Class conformity - Should LAUSD go uniform?

LAST week, the Los Angeles City Council voted for a resolution recommending Los Angeles schools adopt a mandatory uniform policy for all of its not quite 680,000 students.

[sue]

NO keep it the way it is. let each school decide whether they need uniforms or not. The trends should be toward MORE autonomy for schools, NOT less.

Huizar wants this policy because SOME areas like Southeast L A mentioned have gang problems, or in East L A where he is, where cholos and gangbangers wear gang colors.

WHY does that mean they're trying to impose the policy on the whole city now? Why do they always have to make EVERYONE sink to the lowest common denominator? None of the better school districts like Beverly Hills, San Marino, Santa Monica, Culver City require it. Even Long Beach only wants it in 2 high schools and they've got a lot of problems.

WHY reinforce the image of LAUSD as one big gang-infested hole when it's not true everywhere? Work on controlling gangs where they exist, don't punish middle class kids and parents.

Most schools do NOT need it or want it, it would be a loss of individuality, a hardship on parents who'd have to get rid of the clothes their kids own and buy pricy uniforms that do NOT look good after a few washes, believe me, I know from a private school experience. The knees on boys' pants especially wear out. For middle-class parents it's an unfair burden and my kids would HATE it. Poor parents can't afford it, period, so would WE the taxpayers have to buy charity uniforms?

There's NO good reason to take away the right of each school to CHOOSE, lots of reasons NOT TO.

[Jay Qew You Too]

If they make my kids wear a uniform, I WILL SUE.

Luckily, California has an "opt out" law.

[rose]

You've got to be kidding. Didn't the courts already rule that California schools can't require students to wear uniforms? Schools in North Hollywood have had uniforms for years, yet they are in PI 4, meaning the scores are so low they'll be up for grabs by charters soon. If uniforms helped, don't you think these schools would be better off by now? Huizar made lousy decisions when he was on the school board, and he doesn't seem any more effective as a city councilman.

[Smiley]

It would sure help us out in the classroom, but not because of reduced gang activity. Every day in my classroom I'm in competition for the attention of my students, especially the boys.

Sitting across the room is a girl in a short skirt and low cut blouse who is wearing something that my daughter wouldn't be allowed to own, let alone wear outside.

The school can't stop her from wearing it because her parents threatened to sue and California has an opt-out clause. Huzzah for personal freedom.

Problem is, how do I compete. I can make my lesson the most exciting in the history of mankind, a 15 year old boy is going to see what he wants to see, and usually when given the choice of an old bald fat guy at the front of the room, or a brazen beauty across from him, I lose.

Actually, I don't lose anything, he loses. He misses out on the education that was rightfully his.

By the way, she loses too. In drawing attention to her body that way, all she has really done is reinforce the notion that she is nothing but a mid-riff.

You can scream personal freedom all you want, but we all know that it's just because you don't know how to say no to your kid.

[get a life]

Smiley wrote:

It would sure help us out in the classroom, but not because of reduced gang activity. Every day in my classroom I'm in competition for the attention of my students, especially the boys.
Sitting across the room is a girl in a short skirt and low cut blouse who is wearing something that my daughter wouldn't be allowed to own, let alone wear outside.
The school can't stop her from wearing it because her parents threatened to sue and California has an opt-out clause. Huzzah for personal freedom.
Problem is, how do I compete. I can make my lesson the most exciting in the history of mankind, a 15 year old boy is going to see what he wants to see, and usually when given the choice of an old bald fat guy at the front of the room, or a brazen beauty across from him, I lose.
Actually, I don't lose anything, he loses. He misses out on the education that was rightfully his.
By the way, she loses too. In drawing attention to her body that way, all she has really done is reinforce the notion that she is nothing but a mid-riff.
You can scream personal freedom all you want, but we all know that it's just because you don't know how to say no to your kid.

"You can scream personal freedom all you want, but we all know that it's just because you don't know how to say no to your kid." Thank you...a teacher that gets it! You should get an award. Kids are kids and should do as their parents tell them, and if its a uniform, it's a uniform. But today it's no the kids...it's the stupid, ignorant weak parents that are so bad at being parents they think that being a 'freind' to their kids will make it alright!

[Haddit]

Yeah, they should have uniforms, Brown Shirts.

[marty]

Get a life is the one who NEEDS to get a life, what a dork, and so is Smiley. So because one girl wears skirts that are too short and sits like a little slut you want everyone in uniforms? First off, there are short uniform skirts so she'd have the same problem. This is another case of lowest common denominator telling everyone else what to do and what they can't do.

How about this, you geniuses? Do what they do in some other school districts including Beverly Hills, where they stipulate things like no flip-flops for girls (unsuitable for PE and unsanitary in crowds), NO bare midriffs or skirts more than 4" above the knee, no bare bosoms, for boys, no baseball caps unless with school logo, no pants hanging down so their underwear shows - some go further and say no pants more than a size too big or whatever. It's EASY to limit the excesses without turning all the schools into reform schools.

And REMEMBER geniuses, each school already HAS the option of requiring uniforms now. So the schools huizar and the cop referred to have that option NOW - what we're not told is, WHY jump to demand it of all schools for kids of all ages? Lazy, dumb and unnecessary. I concur too with sue's points about having to get rid of good clothes, like heavy-duty and well-made slacks and polos in assorted weights and colors, for some expensive ugly things that cost a lot more and deprive kids of the chance to wear what they want with NO general benefit. Idiotic for some kid in Woodland Hills, Palisades or most schools to do something because a school in South East L A could benefit. L A has many different areas for better and worse.

If geniuses Get a Life and Smiley want to wear the SAME clothes to work every day, they should go to work as janitors or waiters at Denny's, maybe, leave the rest of us alone.(And why don't TEACHERS have to wear uniforms, Smiley, if you think they're such a fix-all?)

[Are People Nuts]

Uniforms are communist fascism.

Let the kids express themsleves. It's the only freedom they have.

[Norman Moore]

Are People Nuts wrote:

Uniforms are communist fascism.
Let the kids express themsleves. It's the only freedom they have.

You may be right but fascism, or socialism at least, is in vogue right now in Washington so why not here. The real issue to me is why is the clowncil which has a full agenda of things to be concerned with which are within their purview and more urgent wasting time on something which is not.

[Ayahuasca Shaman]

Have dress codes.....and ENFORCE them!

They already wear 'uniforms' of their gang affiliation.

[Bureaucratic Mess]

A uniform policy sounds like a good idea -- but the liberal "sensitivity" of the government bureaucrats always causes them to fail in the public school system (they work fine in private schools). This is because the public schools allows parents to opt their children out of the uniforms citing stuff like "financial hardship." And we all know that 95% of the stiffs in the LA and surrounding school districts claim to have financial burdens in order to get free lunches for their spawn. So you end up with a few law-abiding kids wearing uniforms ... and a bunch of big-attitude punk kids (like their "disadvantaged" parents) wearing their usual hip hop gang uniforms.

Why bother?

Plus, as pointed out, who the hell is the LA city council to dictate what the school district does?

[dan]

uniforms are the way to go !

[clear]

Smiley wrote:

It would sure help us out in the classroom, but not because of reduced gang activity. Every day in my classroom I'm in competition for the attention of my students, especially the boys.
Sitting across the room is a girl in a short skirt and low cut blouse who is wearing something that my daughter wouldn't be allowed to own, let alone wear outside.
The school can't stop her from wearing it because her parents threatened to sue and California has an opt-out clause. Huzzah for personal freedom.
Problem is, how do I compete. I can make my lesson the most exciting in the history of mankind, a 15 year old boy is going to see what he wants to see, and usually when given the choice of an old bald fat guy at the front of the room, or a brazen beauty across from him, I lose.
Actually, I don't lose anything, he loses. He misses out on the education that was rightfully his.
By the way, she loses too. In drawing attention to her body that way, all she has really done is reinforce the notion that she is nothing but a mid-riff.
You can scream personal freedom all you want, but we all know that it's just because you don't know how to say no to your kid.

Your school could have a dress code AND ENFORCE IT.

[valley parent]

Our kids would be more respectful. I see a calming effect on those campuses wear uniforms are worn. I have been in the district for years and see the difference.

I recall that Huizar was one of the thoughtful and reasonable school board members when he served. He usually thinks things through before having knee-jerk reactions. I'm sure he sought out opinions and did his work before getting on any band-wagon. He did it when he left the district and made it start addressing our embarrasing drop out rates. He also did a great job in the construction of schools in areas that needed them after years of neglect.

[henrich]

Thank you Huizar for saving open space @ Elephant Hill. The City needs it. We are too densely populated.

[crooks and liars]

give them orange uniforms thats where most of them goin so they can get use to it
jose huizar is a crook politician just the same when he was a school member, is a idiot
jose huizar is the pet of the mayor any thing that comes out of this dog is just a bark but no bite

[kma]

valley parent wrote:

Our kids would be more respectful. I see a calming effect on those campuses wear uniforms are worn. I have been in the district for years and see the difference.

Respect does not come from wearing a uniform. Respect is something you learn from years of upbringing, especially the early years. Maybe what you have seen is just a byproduct of being at campuses where the PARENTS' cared enough about their kids to teach them respect for others. And those same parants really understood that wearing a uniform shows pride in the school ane that all the kids are the same at school - one spoiled brat is not trying to outdo the others like at so many other public schools.

Those "uniforms", if chosen correctly, don't cost any more than the garbage the kids wear anyway.

[Criminal invasion]

Are they crazy? The first thing that would happen is they would find out the taxpayers would have to pay for the uniforms. If 70% of LAUSD cannot feed thier kids breakfast or lunch which the taxpayers are on the hook for, why could you expect them to be able to buy uniforms? Another handout by my hard earned dollars to give to the illegal invasion? There is no end in sight to the human sponges.what are they gonna come up with next that my tax dollars can help pay for?

[Willy G]

Another fine example of the Los Angeles city council trying to make themselves look important! Sorry, but refer the matter to the board of education, and let those who were elected to deal with the issue deal with it.
We have some of the highest paid idiots in the country and quality of life just gets worst not better. The city council is a joke!

[Phil]

A uniform won't do a bit of good if the kid's parents do not read to them when they are young and make them do their homework when they are older. Unless parents are involved in their kid's education, rewarding good performances and punishing bad performance, all the uniforms in the world will do nothing.