April 29, 2008
BY MICHAELA SAUNDERS
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
It's too early to tell if shopping for school clothes will be a drastically different experience for Omaha Public Schools students this fall. But school board members agreed Monday to keep talking about a dress code makeover.
In the meantime, the board asked for more information from district administrators as they prepare for further discussion.
If OPS required uniforms, would Nebraska law require OPS to pay for them? Do uniforms improve student behavior or achievement? What about policies for teacher dress codes?
"Are we as a district successfully enforcing the dress code?" asked board member Mark Martinez, who first suggested last month that uniforms could benefit students. "Are our students dressing the way we expect for a positive learning environment?"
No timeline for a decision was set.
The topic of school uniforms comes up periodically. The OPS board last voted on uniforms in 1996, when it allowed parents to vote on uniforms at their schools.
After board discussion last month, district officials sought input from the superintendents' Citizens Advisory Committee. About 40 parents on that committee told officials last week that they were most concerned about boys wearing sagging pants and girls wearing tank tops, low-cut tops and midriff-baring tops. Wearing pajamas to school also was highlighted as disruptive.
Many parents also said schools need to provide clear and consistent guidelines about appropriate grooming. Nearly all parents at the meeting indicated that they thought the current dress code should be better enforced and that teachers must set a clear example of appropriate attire. Discussion among board members Monday was similar.
Mona McGregor, a longtime board member who holds a college degree in fashion design, said the district would be taking away students' freedom of expression if it instituted a uniform policy. And, she said, uniforms won't erase fashion trends.
"You're not going to change that with uniforms," she said of things like sagging pants or short skirts. "It's just clothes. Pick your battles."
Dress codes have changed over time. In 1943, for example, John Hiffernan was threatened with expulsion from Omaha Central for wearing blue jeans.
"We had to wear slacks and a good shirt," Hiffernan said of his high school days. He said he knew what was expected but didn't recall ever seeing a written policy. During his senior year, the four-sport athlete and about a dozen friends decided to wear denim. As Hiffernan recalled, the principal threatened to kick all of the boys out of school for the offense. "The principal made the rules."
Hiffernan, who wasn't at the meeting, said today's students need role models who dress as the school expects them to and who send a message stronger than what students get from celebrities who "wear junk."
Board members said the same during their lengthy discussion. Dress code rules for teachers will be discussed at length at a coming meeting. The current teacher contract only says "cooperation and good judgment" help to send the right message for students and the visiting public.
McGregor said the whole dress code discussion began because of concerns over the work attire of some school staff.
"Staff needs to look professional," she said.
6 comments:
Teachers and professional dress become the scapegoat for this discussion of appropriateness of dress at school. Okay...I will agree that professional attire should be worn by people who profess to be professionals. That being said, if professional attire isn't being worn by teachers, then the cure is very simple their boss, namely the principal should discuss this matter with them. If the problem persists, then that should be grounds for dismissal as insubordinate conduct. Now let's get to the real topic at hand and that is maintaining a good learning environment in which all students can learn. I believe having proper attire or lack thereof does have an effect on learning. It is very difficult to determine what is proper. School code's of conduct are difficult to write and even harder to interpret. It puts teachers and prinicpals in a difficult position. I also believe the fashion industry puts parents in a difficult position in that much of what is available for purchase viloates the school's dress code. I don't believe this is about limiting student expression, it is about trying to provide a quality education. Therefore, I am a proponent of making school uniforms a reality for students. One less thing to think about in the morning. One less distraction in the classroom. Any thoughts on this subject?
I just came from a school that required the standard boring blue pants and white polos. After graduation I vowed to never wear navy blue slacks nor white polos. There is no need to add more to my list of vows.
It really got out of hand. My brother said that the principal came into their class and checked to make sure the socks were the proper length. Religious pins could not be worn which is very hypocritical if you think about it. You learn about faith and you cannot even express it. What is even more ironic, the Religion teacher told me to take of the pin.
How people dress is the least of distractions. There is cell phones. sometimes depending on the class and teacher, snoring.
Implementing the school uniform will be just as much a distraction as before. Students will channel their wits into ways to disregard the uniform. I have a few regrets in school. And coincidentally, they all involve the uniform. I regret taking off the cross and conforming to the uniform. I should have worn jeans and a T-shirt and take the detentions.
Imagine what the Black Hole will wear at basketball games if there is a uniform. I guarantee it will be far worse then what people normally wear. I bet that when most people wake up and put on what they will wear to school, they do not think about how to completely disobey the uniform code. At the games, people will intentionally wear clothes to annoy the administration.
The uniforms would also lessen the school spirit the seniors this year have worked so hard to give us. No one would be proud of going to school. School spirit would be lost.
I agree with wild wx man's comments. If students are forced to wear a uniform, they will just find ways around it. I do like the fact that schools enforce dress codes and discipline those who don't follow it. But school uniforms...i don't think so. Except for things like short skirts, low tops, sagging pants, etc., I really don't think clothing disrupts the learning process. I also think we're making a bigger deal about this than we should be.
I sort of agree with Mr. Keller. Maybe the uniforms would add to a better learning environment, IF they could be enforced. I also think that if we're required to wear them, then we shouldn't have to buy them; that should be the school's responsibility.
However, I'm not really all for the idea of having to be told every day what we have to wear......I mean, we're in high school, and if the schools tell us what we have to wear each day, that's no better than when we were all 3 years old and our moms laid out our clothes for us in the mornings.
As for the whole "Wearing pajamas to school also was highlighted as disruptive" thing, I think that's just ridiculous.
Ooooohhhh.........a little flannel and fluffy slippers.....FREAK OUT!!
Sorry to say but I dont agree with Mr. Keller (even though he is still the COOLEST teacher ever!!!)but the dress code has been the same for years (centuries even)where kids wore what they wanted and the advancement of the United States has gonna on.So if you want a dress code become a millionare and send yourself to a catholic or reform school
I dress up for Church, and for work.. That's all I need. Don't make me have to dress up for school too. But, if you want to buy me clothes, DON'T because that's just a waste of money. If I work to play, then let me play! I don't need my mommy to tell me what to wear to school. That's why I got a job, to buy MY clothes, that set ME distinguishable, and set MYSELF apart from everybody else.
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