Parents weigh in on school uniforms

By Jim Cook

Published: July 22, 2008

Some local parents have differing views of a proposed uniform policy for city school students.

Marie Ford, the mother of a Cloverdale Elementary School student and a Carver Magnet School student, says she supports the idea. Ford says she thinks uniforms will be convenient for parents and will reduce friction between students from differing economic classes. She also thinks a uniform policy would improve discipline and reduce inappropriate clothing at school.

“It’s hard to bust a sag in a pair of khakis,” she said.

Not everyone in Ford’s household shares her views. According to Ford, her kids hate the idea.

Patti Muller, the parent of a Northview High School student, said she isn’t sold on the idea. According to Muller, uniforms are boring and probably wouldn’t do much to cut down on class resentment, anyway.

“I think you’re still going to have cliques, no matter what you wear,” she said.

Kim Lampkin takes a different view.

“I love the uniform idea, I really do,” she said.

Lampkin believes the uniforms will save parents money on clothing and get kids to focus less on social status and more on education.

“They won’t have time to gloat about people’s clothes,” she said.

Sharon Dickinson has a unique perspective. Before moving to Dothan, Dickinson’s children attended a school in south Louisiana that required uniforms.

Dickinson said her experience taught her that uniforms aren’t the cure-all for discipline problems that they’re portrayed to be. According to Dickinson, enforcing current dress codes would likely have the same result as a uniform policy.

“I don’t think the benefits outweigh the freedom to wear what you want,” she said.

A committee will soon begin developing a uniform policy. The city school board will likely hear a recommendation from the committee within a month and vote on that recommendation by the end of the year.