Proposal

Dress code for all Pasco County Schools
Rasmussen College

Author Note
This written assignment is being submitted on August 31, 2014 for Fran Yarger, Professional Communication course at Rasmussen College by Megan Blaise.

Table of Content Executive Summary Page 3 Purpose Page 4 Problem Page 4&5 Solution Page 6 Conclusion Page 6&7 Reference Page 8

Executive Summary
Purpose- Today education is getting harder and harder for children, teachers, and families. Children are getting bullied because of the clothes or shoes they are wearing. Now, is time to focus on each child’s education and not all the different clothes and shoes that their peers have on each day. Children go to school to learn, not to win a fashion show. The lack of dress code leads to a lack of knowledge the children are gaining.
Problem- Teachers have a difficult time doing their jobs because children are not focused on their education, due to the lack of dress code. They are too worried about what their friends are wearing. Some children are scared to go to school because of their clothes. They will get picked on by their peers. Families have a hard time affording school supplies, let alone all the cool clothes and shoes.
Solution- All children in Pasco county schools make school uniforms mandatory. It will help children fit in with their peers, and stay focused on their education. The families only have to worry about school uniform, rather than high dollar clothes. The uniform can be unique for each school by having their school color be the required shirt color, along with khaki, blue, or black pants.
Conclusion- It is time to remember why children attend school, for education. Let’s help it get back to education by eliminating the fashion show. It is time to make back to school easier on teachers, students, and their families by enforcing a dress code.

Purpose In Pasco County Florida, the public school systems have a lack of dress codes. Children are feeling like they have to fit in with their peers by wearing the cool clothes. There are other parts of Florida that have made dress codes mandatory, because it benefits everyone involved. When there is no dress code enforced, children are at high risk of getting bullied for what they are wearing. It is proven by many schools that “uniforms ease peer social pressure in school” (Taylor, 1997). It is the school boards duty to ensure that children are getting the best education possible. Pasco County schools need to have mandatory uniforms.
Problem
The children are not getting the proper education due to the lack of mandatory dress codes. Can you prevent this from happening? Yes, as the school board of Pasco County it is time to come together and support school uniforms in Pasco County. There are some children that do not even want to attend school because of what they have to wear. If the school had a dress code then, the child would feel more comfortable about attending school. “Some children come to school very consciously of what they are wearing. You are not in the group if you do not have a certain brand” (Huss, 2007). Children are getting bullied in schools that do not have a mandatory dress code, which could lead to bigger problems. The presentation done by “Courtney Shields” states how the statistics of children being bullied decreased after school uniforms were applied. It explains that children were being bullied less because of their weird clothes (2013). It is the school boards duty to make sure children feel safe, and welcomed at school. It is important to think about the families in the County that can not afford to go out and buy all the high dollar clothes and shoes. When it comes time for back to school in Pasco County with no mandatory dress code, families are concerned that they can not afford to get their child the “cool” clothes. Having a child in a Pasco County school, Chasco Middle School, it is hard to come up with all the fancy clothes along with all the school supplies. If there were a dress code, it would be much easier to manage how much money they have to spend on the clothes. The total of all the supplies that were “required” for sixth graders at Chasco Middle School was over eighty-five dollars. Then families have to spend even more money on fancy clothes, instead of just going to pick up a few outfits that follow a dress code. Children want to fit in, and as their parent we want them to fit in with their peers. “In an era where some parents seem unwilling or unable to draw the “clothes” line with their children, where pop culture influences kid’s clothing choices as never before” (Boutelle, 2008). Children are more focused on the clothes that they are wearing rather than their education. By having mandatory uniforms, the children can remember what school is all about their education. A private school in Pasco County called, Dayspring Academy the children are required to wear a dress code, unlike other like Chasco Middle School. On the Dayspring academy website it shares the statistics of “School Grades, Top Performing Schools in Pasco” (2014). The statistics show “Dayspring as the number one school, and they have higher grades in each area of learning” (2014). It is time to start helping all children focus on what they are at school to do, and that is to learn.

Solution If all the Pasco County school children were dressed in similar attire than the children can get back to focusing on their education, feel comfortable about attending school, and most important it can help prevent bullying in school. Children should all be required to wear plain black or khaki pants and a solid colored shirt that is one of their school colors. The fact that the schools are in Florida, the boys should be allowed to wear khaki or black short, and the girls can wear shorts or skirts that are to their knee. All children are required to wear solid white or black shoes. The children have selected clothes, which makes it easier on the families. “Because the style for uniforms at a given school remains the same from year to year and prices are set in advance, parents can plan for and manage school clothing costs more effectively” (Chittom, 2014). Uniforms would make back to school less stressful on the families. When children fit in with their peers, they can focus on their education at school. By requiring all children to dress similar, it will be taking away the children’s focus on what their peers are wearing. The children that usually have the “cool” clothes can now look at their peers for who they really are instead of what they are wearing. The children that could not afford the “cool” clothes can now go to school with their head held high. They will no longer get judged for their attire.
Conclusion
It is time to sit back and think about all the problems that could be solved by having a mandatory dress code. There are many facts showing how school uniforms can improve a child’s education, prevent bullying, and make it easier for everyone to fit in together. Why should families and their children have to stress about clothes and shoes, because it time for back to school? As the Pasco County school board, it is time to pass a law that requires all schools in the County have mandatory uniforms.

Reference Page
Boutelle, M. (2008). UNIFORMS: Are they a good fit?. Education Digest, 73(6), 34-37. Retrieved from, Academic Search Complete Publisher URL, http://www.eddigest.com/
Chittom, L. (2014). School uniforms: An Overview. Points Of View: School Uniforms, 1. Retrieved from, Discovery All-In-One Complete
Dayspring Academy. (2014). Academics. Retrieved from. http://dsa2000.org/about-us/academics/
Huss, J. A. (2007). The role of school uniforms in creating an academically motivating climate: Do uniforms influence teacher’s expectations? Journal of Ethnographic & Qualitative Research, 131-39. Publisher URL http://www.cederville.edu/academics/education/
Shields, Courtney. (2013). Uniforms decrease bullying. Prezi Inc. Retrieved from, http://prezi.com/of35eucwp4gh/uniforms-decrease-bullying/
Taylor, I. K. (1997). Majority of Dade schools back uniforms for students. Education Week, 16(31), 3. Retrieved from, Academic Search Complete Publisher URL, http://www.edweek.org/