AN EQUAL PLAYING FIELD
The Ultimate Reason for UNIFORMS
By Erika G. Foerster, Principal

When watching athletic events, the teams' uniforms are all the spectators see on the playing field. Even the officials have their own uniforms that show the spectators that they are an equal group together. Each team has its' own unique colors, mascots and uniforms. These uniforms create an atmosphere of spirit and ultimately pride in the “team.” As supporters of the team, spectators wear their teams' colors to the Friday evening football or Tuesday afternoon volleyball games to show their support and again their pride in the team. While simply standing on the field or court, each team is equal in their uniforms. It is the abilities and talents hidden inside those uniforms that create the victories or losses. It is each individual's skills and talents that create the team, which is what everyone is there to support. At the start, everyone is on an Equal Playing Field.

Why not create this atmosphere in the hallways, classrooms and on the buses of our schools? Let the students show support for their schools, by wearing their school's "spirit colors" on a daily basis. Thus creating an atmosphere of the campus as the ultimate academic field - a field in which all students use their own skills, talents and abilities to become successful learners. Isn't that the reason for schools in the first place? The campuses of Anson Jones, Pat Neff and Sam Rayburn Middle School (NISD, San Antonio) felt so and went to mandatory school uniforms starting in the 1998-1999 school year. Sul Ross Middle School followed these three schools in 1999-2000 and H.B. Zachry Middle School will be going to "standardized dress" in 2003-2004. The administration, faculties and communities found a need to create an atmosphere where all students were on that equal playing field as they entered the academic field of their campuses. With students in uniforms, every one of them is on an equal playing field throughout the day. Each student creates their individuality through their academics and outside achievements, not by what they wear to school.

The big question that usually comes with uniforms is "Do they really make a difference in discipline referrals?" Some will tell you "yes", while others will tell you "no", mainly because it is very hard to gather the specific statistics to answer the questions correctly. The reason it is hard to gather these specific statistics is because you would be hard pressed to find a campus that only implements uniforms for their students. Each year, campuses worldwide hold staff development for their teaching staff and implement new techniques and strategies – similar to a new playbook each year for successful teams. These strategies could be in the area of discipline or effective teaching practices. In either case, any of this staff development could have an effect on the discipline of a campus. This effect could be positive or negative. Until a school decides to "just implement uniforms" and does nothing else for their faculty in the area of staff development for several years, solid statistics will never be able to be collected.

When students on uniform campuses walk into school each morning, everyone is equal. No one is any more important or better, based on the clothes they wear. Just think, if two teams show up for a game, one in brand new uniforms and the other in old tattered and torn uniforms. What is your first impression? – the team with the new uniforms is more successful right? It is not until the players use the talents hidden within those uniforms do you know whether any early assumptions are correct or not. The same thing can happen when students from low socioeconomic backgrounds walk into classrooms all across this country. A teacher's first impression could be: they're slow, they don't have a chance, or I won't be able to do anything with this kid. Is that an impression we should be making in education? No, all children have the right and abilities to learn when given the right tools to do so. In uniforms, all students walk into the classroom looking the same, thus hopefully eliminating the preconceptions that may arise when they are wearing the latest trends in fashion or don't have the money to keep up with those trends. Not to mention, hopefully eliminating some forms of bullying due to the fact they "look funny", "don't have the money for better clothes" or "don't fit in" with the latest fashion trends.

When you ask teachers "why did you go into education?" the majority of them will tell you "to help kids," or "to make a difference in a child's life like a teacher made in mine." Educators are a lot like coaches in that both of their jobs are to make the individuals they work with better at whatever it is they know best, whether this be in a specific academic area or in a particular sport. If a coach has lots of marks in the win column, they are usually perceived to be successful, yet there are many that are successful at their jobs due to the social effects they make on the players they work with on a daily basis. Teachers are at times judged in the same manner by being perceived as successful only if their students pass the state mandated tests. Teachers see many more successes along the way and to simply see the "light go on" in a students mind can be much more rewarding to a teacher then any test scores. Educators are in education because they want to make a difference, whether that is big or small. They continue to do their jobs in an ever-changing world that continues to impose higher and higher standards on public education without many benefits. Uniforms help to level the teaching "field" by putting all students at the same level to start; it is up to the teacher to find out what makes each student tick.

A large factor in discipline referrals for a specific campus is the community in which it resides. If that community has a higher crime rate, usually the school will have a higher discipline rate, as these tend to go hand in hand. In order to counter this effect, the school should work with their greater community, police departments and their city to implement different initiatives that help the police remove the factors that can lead to problems in the schools. Uniforms also help this by putting all students in one or two colors of pants and shirts. It is much easier on a uniform campus to identify any problems, such as "gang" colors, because any variations from the standard are obvious. On the male students, sagging and baggy pant issues are also almost eliminated due to the standard size of the uniforms and the code clearly stating that anything over one size larger is unacceptable. On the female students, the tight fitting pants and skirts and the short or see through shirts are removed which helps to eliminate the distractions they cause during the school year. Students on uniform campuses know that there are clear rules and regulations to their attire and even though they probably would not come out and say it publicly, they enjoy not having to think about what to wear each morning or how to come up with the money to "fit in."

The ultimate reality is that students on uniform campuses bring out their individuality in much better ways then by that of a fashion statement. Students on campuses with uniforms find ways to express themselves in their schoolwork, their writing, their extra-curricular activities and the areas they choose to become involved in. In the long run, this type of individuality will get them much further in life than any they can make with fashion. On the Anson Jones campus alone, the students have proven that they are as smart as every other student in Northside by showing it with their academic success. Anson Jones received "Recognized" status for both the 2001 and 2002 school years and continues to strive for success on the new TAKS test. Sul Ross, Rayburn and Neff have also shown great strides in academic success with test scores on a steady rise over the time period they have been in uniforms. Just think about it, when students don't have to worry about someone laughing at them or thinking less of them based on what they wear, they are more willing to get up and give presentations or be involved in class. From this alone, academic success will follow. Along the same lines, if a campus sets a strong uniform policy, students understand that the school is concerned with their education. Thus higher standards are expected and students are more than willing to reach them when given the positive reinforcement for their actions.

All students want to learn. The challenge is to find how students learn and what makes that willingness to learn become a passion for education. When students are put on an "equal playing field" they can't help but thrive. Uniforms bring a clean, professional look to a campus, which instantly raises the expectations and standards of that campus. This spills over into the classrooms and the students' daily activities. This also helps to create pride in their school that cannot help but continue to improve the image of the students and the school, which is ultimately an example of the greater community of which it is a part.