A school uniform, "to be or not to be" is the question for many schools's today. Many schools are beginning to adopt school uniforms while others are still resistant. In David Kommer's article Beyond Fashion Patrol: School Uniforms for the Middle Grades, he talks about his positive experiences with school uniforms. He should know because he is the principal of Lake Center Middle School in Los Angeles, California. Kommer highlights the middle school adolescents feeling of well-being, parental support, improving school pride, and overall better school atmosphere due to school uniforms. He also gives some advice of how to begin a school uniform policy successfully.
The author begins his article by talking about the problem of gang violence in today's schools. Uniform policies are being used to help prevent gang violence in some areas. In his experience it didn't solve the gang problem completely, but did create a better atmosphere in his school. Uniform policies are a good opportunity for school's to give adolescents a comfortable setting enabling them to grow. School uniforms give students a sense of belonging and they take pride in being apart of their school. .
In my opinion I think school uniforms are a good idea for all schools. I don't think it makes a difference if your school has a gang problem or any other problem to need a dress code. This article proves that students can benefit in many different ways from uniforms. In the middle school grades students are going through adolescents, and their self-esteem is very important to them. School uniforms can help the poorer students who don't have enough money for nicer clothes. The equality of school uniforms will create a better school atmosphere as well.