Middletown parents and teachers got together Monday evening to brainstorm the possibility of requiring students to wear school uniforms.
“There are a couple different things we are doing,” Middletown school Supt. Patricia Charles said ahead of the Monday night meeting at Woodrow Wilson Middle School. “We are having a discussion tonight, then we are going around to every school and having the conversation at every school so that everyone has the opportunity to be heard.”
Charles explained in a letter to parents posted to the town Web site there are pros and cons to both possible outcomes.
Parents and teachers said Monday night that uniforms could help take the focus off image and encourage students to spend more time on academics, creating an "even playing field" among children.
On the other hand, it's not clear what the uniforms would entail and if students would still personalize them in a way that defeated the purpose. On a handwritten pro and con list, one group noted that skirts and shorts "could still be too short."
School officials have planned a series of meetings to discuss the idea. The first was held in early October and the last is set for early 2015. Parents and community members who can’t make the meetings will also have the opportunity to share their ideas by filling out a survey.
Charles said the Board of Education will examine the data and take parents’ opinions into account. They plan to make a decision in the spring and notify parents right away so they have time to plan ahead of the new school year.
