I vividly remember my days at West High and even then the debate about the school dress code was a hot topic. Then the issue was banning revealing clothing. Now I could see some of their arguments because there will always be those students who want to push the envelope. The fact of the matter back then was the banning of tank tops, and other revealing clothing. I took personal offence to this policy. I usually wore the same thing to school every day, I wore layered clothing, for one reason: the temperature differences in the building were drastic. One room would be might be comfortable or even a little chilly in the summer time if you had a room with air conditioning, but most of the building did not have air conditioning. So when you got up to your class on the third floor and it was 90 plus degrees, you could shed a layer of clothes. I was upset because tank tops were banned, like I already said, it got HOT in those rooms I just didn’t see the problem with tank tops, to me what was wrong with seeing a little shoulder? We didn’t like it then, I remember it being the topic of debate my senior year and that was almost ten years ago.
Since then the debate has heated up among students, parents and teachers in the Waterloo School District.
It’s a heated debate no matter where you are, if the issue is uniforms in public schools, there will always be those for and those against it. This is exactly what is playing out in the Waterloo School District right now. There are valid arguments on both sides, for a full list of pros and cons to uniforms in schools see http://www.educationbug.org/a/public-school-uniform-debate.html. It’s interesting to note that there are more cons than there are pros.
Since May 2010 the Waterloo School District has been trying to figure out the best way to implement a “Standardized Dress Code.” See, Waterloo Community Schools | Standardized Dress Code.
Each State has different laws on dress codes or school uniforms see Dress Codes and School-Uniform Policies, State by State. Iowa’s law states that school board’s have the authority to put into place a proscriptive dress code, not a uniform policy.
Yet a uniform policy is essentially what was put into place, with students being able to only wear clothes approved by the school board. Typically these are the kinds of uniforms you would see in private schools; khaki pants, tucked in collared polo’s and belts if there are belt loops.
Rick and Teesha Peters, who have four children in the Waterloo school district, have been very vocal about why they do not want the standardized dress code to be adopted. In series of articles in the Waterloo Courier the Peterses have laid out their issues as to why they do not agree with the school board’s decision. They cited that the parents did not have enough input as to what the dress code would entail. Furthermore they go on to say that they are unhappy with the way things are going in the district as a whole and feel the district is not being transparent enough. They were also unhappy with the adoption of the four new academies at the high schools with little or no input from parents and community members. See Dress code policy appeal to Waterloo school board goes to DOE
Opponents feel including the Peteres that the board went too far. The Peterses filed a suit with the State Board of Education in September against the dress code saying it goes too far, beyond what the Iowa code states is acceptable for school boards to do. For a copy of the decision see, http://www.waterloo.k12.ia.us/files/Peters_Proposed_Decision.docx,
The State Board of Education agreed that the policy had gone too far, that the language in the code was prescriptive saying what students can wear instead of proscriptive language, saying what students can’t wear.
So now the School board has come up with a new policy, actually it’s the exact same policy, backwards. See http://www.waterloo.k12.ia.us/files/dresscode/final_3_proposed_Proscriptive_Dress_Code.docx the school board voted unanimously on Monday December 13, 2010, to adopt the revised dress code. Now it is up to the State Board to see if this dress code will pass. The State Board is to hear the appeal on the new dress code.
Opponents like Take Back Our Schools, a group formed in May to oppose the dress code, are saying that it will not pass because it still spells out the same dress code, just in different language.
According to the website the School board feels a standardized uniform policy is necessary to “ensure that (students) attend school in a very positive and safe educational environment and to reinforce the District’s mission that each and every student graduate prepared for college, career ad citizenship. The board believes that any apparel warn at school that draws attention away from the schools learning environment should be prohibited.”
The website goes on to say that they dress code will help students prepare for their futures by learning about a businesslike image, being in an environment of decency, focus on instruction, provide a high level of security and develop a sense of belonging.
Opponents still say the dress code goes too far and at least one group formed in opposition to the policy, the group is called Take Back Our Schools and they are ready to fight the dress code again if they have to. See Group ready to challenge rewritten Waterloo Schools' dress code policy
Yet all this positive language may not be as feasible as it is on paper. I feel that the board failed to overlook some of the cons to the code. The code states that clothes cannot be more than one size too big or small. While this might end bagging pants, what about the overweight students who might feel self conscious now that they are not able to hide some of their weight in bigger clothes? Also the shirts need to be tucked in this can also cause students to become self conscious. High school is a huge time in a teenager’s life to develop self esteem. This dress code could be hurting the positive image a teenager needs to develop. Also it allows for no self-expression. These are just some of the points against the code.
I agree with the opposition group, while I feel it is important to keep gangs out of school and keep students safe, but what is wrong with having a print on your shirt or wearing a sweater with a print on it? I think that the policy is a uniform policy and it is not what is allowed under Iowa Code.
I tried calling Waterloo West High School for a comment on how the uniform was doing in their building, but was told no interviews were being given out.
I was able to find at least one Waterloo High School, who asked not to be identified, who told me the opposite effects are happening at high schools than what the officials had hoped for. While the students all look alike now, in their professional looking uniforms, teachers are expected to take class time at the beginning of each class hour (seven during the day) to inspect uniforms. At least three minutes every class hour teachers are inspecting students dress to make sure that it conforms to the dress code. That’s 20 minutes each day students are taken away from class time to focus on dress.
This seems like more of a distraction than anything that is bringing the students and faculty together. The teacher also told me that 4-5 kids out of every first hour class are spending that first hour at the school “closet”, where extra uniforms are on hand, so that they are in compliance with the dress code. Also it is at each teacher discretion what they feel is appropriate attire, so what one teacher might think is okay, the next might have a problem with. Students are being sent to an administrator’s office, the clothes closet or even home because of simple infractions like having a shirt that is “too red” or not having a belt. One student without a belt actually cut off her belt loops, but was sent home because that is not the way the pants were intended to be.
“It’s hard when you get that one kid who never comes to class, you finally get them there and then they are sent home for not having the proper clothes on, what are the odds of that student coming back to school?” The teacher said.
The teacher also says that moral is actually down at the school, because students are just tired of dealing everyday with issues that have to do with the dress code.
“I get into at least one conversation everyday about the dress code” Says West High Sophomore Josh Wilson.
The policy is a taking away from class time, distracting students by the constant controversy that comes with implementing a new policy. I think the best thing for the Waterloo School System to do is to implement these “uniform” policies in elementary and middle school and phase out the extreme policies so that high school students can work on building self confidence, self esteem and expressing themselves in a positive way.
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