It took me awhile to put my thoughts together on this issue after the July 24th meeting of the Flagler School Board that I attended. I believe that this matter really goes so much deeper than just what our kid wear, into how our schools are being run and why they are being run the way that they are.
At this point it is becoming increasingly obvious to me that this move towards uniforms is about politics, and nothing more than that. I feel like my child is being used as a pawn in the economics and politics of Flagler County and there is nothing I can do about it unless I want to sue the school board. There are no recall or ballot procedures for school board members or school board issues. These people are dictators once they are elected - and they are making full use of that power to do whatever they want regardless of what the residents of this district, and the parents of this district, want.
Consider the following information and see what conclusion you reach.
The school board had, at the urging of board member Evie Shellenberger, been investigating implementing uniforms in the district for some time. A "town hall" meeting had been scheduled for July 11th to hear public opinion on the desirability of a uniform policy. The board had scheduled a final vote on implementing a policy for its July 24th meeting, after the town hall meeting.
On June 29th, the Florida School Accountability Grades were released by the Florida Department of Education, grading several Flagler schools poorly, including a "C" for Matanzas High School and a "D" grade for Flagler-Palm Coast High School.
The evening of June 29th, at their regularly scheduled meeting, the Flagler School Board suddenly changed the publicly announced schedule for the uniform process and voted to implement uniforms for the 2008-2009 school year and to change to purpose of the July 11th town hall meeting to be to get input on what the actual uniforms should be. This vote took place despite the fact that a newly appointed member of the board was being sworn in that night, effectively leaving 20% of the school district without a representative during that vote.
Newspaper stories from the Flagler education beat the following day focused on the uniform issue, not on the abysmal Florida School Accountability grades received by the two high schools in the district.
At the town hall meeting the school board touted the endorsement of their uniform plan by the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce.
No one I have talked to has any knowledge that the teacher's union (who presumably are more relevant to this issue than the Chamber of Commerce?) has been even consulted about uniforms, let alone endorsed the policy - including a teacher who is a building rep. for the union.
After the members of the public spoke at the town hall meeting, more than half of them against uniforms, the response they received was a very dour attitude of "well, the decision is already made, too bad."
Members of the school board have repeatedly pointed to the examples of other districts in the implementing of uniforms.
When it was pointed out to the board on July 24th by the ACLU that the examples of methods that other districts have used to implement uniform policies include parent polling on the issue, all but one board member chose to ignore that statement completely. The only board member who responded to that fact was Ms. Shellenberger, who has been the most ardent supporter of uniforms, and even she dismissed those examples by saying that it wasn't practical because she felt the whole district would have to be polled because "all residents are taxpayers and have a stake in our schools."
To me, that quote from Ms. Shellenberger sums up what this is all about. This uniform effort is not about a genuine effort to make our schools better. It is about propping up property values in this town by making the schools look better than they are, and about attracting business by making the schools look better than they are. It is about using uniforms to whitewash over our growing gang problem. That is why the Chamber of Commerce cares about uniforms, because this policy is about economic growth, not about educational quality. This is about jobs, not about students.
Taxpayers have a right to voice their opinion on school matters that they will pay for. Everyone in this community does not have a right to voice an opinion on whether my child should have to wear a uniform every day, unless they are going to shop for and pay for those uniforms, do battle with my child everyday to enforce the wearing of them, and do the resulting extra laundry from them. That affects my family, not the retired lady next door, or the single guys down the street. Since I will be the one that has to live with it, I should get a say in it. And only me.
It's really easy to have an opinion on something when you don't have to live with the consequences. Let the parents decide. They are the ones that have to live with it.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Board Member Shellenberger's response to parent survey proposal
Flagler School Board member Evie Shellenberger, who has lead the charge for some time to put uniforms on Flagler Schools students, chose to respond to the proposal for a parent survey by completely ignoring the actual argument for one: the importance of parent cooperation in implementing a uniform program.
My Statement in Support of the Parent Survey on Uniforms
My statement to the board on July 24th addressed some of my concerns regarding uniforms and the needs of ESE students, as well as seconding the ACLU proposal of following in the footsteps of other districts and utilizing a parent survey to decide the issue.
ACLU Statement at July 24th School Board Meeting
George Griffin, president of the Volusia/Flagler ACLU chapter, proposed at the July 24th Flagler County School Board meeting that the board should hold a parent survey on the implementation of a uniform policy the way most other districts in Florida have done.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Reminder: School Board Meeting Tomorrow Night!
Don't forget that there is a school board meeting tomorrow night (Tuesday) at 6pm at the Government Services Building in Bunnell.
We'd like to get everyone who can come to show up to show their support to the school board for having a parent vote on the implementation of uniforms. This vote will protect both the parents who are for and against uniforms. It will protect the rights of parents who are against uniforms from being railroaded by a flawed school board process from not having their opinions heard. And it will protect parents who are pro-uniforms from investing in that process and then possibly discovering that too many parents are not complying with the policy, making the uniforms pointless.
The board keeps pointing to the fact that so many other Florida districts have uniforms as a reason for Flagler to have them. So why aren't they following the same process as those districts?
Please show up to ask the board to let the parents make the decision, which is how this issue has been handled in most other Florida school districts!
We'd like to get everyone who can come to show up to show their support to the school board for having a parent vote on the implementation of uniforms. This vote will protect both the parents who are for and against uniforms. It will protect the rights of parents who are against uniforms from being railroaded by a flawed school board process from not having their opinions heard. And it will protect parents who are pro-uniforms from investing in that process and then possibly discovering that too many parents are not complying with the policy, making the uniforms pointless.
The board keeps pointing to the fact that so many other Florida districts have uniforms as a reason for Flagler to have them. So why aren't they following the same process as those districts?
Please show up to ask the board to let the parents make the decision, which is how this issue has been handled in most other Florida school districts!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
News-Journal Editorial Gives Thumbs Down to Uniforms
A great (if a bit dense) editorial today in the News-Journal explains exactly why uniforms are not the solution to what ails our schools:
No, Meaningless Frock
Some extremely relevant points made by Mr. Tristam in the editorial include:
"With next year's election season approaching, the board needed an artificial issue to make it look decisive. Uniforms are it."
"Masking society's inequalities and prejudices by donning a uniform, instead of confronting them head on, teaches children deception and evasion as much as it may give them a break from feeling superior or inferior. It's trading one vice for another."
"My objection to uniforms isn't that they're irrelevant, but that they give schools an added presumption of authority and regimentation that schools aren't entitled to, and pupils don't deserve -- legal and academic fad in favor of treating pupils like wards of their schools notwithstanding..."
I highly recommend a read-through of the piece. It's a very interesting trip through an alternative viewpoint for those who are pro-uniforms.
No, Meaningless Frock
Some extremely relevant points made by Mr. Tristam in the editorial include:
"With next year's election season approaching, the board needed an artificial issue to make it look decisive. Uniforms are it."
"Masking society's inequalities and prejudices by donning a uniform, instead of confronting them head on, teaches children deception and evasion as much as it may give them a break from feeling superior or inferior. It's trading one vice for another."
"My objection to uniforms isn't that they're irrelevant, but that they give schools an added presumption of authority and regimentation that schools aren't entitled to, and pupils don't deserve -- legal and academic fad in favor of treating pupils like wards of their schools notwithstanding..."
I highly recommend a read-through of the piece. It's a very interesting trip through an alternative viewpoint for those who are pro-uniforms.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
What do uniforms really cost?
A lot of parent opinion centers around whether or not uniforms are cheaper for families.
There has been one study on the subject that I have been able to locate:
Note this critical part of the abstract: Findings indicated that consumers do not replace their nonuniform purchases with uniform expenses. Instead, uniforms are considered as complementary purchases, thereby, leading to increased clothing expenditures. According to the results of this study, the actual purchase price of uniforms compared to regular clothes is irrelevant to the argument about whether school uniforms are more expensive. Since families purchase them in addition to, and not instead of, their usual clothing purchases, uniforms are more expensive for families no matter how much or how little is spent on them.
Even if you are a parent who is convinced that you will be able to replace other clothes purchases with uniforms, what do uniforms actually cost? The answer varies widely. Very young students may be more prone to spilling on their clothes, requiring more frequent laundering or even replacing of outfits due to stains. The oldest students will require frequent laundering due to body odor. Then there are variables such as how fast a child is growing, and a major variable in cost: how hard to fit a child is.
Walmart and Target are being widely touted as sources of affordable school uniforms. That may be true - if your child is of average size. If you can walk into a store and pull anything off of the rack and it will fit your child, then you will likely have no problem finding plenty of inexpensive uniform options for your student.
If, on the other hand, your child is hard to fit and requires slim or husky sizes? Well, you may be out of luck on the affordability of uniforms - especially if your child is a girl.
Walmart offers slim and husky sizes in boys, but only plus in girls. No slim sizes.
Target offers plus sizes but no slims in either boys or girls.
Bealls offers a few husky sizes in boys items. Not sure about plus sizes for the girls.
Old Navy: A good selection of plus and slim sizes is available for both boys and girls but a pair of basic uniform pants start at $17.50 per pair (compared to pants that start at $11.88 at Walmart).
JC Penney: A full range of sizes is offered but pants start at $19.99 for girls and $26 for boys.
Sears: Pants start at $20 for girls and $24 for boys and only plus/husky sizes are offered.
Gap: Again, a good selection of complete size ranges is available but a basic pair of uniform pants starts at $29.50.
Lands End: Their selection of uniform pants available in a complete size range starts at $29.99.
Uniforms would definitely be more expensive for my family since my daughter is very slim and hard-to fit. I can currently buy two very nice complete knit outfits or dresses at Target that will fit her for school for what it would cost to put her in one pair of uniform pants from Old Navy that would hopefully fit her and be long enough and still stay up. Buying uniform outfits would be a significant cost increase for us. I'm sure there are other families facing the same situation because of hard-to-fit children.
Also we shouldn't forget that other help to the clothing budget: gifts that do double-duty as school clothes. Our 7 year-old niece (who lives in Michigan) loves to shop. So for her last couple of gifts from us (birthday and christmas) she has received Target gift cards that she could spend on clothing with the supervision of her mother. Our niece has fun shopping, and she gets some new school clothes to put in her closet without her parents spending anything. Somehow, I think the fun would go out of that gift for our niece if she had to pick out uniform clothes, and the added benefit would be lost to her parents if she picked out regular clothes and they still had to buy her uniforms.
In addition to gift cards, actual clothing gifts can expand school wardrobes. They certainly do in our family with two grandmas that love to shop for their granddaughter. But opening a box of khaki pants and white shirts on your birthday somehow just isn't that exciting for a little kid...or as exciting for a grandparent to give.
Give a thought to all of these things before you decide what uniforms will really cost your family and other families.
There has been one study on the subject that I have been able to locate:
The effect of uniforms on nonuniform apparel expenditures.The full study can be read in full from your home computer on the Library's InfoTrac database if you have the password (just ask the reference librarian for it).
Norum, Pamela S., Robert O. Weagley, and Marjorie J.T. Norton. "The effect of uniforms on nonuniform apparel expenditures." Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal 26.n3 (March 1998): 259(22). Expanded Academic ASAP. Thomson Gale. Flagler County Public Library. 13 July 2007
Abstract:
The effects of uniform expenses on household expenditures for some nonuniform apparel subcategories based on an economic model of conditional demand were investigated. Expenditures formulas were derived from the 1990-1991 Consumer Expenditure Survey. Findings indicated that consumers do not replace their nonuniform purchases with uniform expenses. Instead, uniforms are considered as complementary purchases, thereby, leading to increased clothing expenditures.
Thomson Gale Document Number:A20584197
Note this critical part of the abstract: Findings indicated that consumers do not replace their nonuniform purchases with uniform expenses. Instead, uniforms are considered as complementary purchases, thereby, leading to increased clothing expenditures. According to the results of this study, the actual purchase price of uniforms compared to regular clothes is irrelevant to the argument about whether school uniforms are more expensive. Since families purchase them in addition to, and not instead of, their usual clothing purchases, uniforms are more expensive for families no matter how much or how little is spent on them.
Even if you are a parent who is convinced that you will be able to replace other clothes purchases with uniforms, what do uniforms actually cost? The answer varies widely. Very young students may be more prone to spilling on their clothes, requiring more frequent laundering or even replacing of outfits due to stains. The oldest students will require frequent laundering due to body odor. Then there are variables such as how fast a child is growing, and a major variable in cost: how hard to fit a child is.
Walmart and Target are being widely touted as sources of affordable school uniforms. That may be true - if your child is of average size. If you can walk into a store and pull anything off of the rack and it will fit your child, then you will likely have no problem finding plenty of inexpensive uniform options for your student.
If, on the other hand, your child is hard to fit and requires slim or husky sizes? Well, you may be out of luck on the affordability of uniforms - especially if your child is a girl.
Walmart offers slim and husky sizes in boys, but only plus in girls. No slim sizes.
Target offers plus sizes but no slims in either boys or girls.
Bealls offers a few husky sizes in boys items. Not sure about plus sizes for the girls.
Old Navy: A good selection of plus and slim sizes is available for both boys and girls but a pair of basic uniform pants start at $17.50 per pair (compared to pants that start at $11.88 at Walmart).
JC Penney: A full range of sizes is offered but pants start at $19.99 for girls and $26 for boys.
Sears: Pants start at $20 for girls and $24 for boys and only plus/husky sizes are offered.
Gap: Again, a good selection of complete size ranges is available but a basic pair of uniform pants starts at $29.50.
Lands End: Their selection of uniform pants available in a complete size range starts at $29.99.
Uniforms would definitely be more expensive for my family since my daughter is very slim and hard-to fit. I can currently buy two very nice complete knit outfits or dresses at Target that will fit her for school for what it would cost to put her in one pair of uniform pants from Old Navy that would hopefully fit her and be long enough and still stay up. Buying uniform outfits would be a significant cost increase for us. I'm sure there are other families facing the same situation because of hard-to-fit children.
Also we shouldn't forget that other help to the clothing budget: gifts that do double-duty as school clothes. Our 7 year-old niece (who lives in Michigan) loves to shop. So for her last couple of gifts from us (birthday and christmas) she has received Target gift cards that she could spend on clothing with the supervision of her mother. Our niece has fun shopping, and she gets some new school clothes to put in her closet without her parents spending anything. Somehow, I think the fun would go out of that gift for our niece if she had to pick out uniform clothes, and the added benefit would be lost to her parents if she picked out regular clothes and they still had to buy her uniforms.
In addition to gift cards, actual clothing gifts can expand school wardrobes. They certainly do in our family with two grandmas that love to shop for their granddaughter. But opening a box of khaki pants and white shirts on your birthday somehow just isn't that exciting for a little kid...or as exciting for a grandparent to give.
Give a thought to all of these things before you decide what uniforms will really cost your family and other families.
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