Essay on The History of School Uniforms in the United States

The history of school uniforms in the United States public schools begins with small underprivileged school of Cherry Hill Elementary in Maryland and the domino effect that happened soon after in the years after. The popularity of school uniforms can greatly be credited to the Long Beach, California study and President Bill Clinton’s speech on the topic. At first, school uniforms were only for the private or Catholic private schools however the school uniform trend spread to other public schools to adopt the â€Å"preppy look† and success. This has now set new standard for the United States school system. A brief history of school uniforms will give a significant insight on the growing development that is transforming American schools. In the†¦show more content†¦This program was meant to solve low attendance, discipline problems, gang violence, and sexual assault. After a year of uniforms, the overall crime rate in the school system was down by ninety percent. Assault was down by eighty percent, vandalism by seventy percent, and suspension by ninety percent. This prompted other districts to follow including Los Angeles, San Diego, and even New York. President Bill Clinton caught word of the new trend of school uniforms on January 23, 1996 prepared the State of the Union Address at the United States Capitol where he addressed the subject. In this speech he, â€Å"challenge all our schools to teach character education, to teach good values and good citizenship. And if it means that teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniforms†. President Clinton called for the children of the nation to evaluate themselves on who they are and not what they look like on the exterior. He acknowledged Long Beach public schools for wearing uniforms and even visited the students. The New York Times reported on the President’s speech saying he is â€Å"putting discipline and learning back into our schools†. Interestingly enough, President Clinton was first introduced to the idea of mandatory school uniforms from the First Lady. The New York Times reported that this was in no way mandatory for all states to adopt and thisShow MoreRelatedThe Debate over the Implementation of School Uniform Policies in our Schools:743 Words   |  3 Pageshave been many debates over the implementation of school uniform policies in our schools. Opinions are formed about the appearance of uniforms powerful effects on the way in which a student should dress. This significant role of attire relates to how students could relay a message to themselves and others. In addition, uniforms are one of the most serious administrative concerns in our public school system. 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