Long post. Sorry... but worth the effort.
Although there was scant coverage of it (Hieb is the exception), Tuesday night the Guilford County school board discussed - at great length - a host of "strategies" for improving school discipline in an effort to reduce the need for utilizing school suspensions as a discipline tool. Even though I didn't get a chance to speak before the board, I was there to propose an additional "strategy" for their consideration.
I said yesterday, they will not know until the next meeting that I have a solution to much of the discipline problems within the system. Because this issue is of such great import, however, I figure I'd better go ahead and float my idea because time is of the essence.
The N&R's editorialists were in attendence Tuesday night to provide background for this morning's editorial titled "Toward safer schools". They point out that Tuesday night's discipline discussion was precipitated by the alarming fact that black students are being suspended "more than four times the rate of white students" according to this memo from Superintendent Grier. (Full report here - PDF)
The editorial mentions staff recommendations made to the board, they include: further development of school based discipline proceedures, a monthly review of discipline data, and something called a "Responsible Discipline Process (RDP)". There is no mention that it is of utmost importance to make it clear to students' parents/guardians that bad behavior will not be tolerated.
Additionally, members of the Board urged the staff to continue with "character education" initiatives such as "Win/Win" and "Communities in Schools" Also, the board wants to continue its efforts to enhance the system's "alternative school" for disruptive kids even though the county's Board of Commissioners denied the schools the money for such an initiative.
Is anything missing? Am I the only one who sees it?
By their inaction to stop the policy of school uniforms at Aycock Middle next year, our school board has given its tacit approval for the initiative. They obviously agree with the assertion that uniforms, when used as a part of other "strategies" such as the ones listed above, have been "proven" to reduce school discipline problems. Surely the Board wouldn't single out any school to be the beneficiary of an isolated experiment when they are convinced such a policy will have a strong impact on discipline.
Here is the modest proposal that I was going to present Tuesday night.
The school board should change their current policy on school attire and require all middle schools in Guilford County to adopt the Standard Mode of Dress (school uniform) policy developed for Aycock Middle School. Simply change the orange shirt option to match each school's colors.
Since the board believes that uniforms are a positive step toward enhancing school discipline, why should this policy not become... well... uniform. By requiring all middle school students to wear uniforms they will ensure that the policy's benefits are extended to all. In doing so the board will ensure that Aycock will not be stigmatized as the only middle school campus considered "bad enough" to be subjected to the measure.
If the board adopts the policy system-wide, all of Guilford County will be as thrilled as Aycock's parents, a majority of which reportedly see it as a pro-active step towards improving the learning environment at our school. The central office staff can cite the all of the irrefutable evidence that uniforms make a difference when utilized and get the policy in place before school begins in less than a month. Some of the N&R's staff is already on board and I am confident the paper will help with the publicity.
If uniforms are good enough for Aycock, they should be good enough for every other middle school in the system. Why would the School Board not enact, or at least suggest, such a non-controversial, proven and obvious step toward improving school discipline?
Some board members have told me they are reticent to wade into an issue such school uniforms because they are tired of dealing with "non-academic" and "divisive" issues. To this I ask: If school uniforms are not meant to improve academics - and is creating divisiveness at Aycock, why is implementation of the policy being allowed to move forward?
7:39:45 AM 
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