actually wearing it.

Post the school name and people will be able to tell you.

I'll say that my kids go to Tubman, the uniform is "any yellow shirt" and I would say compliance is <25% across all grades. Probably even lower.


What’s the point of guidelines if most kids aren’t compliant?


They aren't going to suspend kids for being out of uniform in dcps unless they show up in something totally outrageous. In charters they do, and it helps them get problematic kids/families out.



This is utter nonsense. It's also strange how you apparently think poor people are incapable of following any rules, and that you believe charters are just looking for an excuse to kick them out.


Who said anything about rich or poor? There are schools that suspend or otherwise punish kids for uniform violations. But dcps is not going to suspend anyone for uniform issues.