(Vol. 1, No. 1 - Fall 1996 / Web Edition)
Back to index
LBUSD Works to Link Uniform Policy
to Higher Standards and Expectations
By Reagan Walker
They've drawn parental applause and presidential acclaim.
Unlike any other effort of the Long Beach Unified School District in recent
years, requiring elementary and middle school students to wear uniforms
has put the school system in the national spotlight.
President Clinton visited a Long Beach school in February 1996 and hailed
the uniform policy as setting a standard for public schools everywhere.
National media picked up and widely circulated the story.
And in community meetings and other forums, many parents have plugged the
requirement, saying they appreciate the simple, economical approach to dressing
for school. Pressure for designer fashions is gone. So is gang attire.
Since the requirement went on the books in 1994, no other reform effort
in Long Beach -- including setting new, tough academic standards -- has
galvinized the public like uniforms.
But while the press, the president and the public have lauded the move as
a bold step toward order and equity in schools, teachers and principals
say it's been no easy step to take.
On any given day, students will show up at school wearing something other
than the uniform. District officials claim more than 90 percent of students
adhere to the policy, but a walk around many school yards during lunch will
call that figure into question. At some middle schools, it's rare to see
a student out of uniform; at others, many students either ignore the rule
or have the necessary paperwork on file to "opt out."
Each school is left to enforce the policy as leaders there see fit. Some
give demerits; some hand out loaner uniforms; some call the parents to bring
the proper clothing to school.
All of that takes time. "I don't think the district office has any
idea how much effort goes into enforcing the uniform policy," says
one middle school principal. "It's a huge new issue to be managed in
the schools -- daily."
But the principal stops short of saying the costs outweigh the benefits.
"It's probably worth it. The uniforms connect to our higher standards.
They send a message that school is not here for show. This is serious business."
School Board President Bobbie Smith echoes the principal's outlook. "We
want kids to know when they come to school, it's time for business. We don't
want them to be distracted (by fashions)," said Smith.
Since the policy was enacted, school officials say suspensions have dropped
almost a third and fights between students have been cut in half. The school
board likes the policy so much it has now passed a mandatory uniform policy
for high school students, beginning fall 1997. A dress code for teachers
is also in the works, although teachers at individual schools will be able
to set standards for their faculties.
LBUSD Superintendent Carl Cohn believes the uniform and dress code policies
are an integral part of the school district's growing emphasis on setting
and meeting high standards of achievement. "You can't really separate
the uniform policy from our policy of using standards in science or math
to improve the way we teach and learn. They're all part of the same whole."
Like the academic standards, some schools are likely to embrace the dress
standards more fervently and pursue them more vigorously than others.
##
One Long Beach educator's opinion about uniforms
EXPLORE THE
UNIFORM ISSUE thoroughly by visiting the special "uniforms"
issues page at the Education Week website.