Committee Hearing, April 27, 2000

COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, April 27, 2000 2:30 p.m. - - - RESOLUTION NO. 000174 - Authorizing the City Council Committee on Education to hold hearings to examine the potential of school uniforms on students in the Philadelphia School District. PRESENT: COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED MILLER, Chair COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL, V. Chair COUNCILMAN DAVID COHEN COUNCILMAN FRANK DICICCO COUNCILMAN W. WILSON GOODE, JR. COUNCILMAN JAMES F. KENNEY COUNCILMAN ANGEL ORTIZ COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN - - - VINCENT VARALLO ASSOCIATES, INC. Registered Professional Reporters Eleven Penn Center, Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 561-2220 2 4/27/00 EDUCATION COMM. - RES. 000174 I N D E X Page Principals' Testimony Eileen Spagnola, Kearny School . . . . . . . . Dr. Adrienne Carpenter, William Cramp School 5 Angela Gilbert, Hunter School. . . . . . . . . 20 6 School Board Christine James-Brown, Chair . . . . . . . . . 38 7 School Board Education Committee 8 DA's Office Lynn Nichols, Assistant DA . . . . . . . . . . 52 9 John Delaney, Deputy DA, Juvenile Division . . 52 10 Parents Union Linda White, Executive Director. . . . . . . . 54 11 Students- Masterman School 12 James Lendmer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Stephanie Feldman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 13 Luke Donahue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Ms. Moira. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 14 Bronwen Mullin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Yacov Crawford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 15 John Diggs, Overbrook High . . . . . . . . . . 99 16 Kareem Holland, West Philadelphia High . . . . 100 17 Parents Elaine Blake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 18 Reginald Carter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Thelma Peake, Peake's Little Angels. . . . . . 115 Esther Lindsay Peake . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Barton Caine, ACLU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Ron Wilch, Clothing Designer . . . . . . . . . 129 3 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 P R O C E E D I N G S

Good afternoon. This is the public hearing for the Committee on Education. First I'd like to have the clerk read the resolution into the record.

Resolution No. 000174, authorizing the City Council Committee on Education to hold hearings to examine the potential of school uniforms on students in the Philadelphia School District.

Thank you. For purposes of the record, we have in attendance: Councilman Wilson Goode; Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown; myself, Councilwoman Donna Miller, chair of this committee; to my right is Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell and Frank DiCicco in attendance. Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown will give an opening statement.

I first want to thank my colleagues for supporting me on this measure and giving us all an opportunity to register our view on the issue of school uniforms. I would like to thank everyone for 4 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 taking the time to attend today's hearing on the potential of uniforms in the Philadelphia public schools. Mandatory school uniforms is an issue that is currently being discussed and deliberated amongst members of the Philadelphia School Board and other interested parties as a potential piece of the puzzle to make our schools safer. I know that in 1998, it was discussed. In his state of the union address, the president actually gave pitch for school uniforms. Shortly after that, the Secretary of Education, Secretary Rollin, sent out to every school district in the nation a pamphlet on school uniforms. With the ever-increasing episodes of rape and assault in our schools, it is the responsibility of those who represent the citizens of our city to look at, talk through, and investigate methods to increase the safety of our public school students. I am under no illusion that school uniforms are the answer to all of the problems that our children encounter every day, I am under no illusion that school uniforms are the silver 5 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 bullet. However, I do believe that uniforms may provide an important piece of the puzzle, an overly strategy to increase level of safety in our school halls and classrooms. For example, in the City of Long Beach, California, 58,500 elementary and middle school students are under a uniform policy. In the first year after the policy was implemented in 1994, overall school crime decreased 36 percent, fights decreased 51 percent, sex offenses decreased 74 percent, weapons offenses decreased 50 percent, assault and battery offenses decreased 34 percent, and vandalism decreased percent. 15 Our School Board, if they implement a 16 uniform policy, also has numerous issues to 17 tackle. Do they put them in many or all schools, 18 or do they start them just in early grades? Should there be system-side uniforms, or should different schools develop their own uniform standards? Will there be uniforms or dress code standards. To make an educated and informed decision, our school board needs to hear all sides of the issue from all stakeholders who care. The 6 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 purpose of our hearings today is simply to gather information. Let us repeat, we are here simply to gather information. Then everything that we hear today will be forwarded to the School Boards to help them in their efforts to make the best decision for the 213,000 unique young people that attend our schools. We have students that are on our witnesses list today, and parents, principles, City and School District representatives who are ready to testify as well, and we also have representatives from the District Attorneys's Office. We are confident that everyone has something important to share on this issue, and we look forward to hearing your testimony. Again, thank you all for coming. And there's one housekeeping procedural matter. For those of you who were able to RSVP in advance today, please see my aide Toni Hester after you finish your testimony so that we can personally say thank you. Thank you very much Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councilwoman. 7 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 Also joining us today is Councilman Jim Kenny. And I also personally want to thank everyone. We will begin the testimony now with principals. Is there anyone else from the committee that wants to make a statement?

Yes, Madam Chair.

Councilwoman Blackwell?

Thank you very much. I am very, very happy to be here to again talk about school uniforms. We would like to note that Council has been very diligent on this issue. I hold up a final report that was adopted by Council from December 17, 1992. One of the recommendations was school uniforms, and in fact, one of the people who personally suggested that we do that at that time was Mary Mason, who is still talking about school uniforms. We began a hearing dealing with school violence, which was the subject of those hearings. Councilman DeBeary 8 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 cochaired that hearing during those days. And I'd like to just share a real short poem with you now, called "Youth 1992." "Beneath the willows of despair, weeping and wailing like nobody cares, with angry eyes and outstretched arms, our youth, our light, our brand-new dawn. Let's teach them now where they belong, to find their place, grow big and strong 'till all we see are warm and bright smiling faces that know no night. Just endless joy and boundless hope, for we are caretakers of the rope that binds us all and keeps us free and lets us know what we can be. If love and work join hand in hand and we, the keepers of the land, can make it change and do our part, create new dreams and fill some hearts, Then we will proudly stand so tall, commend the Board, parents, teachers all, and bid you come again next year, not to rid the world of guns and fear, but to celebrate a brand-new day, 9 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 where children learn and jump and play like God intended when man was made. So we thank you. We wrote this way back in 1992. The times were different then but we hold that there it's still true that there's too much violence in school, and school uniforms is one of the ways to ameliorate some of the problems that are plaguing children every day and children in public schools, something which we are all absolutely committed to working on solving. I close with saying that we have 60 to 80 bills and resolutions that this Council has heard since 1997, and we can make this available, copies available on all the issues that we have heard dealing with how we can make schools better and how we educate our youth. There's everything here from school violence to Ritalin to see- through book bags. You name it, we've talked about in City Council, because as a Council, we have always been committed to education and we are glad that the time has come where it's at least acceptable to talk about it. In the early days when you talked about anything in public education but passing the 10 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 budget, which the Charter allows us to do, it was considered tabu, but we've finally reached a point where our schools are in such trouble now that it is acceptable that we have open discussions. For that, we are grateful. So I certainly thank the Chair of this committee, the sponsors of this bill, and we are sure that as a Council, you can be proud of the commitment that we have and you can be assured that we're doing our part to improve education in our city. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman Blackwell.

Certainly.

We are also being joined in the chambers by Councilman Ortiz. Okay, let's start with the first group of witnesses, and they are the principals from the Kearney School, William Cramp School, and Hunter School. They are: Ellen Spagnola, Dr. Adrienne Carpenter, and Angela Gilbert. So we'll move forward. And who's going first, Miss Spagnola? 11 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2

Sure.

Okay. Thank you and welcome to City Council.

Thank you. I just want to say good afternoon. And my name is Eileen Spagnola, and I'm the principal at Kearny Elementary School at Sixth and Fairmount Avenue. At Kearny Academics Plus, in the last four years, the suspension rate has dropped, test scores have improved, enrollment has increased, and a calm, safe feeling is evident throughout the building. All of our 400 students in grades kindergarten through 5th grade wear uniforms: a simple color scheme of light blue and dark blue that is affordable for all of our parents. The students where light-blue tops and navy-blue bottoms. They can select T-shirts, button-down shirts or blouses, polo shirts, skirts, jumpers, and even shorts in the warmer weather -- as long as it follows our color scheme. The parents and staff strongly believe that uniforms have made the difference. Since we felt in our hearts that our focus at Kearny should be more on education, we eliminated the 12 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 competition with trendy clothes and put the competition on academics. Now our students focus more on math, reading, and problem-solving rather than worrying if they fit in with the crowd or if their family can afford designer clothes. Teasing has been eliminated. No parents refused to have their child in uniform. In fact, the uniform policy at Kearny has attracted an influx of new students from the surrounding neighborhoods. Enrollment has increased from 320 to 410 students within one year. The parents love the idea of uniforms. Parents have bought into the program 100 percent and many feel that uniforms save them money over the course of school year. Because the uniform is basically a color scheme, parents can purchase the clothing just about anywhere in a price range that is affordable to them. Individuality can also be addressed since the students have the option of wearing a variety of styles, as long as the color scheme is followed. The students feel comfortable in their uniforms and take pride in the fact that they 13 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 "feel smarter," or, as Cornell Woods, a 5th-grader, stated: "I know people are judging me on my character, not on the trendy clothes I wear." Jasmine Phifer, another 5th-grader stated that uniforms eliminated students from wearing inappropriate clothing, clothes that were too provocative for school. "I love wearing my uniform, and I get dressed faster in the morning because I know what I have to wear." Because of our goal to reach 100 percent participation, the staff at Kearny opted to voluntarily wear the same color scheme as the students. We felt it was important to be role models and maintain some type of consistency. All our staff at Kearny look very professional as uniforms set the tone of the school as a learning institution. Also, before uniforms were incorporated into the school policy, about percent of the 21 student body would be suspended at least once 22 during the school year. Over the last few years, 23 fighting has stopped, disrespectfulness has 24 dwindled, and the suspension rate dropped down to 25 a mere 5 percent. 14 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 Over the last few years, Kearny School has been among those schools showing the most improvement in the District's performance index, including standardized test scores, attendance rates, and promotion rates. We are far ahead of the schedule to meet our district's 12-year achievement level. Besides myself, our parents and staff strongly believe that school uniforms has been one of the important factors in Kearny's success. Right there is a poster about an article that they did in the Inquirer about our school. Some of the examples show different types of clothing the children wear. Like I mentioned in my testimony, it's just a matter of a color scheme. We found that to be more affordable for the parents. And then the issue of individuality is addressed because they can wear something of their own choosing, as long as it follows a color scheme. Thank you.

Thank you. Great. I guess our procedure will be to let 15 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 the whole panel do their presentation and then ask questions afterwards. However, we're going to just not go by the procedure at this time because Councilman Frank Rizzo has a question/statement to make. Since he has to leave, we'll allow him to do that at this time. Councilman Rizzo?.

Thank you, Madam Chair, for that courtesy. Miss Spagnola, thank you. I've talked to a lot of people about this issue, and the word "uniform" seems to turn a lot of people off. Now, what you described to me isn't a uniform; what you described to me is more of a dress code, which would be a better term, I think. If you can speak into the mike, don't you think it might be a bit better if we move forward on the issue and referred to a "dress code" rather than a "uniform"?

Well, what has happened is, I set it up as a dress code, but the parents themselves have taken the option of moving into uniforms. The boys and the girls in the picture are wearing standardized jumpers, pants, and little ties. So the parents themselves are the 16 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 ones that moved into uniforms. So we adopted the concept of a uniform. I put it in place four years ago using a color scheme, thinking I could cover those issues of affordability and individuality, and it was the parents themselves who moved into the direction of making it a uniform policy.

But you initially introduced it as a dress code.

No, I used the word "uniform," but I allow flexibility with that term.

Again, I appreciate that. Again, many people I've had discussions with don't understand exactly what we mean by the word "uniform." I mean, "dress code" and "a uniform" are quite different.

I think it can be interpreted in a broader sense at our school than the way other schools might interpret it. The word "uniform" in our students' parents minds is more of a color scheme. We decided that everyone should basically look the same when you come into the building. And when I say "the same," I mean 17 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 dressed appropriately and in the same color scheme. So that's how we moved into the direction of the word "school uniform."

Thank you. Again, I just wanted to get that out very early on in the discussion because some people, I don't think, would be resistant to a dress code, but some people -- again, there are letters and calls that I've received showing some people are just resistant to what they think is a uniform.

When my initial letter went out, in my one last comment, I did use the word "uniform," but there's been very little resistance from our community parents, but I do understand what you're saying also.

Thank you. And thank you for that courtesy, Madam Chair.

Okay. The next witness is Dr. Adrienne Carpenter from William Cramp School.

Before starting, if I could share something with you. First, my name is Adrienne Carpenter. 18 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 I'm the principal of William Cramp School, and the William Cramp School is proud of its status as a uniform school. The school is located in the Kensington area, in the Edison Cluster, at Howard and Ontario Streets. Our girls dress for success each day in their blue jumpers, white blouses, and dark socks and dark shoes. Our boys wear dark- blue pants, white shirts, and dark shoes. Both girls and boys wear the red power tie. (Dr. Carpenter holds up red tie.)

Okay, it just accents their uniform. Our uniform program has met with success among both the parents and students. Our students are easily recognized in the community as William Cramp consume students. Identification and safety are an important part of using the uniforms at the William Cramp School. Affordability and availability of materials make it an easy choice for parents in preparing for their children's school clothing. One of the 2nd-grade students at the William Cramp School, Ariel Monte, wrote a small essay. He says: "I like to wear my uniform 19 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 because my mom saves money on school clothes. It makes me feel good about myself. The power tie makes me read and write." So he's very happy with wearing his uniform. The school uniform contributes to the positive school climate, the team spirit, and the focus on learning and teaching. Students are less competitive over wearing brand-name clothes and sneakers. Uniforms have added to our school's positive school climate. The uniform school plan will certainly be continued the coming year at the Cramp School. At the William Cramp School, we say "yes" to uniforms. And I brought to you this afternoon a sample of the uniforms that our girls are wearing. (Dr. Carpenter holds up uniform.)

This is very easy to take care of. You have the light-colored blouse and, again, the illustrious red power tie. The boys also wear a light shirt and dark pants and, again, the red power tie. So we are very proud of our school and our uniform program. Thank you. 20 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2

Madam Chair, I think that Councilman Cohen got the message. He has on his red power tie too,. (Laughter.)

All right, thank you. The next witness is Angela Gilbert from the Hunter School.

I am Angela Gilbert from Hunter and I might add, Councilman Ortiz, that we're located in North Philadelphia, and we were new to the implementation of a uniform policy last September at our school. So we're in the unique position of hopefully moving towards implementing a policy of school uniforms. My colleagues at Hunter School, from the administration to the teachers to the parents, we all recognize the benefits of implementing the uniform policy as we feel it increases school pride, brings a sense of community, increases safety, decreases disruptions, and so on. I think Hunter is unique in that we do not have significant problems with violent outbursts or a lack of community, but what 21 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 uniforms have done for Hunter School is enhance a very positive program that was already in place. I don't think that we always need to approach the uniform philosophy from the point of view that you need to improve some bad situation but, rather, enhance good ones. And I think that is what exactly happened at Hunter Schools with the uniform policy. And I don't think a uniform stifles creativity at all. The creativity of the students at Hunter School comes through their personalities, their ability to read and do math at high levels, and their ability to speak and be individuals. Even when they're dressed the same when we leave the building, which we do quite often, going out in uniform has a powerful impact on the way that the residents and the business people in Philadelphia react to our students. Students often get a bad rap in Philadelphia. I don't have anything but positive things to say about a uniform policy and I think parents are open to it. As we started out at Hunter School, we allowed flexibility -- we allowed skirts or jumpers, and the boys had to 22 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 wear blue pants, but sometimes came in in jeans. But the fact is, they got the message, they got the idea. And it was pleasing to us and so we built on that and supported that. So we say yes to uniforms, yes to uniforms.

I have a question. What percentage -- anybody can answer this. What percentage of children wear uniforms? You start it in September, you say?

Yes, I can answer you. This is what happened. What we did over the summer was, I had parents and volunteers call every family to tell them not to forget the uniform policy. I had them describe it, tell them where they could purchase them, gave them the flexibility about where to purchase. On the first day of school in September at Hunter School, every single child was in uniform, and we were able to maintain a high level of conformity through about December. I have to admit that after December, we did start to drop off on the uniform rate, but it's a work in progress. 23 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 I was talking to Dr. Carpenter about how to maintain high levels of children attending school in uniform and am very optimistic. I also talked to parents to get feedback. I think an important piece of making uniforms work is talking to parents and asking children, What makes you wear them? What makes you not? How can we help, how can we make the situation better for you? and so on. There's a great example there of a group students in the Puerto Rican Day Parade in uniform. (Ms. Gilbert displays large photo.)

We tell them, when you leave the school, you go out and represent Hunter in uniform. And to answer your question, every time we leave the building on a field trip, it's 100 percent but in the building, the range is between 50 and 70 percent at this point.

At Cramp, it's 100 percent on a daily basis. And like the Hunter School, when we leave our building, our students dress to represent our school district as well as our school. We're dressed so that everyone can 24 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 see our uniform to see how successful we are. And indeed, the children are so very happy when they're dressed in their red ties, white shirts, and jumpers. And the uniforms also work for identification purposes as well as for safety purposes. The teachers say it's a generally a big plus when going to areas like the Franklin Institute or for the theaters. Again, our children receive accolades because they can be recognized as William Cramp School's children adhering to our policies. Their uniforms represent the school as well as the School District, and they can identify us for the great things that we do.

Kearny School at this point is at 100 percent. We worked on that for four years. In the first year, it was similar to the Hunter School, where there was an average of 50 percent, and we increased it through incentives and working with parents. It's expected now that when the children do start in September, they will wear a uniform every day. Like I mentioned before, we started it 25 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 out as simply a color scheme and it's now moved into actual uniform. When my children were out playing in the school yard one day, a parent did came in from the neighborhood and asked my secretary how much the tuition was to attend Kearny School, so I would have been able to make a little bit of money there, but unfortunately, I couldn't take advantage of it because it's a public school.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenny.

Thank you, Madam Chair. At the outset, let me say that it's a pleasure to see young, enthusiastic, intelligent women who are running our schools. I think, in addition to uniforms, I think what your kids have going for them is you, 'cause if you look at that level of management with either principals or captains of police district, parents, pastors priests, rabbis, they're where the rudder meets the road, and if you're showing that kind of enthusiasm every day in school, that's great. It's a real pleasure having you all testify here /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 before us. I am not a product of the public school system, but of a uniform policy, and I have always found -- echoing many things said here today -- uniforms to provide consistency and a lack of competition among students. There's a lack of competition on silly things like what the students are wearing. I mean, I always felt that sneakers were for play and shoes and uniforms were appropriate dress for learning, for work. And not to criticize any of what's been going on in the past, but I think what you're explaining to us today is the enthusiasm you feel among your student body, your parents and staff, which really does speak volumes as to why we should be moving in that direction. And I think one of the most important things for this project is one of cost. When I look at my 10-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter -- and they are in uniform for parochial school every day -- to think about my 6-year-old daughter having to identify what to wear every day or fighting with my wife about it -- my son doesn't care as much about what he wears, but to think 27 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 about what my daughter would be like every single morning going through her closet to figure out what's appropriate for her friends to see her wear and for her to be seen in, it would be such a distraction and such a waste of energy. Now all she has to do is get up in the morning, jump into a maroon jumper and stockings -- she'd rather wear stockings than socks, but there's no thought about what she's wearing in the morning, no doubt about what my son is putting on in the morning. I really do commend your attitude and resourcefulness and enthusiasm in moving forward with this. And I agree that it won't solve every problem, but it just takes away one of the obstacles, one of the distractions. I also commend you for being here today, and good luck in the future with all the kids. And every one of you said "my kids," which is really nice to hear. Thank you.

I just wanted to add. As I listened to this gentleman speak how easy it is in the morning when the children already know that they're wearing a uniform, we instituted -- in 28 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 order to BE role models for the students, Monday was designated as Uniform Day for adults, and I can't tell you how happy I am on Monday mornings when it's not what suit I am wearing, but I get to simply put on my Hunter T-shirt and wear my Hunter pants, hoping I don't have a meeting because I want to wear my uniform. So if you come to Hunter School on a Monday, you will see all the adults modeling literally some Hunter paraphernalia. It's very effective for the children to see it on the adults as well.

Good afternoon. I first want to echo Councilman Kenney's comments about how encouraging it is to see such leadership in our schools where, I am sure, it's more the norm than what regrettably is reported in the press so often. I was a teacher earlier in my career, and I agree with you completely. The leadership at the school really sets the tone. You've already answered a couple questions I had prepared when you spoke favorably of the positive changes you're seeing as a result of that kind of reform. I need you to speak now to, can students opt out? It sounds like you've 29 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 put incentives in place to inspire and encourage them in the direction that you wanted them to be. Is that a fair characterization?

Yes.

What was the reaction of the school when the policy was first implemented, the initial reaction? That becomes telling in terms of what we can anticipate with school students that may be in this same circumstance later.

Now, once again, I'm dealing with elementary. I don't know about middle school or high school students where the issues might be totally different. But the children in elementary, K to 5, they were very receptive. And I guess the first year we had a large percentage, 60 percent, following our policy. And over the years, it's increased to 100 percent. And the children, if you do come to our school and interview them, you will find that they enjoy wearing the uniforms because of the fact that it eliminates a lot of problems that they're uncomfortable in dealing with during the course of 30 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 the day. They also see a difference in the school. There's less fighting, less teasing, and they feel more safe and comfortable because of the fact that children are wearing uniforms. So they've accepted it very easily.

I'd like to echo that that was the same response at the William Cramp School, and one of the issues that the children recognize when they wear uniforms is that they constantly feel safer. They'll tell you, "I don't feel as though someone is taking anything away from me. It makes me feel more comfortable. People don't tease me." The competition is almost eliminated. In terms of supporting each other, the uniforms as a whole, as a whole, they promote the safety program that we have at the school.

Again, much the same at our school, even though we didn't have a lot of those kinds of problems. I'm not implying that the other schools did, but I think this is a different perspective. We weren't looking for uniforms to fix anything but rather to enhance what we already had. I feel like the children 31 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 were receptive because we already had a sense of community going with them, and now this is -- we're even more uniform now, we're even more together now that we're in uniform. And adults, including myself, played a big part in that you. If you want to see an Academy Award performance, when a child is walking to me in a uniform, I'll say, "My goodness, look how good you look in that uniform, you're gorgeous and smart." It's probably this attitude about uniforms at Hunter that made the children and parents receptive and teachers as well.

My final question. For there to be a success, as with any type of initiative, parents are the center at every level, so would you share with us briefly the role of parents. Were there expectations that you shared with parents? How did you make it exceedingly clear that it was a preferred option, or a requirement versus an option? Would you speak to that, please.

At the William Cramp School, it was important to us that before we went into the actual implementation of the uniform 32 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 policy, a year in advance of that, we worked with the parents, worked with the community and we listened to the children's concerns also. What does that mean? We met with our Home and School council, we met with our School Council, we met with vendors, and we listened to every side possible. And we had to make our meetings so that they were available to parents who worked in the evening, parents who worked midday, parents who didn't get home until later in the day. So we had a series of meetings so that we could establish, one, what would be the goals of our program, the buy-in of the parents, the concern from the parents, and also the vendors too, because that's something that you have to consider. So laying the groundwork and making the foundation helped us to get where we are today.

And I agree with Adrienne in the fact that we had our parents involved from the very beginning. We started small, with a gym uniform, five years ago, where I wanted just to get a feel of how cooperative the parents would be moving into gym uniform, a simple 33 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 thing like that. We did surveys, we talked, we had parents at several meetings. We also communicated with them over the summer, letting them know that indeed, this is the way we were going for September. And the parents could call at anytime. We also had a day when we had a uniform manufacturer or retail store in with uniforms who could be accessible to parents if indeed they wanted to purchase uniforms. So there was a lot of communication between my staff, Home and School Council, and our parents.

We pretty much followed that same process at Hunter -- working with the vendors, meeting with parents over the course of the year, and we even had a day where we had the vendor come into the school and take the children's measurements and take their orders, then return the product to the school so that the parents didn't even have to shop initially.

I have question. Briefly, does your uniform policy include shoes, yes or no? And also -- well, I have a daughter that also went to school that had uniforms. 34 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 That's Fitler and that school goes from 1 to 8. They also had a no-sneaker policy, so I just wanted to hear what you had.

At the William Cramp School, if I can stand and show you what our children wear. Our girls wear the white shirt, red tie, jumper. And notice, no sneakers, no 9 sneakers. Dressing for success means no sneakers -- not that successful people don't wear sneakers. But at the William Cramp School, they wear shoes and they wear tights, leggings, which also helps, again, keep down the high cost of sneakers. And the polyester jumper is only $10, $15, so it's really affordable.

Thank you,. Councilman David Cohen and then Councilman Ortiz.

In my days, which were a little while ago, uniforms were associated with militaristic notions and hard discipline, with conformity, with a denial of creativity, with a denial of the right of the human being to assert himself or herself in any way. But it was an element of conformity and there was great 35 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 opposition to it, and I think opposition to it might still exist in certain areas where these are associations. I note that in all of your presentations, you emphasized the creative aspects. One school testified to the wide variety of choices people have. And I note that you seem to be working to have the students understand that this is a positive, not a negative thing and is a rejection of all of the ways in which I characterize it in the days we knew it. I think you're to be commended because that's the only way we can succeed, because I think youngsters today are going to be just as independent, just as creative as they've always been, and if there is to be uniforms, I think it's got to be presented in the kind of positive way that you have presented it, because there are these positive aspects that you're all testifying to. And I think people have got to understand that we're not trying to put youngsters into a box and make them, you know, march rather than walk. They've got to be free to exercise not 36 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 only their bodies but their minds if they're going to achieve the goals, and we'd like all of our youngsters to achieve. So I commend and congratulate the three of you very strongly for the way in which you carried this out. You gave me a new insight and I thank you for that. Thank you.

Councilman Ortiz?

Thank you, Madam Chair. Schools are very familiar to me. I have adopted Hunter and we participate -- I go to Cramp for reading days. And Kearny is up, in terms of discussion, in my house right now because Omar is graduating from kindergarten and Kearny is down the block from where I live, and his sister goes to another school. The discussion in the house is whether he goes to Kearny or where his sister goes to school. But Hunter and Cramp I know very specifically. I'm acquainted with the kids from the school. If you see that, then you see the inside of the schools and you compare the outside 37 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 with the inside, it's like a whole different universe. And Hunter is such a school because it's close to 100 years old and has no real lunchroom, has no real gym, but Hunter will be moving into a real, real school very soon, in two years, I think, right? But if you can see kids who are being taught in classics and learning and happy, I mean, you go to any other schools of the three schools there represented, I think the uniforms is an enhancement. So if Omar goes to Kearny or not is something that we're looking forward to. I think you see examples of poverty in neighborhoods where the people are not middle- class, where the people are, in terms of economic levels, are not up to doing and being educated. Education can take place; it's just the atmosphere that we set for the kids. I think the biggest thing about all preschools is that they have set an ambience, an environment of respect for the kids. That is, it begins with every kid that enters into those schools is respected, and I think we've got to establish that first before you can begin to learn, and I think you have it. They 38 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 had it before the uniforms were in and they have continued it, and it enhances it. I congratulate all three of you, my friends.

Thank you, Councilman Ortiz and I want to thank you. Is there anything else the three principals they want to add? Any questions of these witnesses from anyone on the committee? (No further questions.)

Thank you for testifying. Next we will have testimony from the School Board, Christine James-Brown, Chair of the School Board Education Comittee. (Break taken.) - - - (Proceedings resume.)

Okay, the Education Comittee can begin again, the stenographer is fine. Testifying next is Miss Brown and any other representatives of the school board. 39 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2

I'm Christine James-Brown, and I'm a School Board Member and Chair of the Education Comittee assigned to the responsibility of addressing the uniform issue. I'm joined today by -- all of us are really here just to listen. I'm joined by Vice President Dr. Rush and by Board Member (unintelligible) and by Helen Cunningham, Board Member. I want thank all of you for your willingness, first of all, and for your commitment to Philadelphia education. Over the years, you have been very helpful to us as we try to improve the quality of education for our children. I also want to thank you in particular little bit selfishly for conducting these hearings today to help us make what we think is a very important decision. We are primarily here today to listen. I will be here throughout the hearings, while the rest of us will be in and out as schedules allow. I do think it's important for me to make a few comments about where we are in the process and what we have learned to date. I will just briefly review the current policies pertaining to uniforms because I think there is 40 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 some confusion between uniforms and uniform colors, and I'll address that. I also want to talk about current uniform facts, how many of our schools currently are using uniforms as a policy and how those policies are going. I also want to talk about what the District has heard to date. We have had one hearing so far and one Education Comittee meeting where students attended, so we have heard things to share with you. I will also discuss the key issues that the District needs to address moving forward and naturally ask you for your input with respect to whether or not we are identifying the right issues. I will also talk about the next steps for the District. And if we have time, I will also briefly review the results of the National Association of Elementary School Principals Uniform Survey, which was conducted in 1998. If we don't have time, you have a summary of it in front of you in writing, so we just have that there for you in your review. 41 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 Let me start with the current policies pertaining to uniforms and say that in June of 1996, we did put in place a dress code and uniform program. And let me use this as an opportunity to clarify one thing. There is a dress code in our schools which basically describes the appropriate clothing for youngsters to wear, and in many situations, it covers the types of things that are not allowed, like short skirts, tank tops, etc. That's the dress code. In addition to that, there are two types of uniforms that we talk about under one banner of uniform. The first type is the more traditional type, which is a manufactured formal traditional uniform -- jumpers, pants, plaid skirts, for example, with school emblems that, type of thing. This type of attire is usually acquired from one vendor, which is what we most often think about as a uniform. The second thing that is also described as a uniform, but which is very different, is dressing in a uniform style. For example, white button-down shirts or turtleneck tops, and navy pants. So it's really more of a color scheme and 42 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 described as distinct from formal uniforms. Then you simply have a dress code which just describes what's presentable and what is not, as opposed to a uniform, which is usually purchased from a vendor. So those are the three things that we really try to balance as we think about this issue. Right now, in response to public interest and media discussions, in 1996, we conducted an extensive review of what to put in place, be it a system-wide dress code and/or uniform program. An ad hoc committee convened, composed of various stakeholders interested in this topic, including parents, the PFT, administrators, staff. The survey conducted was at that time, which was '95-'96, showed a very, very strong support for a dress code. And in fact, at that point in time, there was considerable support for uniforms.

Under state law at that time, uniforms had to be voluntary, but you could have a mandatory dress code. The committee, therefore, recommended a strong dress code. And with respect to uniforms, 43 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 these are the -- this is what they laid out with respect to uniforms: The decision about whether to adopt a uniform should remain at the school level. In order for a uniform policy to be implemented, 65 percent of the total student body had to commit to wearing uniforms on a voluntary basis. Schools had the option of using school colors as an example, and the cluster leader and School Council would be responsible for coordinating the uniform policy. And the policy required that a provision be in place to deal with parents and families that cannot afford to buy whatever was the required uniform at that time. In addition to that, in addition to those recommended standards, there was a plan at the time developed for publicizing and implementing a dress code and uniforms. In 1998, there was a change in the public school code which was made as a result of Act 46, which is dress school law and concerns uniforms, that the law now empowers us locally to adopt a code on a school-by-school basis. As a result of that change in the public school code made by Act, 46 we do have the opportunity in the School District 44 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 to have a uniform school program. Let me talk a little bit about where we are right now. A number of schools have decided to go with the school uniform policy, and in fact, compliance varies from as little as percent of 7 the students showing up in uniforms on a daily 8 basis to 92 percent. You heard in the testimony 9 earlier that the level of one school was at 100 10 percent. When you look at the average across the board, it's really about 92 percent compliance throughout the year. The most frequent approach used is the school designing a set color scheme or a style scheme, rather than going to a vendor and saying, We all want to wear plaids, white tops, etc. That way, the implementation is easier. We find that compliance to the policy is better in elementary grades and less an issue among students in kindergarten through sixth grade than you would at the high school level, which, I guess, should not be a surprise in terms of what we've heard today. It's absolutely essential to have students and parents buy into and feel involved in 45 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 what type of uniform policy that is being implemented. Issues of constitutional rights, freedom of expression religious rights, health issues, all need to be considered by us as we move forward, in particular as it relates to when you allow a student to opt out and on what basis and through what process you allow a student to opt out. We've also learned that there are some very, very successful uniform programs in other communities, and we just received information today about uniform programs in a number of main cities, and I'll just pick out a couple to comment on today. In Boston, where there are 129 schools, about 123 of the 129 schools participated in the uniform program. In 23, it was actually required that you wear the uniforms. In 54, it's optional, and in 46, they do not require any special kind of dress code, but we'll look at that in a minute. In Chicago, there are 401 elementary schools and 32 high schools and 9 middle schools that have mandatory uniform policies, and out of the 430,000 students, 414,180 of them wear uniforms on a 46 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 regular basis. So that's just an example of a couple of urban school districts. I'll leave this information for you if you want it. Let me just talk about the key issues that the Board is going to look at and then the timetable that we have decided to impose upon ourselves: The first decision we have to make is whether or not we are going to have a uniform program.

And if in fact the decision is yes, we should have a uniform program, and there are a series of subdecisions that we have to make. The first one has to do with how to implement it and when to implement, whether it should be implemented in the fall of this year, the fall of next year, in the spring. There are a number of options that we have for how and when it should be implemented. Who should participate and how that should be phased in should start at the elementary school level, and then every year, add another grade, moving forward until we have all of the students in the District participating. We have to think about that. Another issue is, should it 47 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 be system-wide or school by school, and decisions have to be made with respect to the type of uniform, the type of scheme and type of color. So the whole implementation plan has to be carried out. Another matter to be considered is how much flexibility will be allowed. In New York City, they say they have a mandatory uniform code, but there are all kinds of ways that people can opt out, for all kinds of reasons. And if it ends up being optional, we have to look at that closely and make decisions on what basis schools can opt out or families can opt out. All of that has to be studied under the banner of flexibility. And then, how will it be monitored across the District and who will monitor it and what will the consequences be of schools not participating in the right way. In other words, what will the consequence be if there's lack of compliance on the other side. Incentives become part of the success stories. If the school or students aren't fully complying, little incentives could be offered, like T-shirts that students get or an opportunity 48 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 to dress down or pencils that they get for compliance. We also have to actually look at the implementation guidelines for the individual schools if we decide the schools in fact will implement the uniform policy, and we need to consider the process required for a school to go through and make that happen. For example, we'd like to see them involve parents and involve students in the decision around colors. The Board really has to take responsibility for coming up with guidelines on how to implement the guidelines on a school-by-school basis uniform policy. The next Education Comittee meeting is May 2nd at noon. At that point in time, we will discuss the issues outlined and any others that come up through today's process and from any other sources of information that we have. The Education Comittee expects to make a decision as to what kind of recommendation to send to the full School Board for voting on May 8th. After that, of course, it will continue to be the responsibility of the Board to carefully monitor and make sure that the policy is implemented in a 49 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 correct way. Do you want me to go over some of the findings of the survey? Or I could move to questions rather than -- no?

You could go to the summary.

While I stop for a minute, if the Chair of the School Board wants to join his colleagues at the table, please feel welcome. (Pedro Ramos comes forward.)

We're having two separate meetings at the same table so we're not in violation of the sunshine law. It's a public meeting so we're okay. Do you want me to go over the findings?

You can go over some of the findings, yes. I just want to know how you're going to make a decision by May 2nd.

We feel it's important to make a decision by May 2nd because if we're going to have the schools go through some kind of a process, they need to go through it and 50 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 implement it in September or in the spring of the year, so we want to be fair to the schools and give them enough lead time. We think it's an issue where there are strong feelings on either side and that as a board, we ultimately have to listen carefully in fairness to the schools and give them ample opportunity time to do the implementation in the right way. I think the implementation and how it's handled is critical to the success of the policy. But we do recognize that it's a very ambitious timetable.

I'd like to know at your hearing on Monday afternoon, who was there to oppose school uniforms? Were there any people there to oppose?

Actually, I don't think there was anyone there to support it.

I don't think there's anybody here in opposition to it. Oh, okay, there are a couple in the back, okay, all right.

They have been with us and I think the issue has to do with 51 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 constitutional rights and freedom of expression. Those are the kind of issues we heard in terms of opposition. The other point of opposition that we heard has to do with uniforms not solving the academic problems of schools. I think it's important for you to know that as a board, that's not what we're thinking is the case here. We understand uniforms can address issues of school pride, safety, and can also kind of even things out with respect to income but that it's not the bullet point that will solve the educational problems of our students.

Does anyone else from the Board have anything to add? (No response.)

Okay, thank you.

Thank you we are here to listen and well be here.

Okay, thank you. Next we'll have the two representatives from the D.A.'s Office. (Witnesses come forward.)

Again, when you 52 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 come to the table, don't forget to state your name for the record.

Good afternoon. My name is Lynn Nichols L-Y-N-N, N-I-C-H-O-L-S. I'm the Assistant District Attorney.

I'm John Delaney D-E-L-A-N-E-Y, Deputy District Attorney for the Juvenile Division.

Do you have testimony?

Yes, Madam Chair. To the honorable members of City Council, my name is Assistant District Attorney Lynn Nichols for the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. I'm here today as a result of your invitation to District Attorney Lynne Abraham. Unfortunately, Miss Abraham couldn't be here today, but she would like me to thank your for the invitation to testify before Council. Regarding uniforms, the District Attorney is very supportive of bringing this issue to light and discussion, and she believes that the issue of school uniforms is one that deserves thoughtful consideration like the kind it's 53 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 receiving today from both proponents and opponents. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Mr. Delaney, are you here to testify?

No. The District Attorney hasn't reached a decision on this issue but asked us to come in her place in the event Members of Council had questions related to this which Miss Nichols and I might be able to answer them.

Okay. Do you have any statistics that would state that -- would say whether schools where children are in uniforms have had fewer fights or acts of violence?

No, ma'am.

Okay.

Please allow me to ask a follow-up. In those schools where the District Attorney's Office has a presence, particularly 54 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 through the truancy project, have you had any experiences where the presence of the D.A.'s Office is in schools that have school uniform policies?

I can answer that question.

Thank you.

I am currently located in the William Penn cluster and I am currently involved in schools who do have school uniform policies.

Okay, thank you very much.

You're welcome.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Okay. Our next representative is from the Parents Union. I believe we have a Linda White, who is the Executive Director. And is there anyone else Ms. White wants to bring up? Just you? Okay.

Good afternoon.

Welcome. 55 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2

Thank you. Good afternoon Councilmembers. I am Linda White, the Executive Director of the Parents Union of Public Schools in Philadelphia. I want to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to speak today in support of school uniforms. The Parents Union supports school uniforms for Philadelphia's public school students for a number of reasons. The first is that we believe uniforms prepare students for the world they will enter upon graduation. When we as adults have jobs, we're expected to wear certain types of clothes. For example, business people wear suits and ties -- we're all here wearing suits and ties today -- medical professionals wear lab coats and scrubs. And our uniforms are considered a part of the right equipment for the job. And for students, their job right now is to learn, and wearing uniforms will put them in the right frame of mind, and it will separate learning activities from leisure activities. Another reason we support uniforms is that they help hide class distinctions and puts students from different socioeconomic levels on a 56 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 more equal footing. Students will no longer be comparing the "haves" and the "have-nots" in terms of designer and other expensive clothing, which is something that was mentioned in earlier testimony. And there will be no more teasing about who doesn't have money to buy the latest styles, eliminating the negative worrying about who's wearing what. Instead, students can concentrate on their school work. Another reason is that uniforms also are far more practical from the point of family economics. It's much less expensive for most parents to provide five days' worth of uniforms apparel than it is to provide an entire wardrobe subject that is to the whims of fashion as well as to the reality of growing bodies. Uniforms can have a significant impact on school safety. They make it easy to know who does and does not belong in the school. And security programs can be tightened as a result of that. And decreases in fighting and theft of expensive clothing will also decrease. School uniforms increase school pride and self-esteem. And in some recent surveys in 57 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 several schools in the School District that have uniform programs, it's been reported that children are more focused and that there are fewer problems at recess. Students also report that they feel better about their schools when they're in the uniforms. So think about it. Why do people still dress up go to weddings and to go to funerals? Because of the dignity of the occasion and to show respect for those who are being honored. Why does a business woman wear her best suit on a day of a big presentation? Because it reinforces her self-esteem and helps her to put her best foot forward. Today's youth are at a disadvantage growing up in a society that increasingly does not want to get dressed up for anything. In the past, young people learned what was appropriate attire for different occasions and settings. Today, young people are very often deprived of those learning experiences, and school uniforms may be one of those opportunities that we have to educate students about dress decorum. So let's help them learn some common 58 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 sense that will allow them to function better later on in life when it's time for them to assume occupational uniforms of corporate business suits, scientists' lab coats, and firefighters' uniforms.

Okay thank you. Does any member of this committee have any questions for Miss White?

Thank you, Madam Chair. Have there been any discussions among the members on this particular issue? In other words have you had an opportunity yet where there has been agenda item for your membership?

No, not recently. It's something we're monitoring. Over the past four or five years we haven't, since I've been the director, had a chance to speak with our membership about it, but we are in contact with parents on an informal basis when they call in or, you know, when they respond to something that may have been in our newsletters, and they are very strongly pro-uniform, primarily for the economic reasons -- it's a lot cheaper.

So more of an informal survey was done. 59 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2

Yes.

We too have done an informal survey in our office, particularly as we get opportunities to speak to young people, and that's now part of my script. There's a different level of acceptance among elementary versus middle school versus high school students, who are exceedingly clear about their position on uniforms.

Yes. It sounds as if as was echoed earlier this afternoon, that the elementary school students really don't have much of a problem with it, but then, too, elementary school students don't normally have a lot of say about what they wear to school anyway. It's pretty much whatever mom and dad say you wear, you wear.

Do you have any children? (Laughter.)

When they become middle school students is when it seems to start to kick in that you really want to be your own person and, you know, speak out on your own individuality. I 60 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 have not yet met a high school student who really liked the idea of a dress code or a uniform.

I share that same observation, but the two responses that I receive from high school students are: One, to honor the notion of freedom of expression, and that perhaps it could be split up so that Monday through Thursday are uniform days, and then on Friday, you allow students to do whatever their heart drives them to do. And, secondly, which certainly sounds like it's worth the consideration, is to phase it in, starting with the young people in kindergarten, who ultimately become middle school students. So as they move to that next level, they move to that next level with a mindset that hopefully diminishes the resistance that we get in our informal survey. Please continue to let us know what you're gathering.

Absolutely.

Thank you very much for being here and for your testimony. Thank you very much. 61 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2

Thank you.

I would like to add certainly that I had the advantage of taking my daughter to a school where uniforms were required. And on the first day, it's wonderful and everybody's happy and proud to wear their uniforms, but by the 5th grade, it pretty much started to phase out.

Right.

It got to a point at my daughter's school where four days a week they had to wear a uniform, but on Friday, it was a little bit lax with the uniform dress code on that day. I was talking to someone earlier today that mentioned that they went to a private school where they had to wear uniforms every day, and by high school, though, it turned more into a color scheme than a uniform or more of a dress code that says what you can't wear or what you have to wear. Maybe they didn't have to wear an actual, you know, manufactured uniform, but dress code colors in middle and in high school. Certainly no 25 sneaks was still the rule, but it wasn't as 62 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 stringent and controlled as it was in elementary school, and I think that that might work. I notice the charter schools tend to have a dress -- well, actually, some of them actually just have color schemes, where kids wearing khaki or navy-blue pants and white tops or beige tops or whatever, and those tend to be middle school too. Middle and high school, I've seen some of those children, so I think the ability to be flexible will help. The high school children do not want uniforms, I hear that all the time. My daughter was here today down in my office. Now she's in high school and knew we were talking about uniforms, and the first thing she said to Councilwoman Blackwell was, "Don't do it for high school." So I think that is the sentiment of a lot of high school children.

Even with the flexibility built in, I know the word "uniform" tends to conjure up military, you know, military, sort of a military atmosphere. But when you're talking about uniforms and realize the amount of flexibility put into place in Philadelphia, it's 63 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 really less of a uniform and more of a dress code. So there is an opportunity to express individuality. I might also add that in observing the Philadelphia parochial school, the girls over the years who all wear the same thing, that they always find ways of expressing their individuality, whether it's through their hair style, their makeup, their jewelry, if it's allowed, or whatever. So there's still some leeway there in our opinion. But we strongly support uniform policy that looks as if it's going to be put into place this fall.

Okay. Thank you, Miss White.

Thank you, Councilwoman Miller.

We will now move onto the students from our list. Our first group is from Masterman, and that's: Yacov Crawford, Bronwen Mullin, Sam Robinson, Luke Donahue, and Stephanie Feldman. That's the first set of students. 64 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 (Student witnesses come forward.)

Councilwoman Blackwell?

Thank you. Let me also note that we have Thelma Peake from Peake's Little Angels in West Philadelphia. She does a fine job, and when I told her about the hearings, she really wanted to come and talk about school uniforms, which I believe she supports.

Do you want to testify? (Ms. Peake responds off mike.)

After the students, we'll have additional witnesses to testify. Is Will Mackie still here? (No response.)

Okay, he's not here. We also have a parent, Elaine Blake. We'll have you, Miss Blake, and Thelma Peake come up at the same time, next, after the students, okay, and any other parents. 65 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 Okay, you can begin. Don't forget to identify yourself and speak into the mike. Share mikes. Who's going first?

Okay. Good morning, Madam Chair, City Councilmembers and ladies and gentlemen. My name is James Lendmer, L-E-N-D-M-E-R Masterman School. I'll start out by reading a poem. Listen here, the grass is singing. Listen for what the wind is bringing. Listen to the silent stones Listen for their the long-forgotten moans. Watch the wind As it draws each stalk. Watch the moon force each blade to talk. Watch the water flow and ebb And watch fire consume the dead. Watch as roads invade the land. Watch the grass, Tall it stands. Watch each fall at the hand of man. And remember the grass Whose statistics stood strong, Remember our thoughts, 66 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 We're never wrong. The freedom of speech, freedom of expression, these are things that our country holds dear. Restricting it by definition is unconstitutional. Now and throughout history, various peoples have tried to amend these rights, but each time, the government has stepped in and upheld the constitution, which our forefathers created in order to make this a better place. Thus, government upheld the American idea of freedom. However, in more recent years, it seems as though the government is caring less and less about the constitution and more about the pleas of a very select few issues at hand. Today these hearings on the school uniforms issue can make or break people's opinions in the District and in the City. If passed, they will result in no change or change as predicted in academy performance, and then people will lose their confidence in the system. So I would just like to say, please, please don't take away our freedom, and please don't institute school uniforms. 67 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 Thank you.

Thank you. Who's next?

Good afternoon. My name is Stephanie Feldman, and I'm from Masterman and I am a junior there. Being that I am a public school student who has chosen her own dress for the past 10 years, it will probably come as no surprise to you 11 that I am opposed to school uniforms in the Philadelphia schools. However, I do believe that there are legitimate arguments in favor of school uniforms and it is a question that may be considered seriously in efforts to improve education. I wish that the schools were in good enough shape that we could afford to spend time debating school uniforms, but at this point in time, I do not believe it is an option to use the District's resources towards implementing or even seriously discussing school uniforms. There are many other critical issues that need to be addressed first: The School District is in the midst of 68 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 a financial crisis. Mayor Street has even stated that there's a possibility that the schools will be forced to shut down some time next year. Students continue to do poorly on standardized tests. Violence in schools has become so widespread that metal detectors are being installed in all high schools and in several middle schools. The District is unable to supply the resources necessary to provide a competitive education and support for students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. An inability to attract and retain qualified teachers implies that it will be some time before class size can be significantly reduced. Ask anyone works or attends class in a Philadelphia public school and I'm sure they will give you several more reasons or problems with the current system, ranging from dilapidated buildings to lack of teacher support. It is my belief that the School Board should be concentrating on these issues instead of the question of school uniforms. 69 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 Of course, advocates argue that mandating uniforms will help ease some of these problems. They argue that uniforms will help decrease violence and encourage students to take their studies more seriously. It is true that uniforms have been a part of programs that have accomplished these things, but only a part. School uniforms on their own will solve nothing. " His district managed to decrease violent offenses considerably but not without measures such as anti-gang initiatives, smaller class size, and increased security measures. In an address to Congress, Loren Siegel, the Director of the ACLU's Department on Education stated: "The call for uniforms is not constructive because it is a Band-Aid solution to a set of serious problems that defy easy answer. There is something profoundly cynical about our 70 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 political leaders promoting uniforms in the face of crumbling buildings, overcrowded classrooms, and dwindling education funds. "The debate over uniforms is a diversion. " The ACLU also conducted a series of focus groups with high school students to determine the most effective ways of improving schools' conditions. They concluded that schools should make more efforts to teach conflict resolution, encourage acceptance of other cultures, establish more extracurricular activities, and help students find part-time jobs. Although many adults dismiss teenagers as being preoccupied with trivial matters, it seems that fashion was the farthest thing from the minds of students asked to seriously consider their educational needs. 71 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 Although the School Board reports that the Children Achieving Program is improving Philadelphia schools, it is clear that the District is still in serious trouble in many respects. I fear that after spending valuable time constructing and enforcing a policy as well as considerable funds subsidizing uniforms, our school district will find itself in the same predicament as that of a neighboring community of Long Beach, California.

Polk County's experiment with required uniforms was a qualified failure, in part because they did not provide the other programs included in Long Beach's reformation package. In keeping with Long Beach's experience with uniforms, the community must support the policy in order for it to succeed. When students, parents, and teachers agree to accept a school uniform policy, then perhaps it will be a viable approach to improving schools. However, I've yet to meet one student or speak with one teacher who supports uniforms. If you were to spend some time at Masterman and see overcrowded and rundown our building is, I'm sure you would see why we believe 72 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 that the implementation of school uniforms would be a relatively meaningless gesture. Many of my classmates express resentment at a policy which they view as n arbitrary exercise of power. The School Board would be disrespecting us with the very measure that they believe will increase school pride by enforcing a policy that changes only the surface, not the substance of education in Philadelphia. Thank you.

I want to make sure we have all the students up, the ones from West Philadelphia, and everyone is at the table now? Okay, it's my understanding that you had a delegation of students and three people were going to speak. So who's next?

I am from Masterman, my name is Luke Donahue. I've got plane to catch in like an hour, sorry for running in like this. (Laughter.)

Imagine this: Waking up, putting on your uniform, walking through metal detectors, having cameras watching you, having 73 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 bars on the windows and police in all the hallways. Does that sound like 1984? No, it sounds like the School District of Philadelphia. Recently, there has been a trend in country to stop the violence through force, impacting our civil liberties for false safety. This trend has been sweeping the country for years, and Columbine was the pinnacle. Now politicians all over the country have been enacting reactionary measures for political success. This trend is supporting the criminalization of youth, it blames us. As a country and as a city, we need to think about how we want to address problems of violence, but not instate harsh measures and take away from individual rights, which is the basis of this country. Armed guards in classrooms also without a doubt will stop violence, but is that what we want, armed guards? What is that teaching the youth of America? Although we do realize that uniforms aren't the same as armed guards, it's the next step. I go to a college preparatory school that should not be a prison but a preparatory school. We are producing a generation of citizens 74 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 who don't value rights and freedoms, a generation of conformity. Is that what he want to produce? This measure is focused on conformity, not expression and it's becoming the trend of schools being prisons, not schools. It is true that many companies and businesses have uniform policies, but people in these businesses have a choice of what to do; students do not. Students are forced by law to go to school, and making them wear uniforms is, therefore, the equivalent of making a law where students give up their freedom of expression. Why, in the name of the safety? If it's in the name of safety, maybe you should think more about things like class size and counselors instead of things like police and uniforms. Einstein said something along the lines of peace is not gained not by force but achieved by understanding. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Who's next?

I am Moira, M-O-I-R-A. 75 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 I wrote an article to the Inquirer that I haven't sent yet. Unfortunately, I only brought a rough draft so I'm not really going to read that. I'll just say a few things from notes I took during this hearing, specifically from the Parents Union and the points they raised. I just would like to respond to them. First of all, they talked about the socioeconomic footing of haves versus have-nots. I would like to point out that the only federally funded study done to date on the school uniforms nationwide found that socioeconomic footing did not change once uniforms were instituted. Myself, having gone briefly to a public school that had school uniforms, I was not -- I was at the lower end of the socioeconomic range in that school at the time, and I found from remarks that students made to me that it was apparent exactly where I was, no matter what I wore, okay, because I couldn't afford the top line of the uniform paraphernalia. School safety. I'm going to draw from the same study at the University of Notre Dame, which found that school safety was not noticeably 76 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 improved. So the School District is now trying to work with a standardized but very weak correlation between the two. The School District, when they spoke earlier, mentioned that they don't think that uniforms are going to improve academics, so I'm not going to even go there. School pride does improve academic performance within the student body, which was found from various studies, but what they also found is that uniforms do not increase school pride to any significant extent. It takes a number of measures. I mean, school uniforms can be a part of the solution, but like Long Beach, California, which Stephanie Feldman quoted, they felt that a number of things went into this, and that's what started getting the school district there on the right track, it wasn't uniforms. Long Beach, California, which is the most often-cited school uniform experiment in the country, found that they had several grants from different institutions at the time so they had a lot of money flowing in and they were able to make a lot of changes. 77 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 All right. Finally, I'd just like to say that as people, students begin to develop an identity and, you know, have ideas. Like we said before, this having uniforms, that would diminish, all right -- never mind, I went off. Let me just say something else, okay. I find that it seems the latest breakthrough to uplift City schools lies not in teaching nor programs nor anything else that might improve the comprehension of the three R's. Instead, there's a focus on the three S's: suits, scans, and standardized tests. And I really don't think this is the way to go about it. Thank you.

Hello, hi. My name is Bronwen Mullin, B-R-O-N-W-E-N, M-U-L-L-I-N. Unfortunately, we all forgot to wear our red power ties. You're going to have to pardon us. I understand school uniforms is a matter of great controversial importance for many students. My colleagues and myself, we feel the way you dress is a venue for creativity. I understand that many of you are parents and you also may see dressing in a certain way -- not as a 78 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 venue for expression but more as a method of survival. In many school systems, there's a very flexible social system based on discrimination and socioeconomic bias. However, a school uniform will not eliminate all the associated problems. It's a bit too idealistic. I must say from my completely honest feelings here, it's unfortunate that a school can only create unity when it comes to color creation and not unity in thoughts. Uniforms will not unify thoughts. Susan Brownmiller found that girls at the age of 5 years old, by looking at body images of women in the media -- magazines, television, films -- were seeing them as right but seeing their own bodies as wrong. Where that image comes from at the age of 5 is from our market system. When a mother buys her child, for instance, a Barbie Doll, what message is she giving to the child? What I buy you is a gift, something you should be proud of, but what they're being proud of is a blonde doll with blue eyes, perfect skin and anatomically inaccurate body. That is the image being given to the child. What image does 79 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 it give to the children if they're going to be reprimanded for not wearing a precise uniform at the age of 5? Susan Brownmiller says we're victims of little thinking. Sometimes there's still little thinking at the age of 40, unfortunately. When a girl is reprimanded for not wearing a jumper, what she's being told is to not dress certain ways or she'll be persecuted. If the first amendment is taken from us, what's to say another first amendment right won't be taken away from us also -- a choice between private and public schools. And in a private school Catholic school, for instance, the laws of separation between church and state need not apply because that school is not under the constitution of law. School uniforms are a violation of first amendment rights at a public school under state constitutional law. What message are we giving our youth? And to further study this, look at Thurgood Marshall, who, in the early half of our century, was segregated because of blatant discrimination. Many politicians thought blacks should go to 80 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 school only with other black students because they would supposedly feel more of an initiative to participate with their own, and that this would make them have more of a sense of pride. And, of course, on the other side, they wouldn't be a nuisance to white students. We all know about that. Then there's Thurgood Marshall's famous doll test. At an African-American school, students at elementary levels were shown a black doll and a white doll and asked which doll did they prefer. They still said the white doll. Why was that? Because the white doll is beautiful, the white doll is good. You may say no, we are not separating students by initiating uniforms, but that's exactly what you're doing, separating them from other schools in different uniforms. We're saying that's not what you should do to eliminate the competition among students. People and our country as a whole thrive on a competitive method, it's part of the capitalist system. You thrive on competition to beat your neighbor, you have to win. It's the only way to survive. If you do not 81 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 win, you lose -- there's no in-between. The idea that teaching students to dress the same will result in no competition is a lie because they will find other methods.

Despite a uniform, despite a blue jumper, blue jacket, people will find another way to talk about how someone's skirt is so unflattering to their body. They'll find another way find another way to put the other person down because this is a competitive system. I'm sorry, but knee socks will not teach a child that money is not the most important thing. I know I'm being a bit idealistic here, I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but it's a cruel reality and uniforms won't do it. Can we really read a textbook by it's cover? It seems like you're trying to set up a perfect system where if we all look alike, we won't compete with one another, but that is not what's going to happen, I'm sorry. Kids are kids, and in our society, we breed these messages. If you truly want to solve problems of violence and discrimination and prejudice and persecution, we have to start at the root, at 82 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 home. These problems are not going to be solved by a blazer or, I'm sorry, a power tie. That's all I can say, ladies and gentlemen. There's nothing more.

Thank you thank you for your testimony. I thank everyone there at the table. We didn't do you yet?

My name is Yacov Crawford, Y-A-C-O-V, C-R-A-W-F-O-R-D. I'm a Masterman student. Good afternoon, Madam Chair, City Councilmembers, ladies and gentlemen. As a public school student, I'm interested in the issue of public school uniforms. Clearly, the issue of uniforms is controversial. I believe in discussion and debate. We need to talk about schools, how to build a sense of community, how to improve the teaching and learning environment, how to avoid violence. I believe that these are important issues that deserve our attention. I want to make a couple of quick statements here before moving on to my real 83 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 point. First of all, statistics on uniforms in schools do not demonstrate any long-term correlation between student behavior and academic success. Second, when given the choice, almost no 6 one wants to wear a uniform. A quote from a girl who has been wearing a uniform for eight years in Long Beach, California: "I've slowly adapted to it. If I had my own personal preference, of course, I would prefer not to wear one. " Uniforms belong in the military, uniforms belong on prisoners. Uniforms don't belong in this discussion. Uniforms do not make a school. Uniforms do not build a community. Uniforms do not create learning or teaching. Uniforms is a Band-Aid, an assumption or suggestion for complex issues. Let's just forget about uniforms so that we can deal with the real issues. In plain and simple language, uniforms will not help. They will make very little difference one way or the other. With or without uniforms, we will still have to deal with the difficult questions of how to make our public 84 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 school work effectively for teachers and students alike. With or without uniforms, we will still have to wrestle daily with the difficult task of creating and recreating a sense of community. With or without uniforms, we will still have to deal with the complex issues around violence. Yes, we will still have violence. As long as we have inequity in our society, we will have violence. As long as we have injustice in our society, we will have violence. As long as the profit motive drives the need to sell arms, we will still have violence. As long as violence is demonstrated on TV and modeled in video games, we will still have violence. As long as adults treat each other with little respect, we will still have violence. As long as we value the dollar and possession and consumables and devalue human beings, we will still have violence. As long as our schools mirror our society as a whole, we will still have violence. Uniforms will simply fit into the larger picture and become the occasional excuse for violence. We see that young people from different schools already have animosity for each other, 85 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 that some schools are considered to be better than others, more academic, more egghead. Uniforms will encourage school rivalry and animosity. You may be putting some young people at more risk, setting them up as targets, by identifying them with the uniforms for what school they attend. Young people will always find a way to stand out, be different, show that they are a part of a clique or a gang. They'll wear special earrings or tatoos. They'll wear special shoes, the all-important brand-name shoe. They'll wear special hats or jackets. We've already seen people fight and kill over brand-name shoes or a leather jacket. How can we make the future an open door for young people -- to embrace differences, debate touch issues, and proudly express our cultural differences? Uniforms will not encourage nor discourage this. Let's forget about uniforms and talk about the real issues. None of us look the same, think the same, or feel the same for that matter. Some of us represent colorful ethnic backgrounds. We don't need to dress the same. We need to respect and even seek after diversity and 86 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 cultural differences.

We need to be able to express or preferences, tastes, and backgrounds openly and proudly. Then real education and community will take place, and violence will decrease. Young people form into gangs in search of belonging and community. When we build community and acceptance in Philadelphia -- when the adults accept each other and feel like community -- then the children will follow. Are you suggesting uniforms for the adult citizens of Philadelphia, our role models? Young people still will be teased verbally and sometimes physically, threatened and abused, even in uniforms, because their parents don't teach them to treat others who are different with respect. Let's deal with the real issues here. Uniforms belong in public schools and not public schools. Taxpaying citizens should have the right to choose whether they want to buy uniforms for their children and send them to private schools. If they choose, parents should have the right to not buy uniforms for children and send them to public schools. 87 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 Mandating uniforms for public school children may well be unconstitutional, violating first amendment rights. You're probably thinking that this can't possibly be true because students don't have any rights. That's the way adults in our society think. The Supreme Court has addressed the rights of students to express their opinions on their public school campuses. Specifically, the Court has held that neither students nor teachers shed their constitutional right, including their first amendment rights, at the schoolhouse gate. That was found in the case of Tinker versus DesMoines Independents School District. So on a public school compass, students have first amendment rights that cannot be denied without reason. This was also found in the 8th Circuit Court in Mergons versus Westside Community Schools. There seems to be no reason for denying public school children and our youth their rights, their first amendment rights. Everyone says children are the future, that we need to nourish young minds and protect and open young hearts. Uniforms do not nourish minds nor protect or open hearts. Uniforms have 88 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 nothing to do with minds and hearts. Let's start talking and listening to each other now about the real issues -- and forget about uniforms. Thank you.

Thank you. Do any members of this committee have any questions? I know Councilman Kenney wants to have remarks.

Good afternoon, everyone. First I want to thank you for bringing back memories of the time when I used to rage against the machine at some point in time in my teenage years and young adult years. I do appreciate your taking the time to come here. I think it's important to express your opinion and your opinion is valid, and it's important that we listen to it and take it into consideration. While at the same time all of your testimony has indicated that uniform implementation, the imposition of uniform policy will not change all of the ills associated with the school system or with society as a whole, I agree with you. But at the same time, I disagree 89 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 with you, that the implementation of uniforms will not cause all of the ills that you have raised here at this table. While I understand your opposition to it and your need to both have what you sense as the freedom and the ability to express yourselves, I don't think that having a school uniform policy would create many of the ills that you talked about in your testimony, just from my personal opinion. Is anybody here at the table practicing or intending to become lawyers? No one's studying law or going to be a lawyer or wants to be a lawyer? I'm just curious. It seems like you were all very well prepared, especially some of the -- what grades are you in?

I'm in 9th.

11th.

10th.

You were very prepared. You did a lot of legal research in the areas. I'm wondering if anyone is interested in becoming a lawyer one day.

Anything's possible. 90 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2

When you choose certain professions, when you choose to wear certain hats in life -- for example, if you become a lawyer in this city and practice across the street at the Criminal Justice Center, you will not be permitted to argue or to work as a lawyer before a judge in a courtroom without a jacket and tie; or as a female attorney, with long pants as opposed to a skirt at knee length. I mean, they are probably ridiculous regulations and rules that are imposed upon us for very meaningless reasons, but the fact is that they exist. And if you were to go in front of a judge dressed in casual clothes -- T-shirt, jeans -- that judge would not allow you to go into that courtroom and do your job. And even though it's a constraint on you, and even as an adult, it seems to be a ridiculous constraint -- certainly what's in your minds is more important than what's on your back or feet. We go through these kind of conformity issues all of the time, from grade school to high school and into our careers. You may work for a company that decides, We want you to wear golf 91 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 shirt as opposed to jackets and ties. You'll have to go through all kinds of conformity throughout the course of life -- which I'm not saying you should stop arguing against. Your ability to express yourself is a right that is sacrosanct. But we do have to conform in many, many ways, not only in school and careers and jobs and marriage and life, but also when you're raising kids and you're doing all kinds of things that we do throughout the course of our life. So I don't think uniforms will solve all the problems, but I also don't think they will create as many problems as you mentioned here. You're not in uniform for the entire day -- it's a maybe a 5-, 6-hour period of time, and certainly after that, you could probably express yourselves after school, on the weekends, in the summertime, all of your nonconformist views that you wish. And I hope you will continue to do so.

May I respond?

Sure.

When you choose to become a lawyer, you understand that part of the deal is that you have to dress in a certain fashion when 92 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 you are in court. And it just doesn't -- it just doesn't seem fair. I'm sure that you remember being a student and --

I went to a Catholic -- I went to a parochial grade school and I went to St. Joseph's School, a Catholic prep school, but our -- actually, our nonconformist efforts there was trying to be as grungy as we could with our jackets and ties. So we had a certain -- I don't know if you see prep kids at all. They kind of have a certain look, you kind of know who they are with their ties and jackets, but as soon as you get out the door, the shirt tail comes out of the pants, the tie comes off, and you kind of get casual. I'm going to tell you that all of this is meaningless -- how we dress or what we see on television and or what people think is important and cool. I have a 6-year-old daughter who wouldn't wear certain clothes that I pulled out of her closet because she's just not wearing those clothes. She's not into the blonde-haired Barbie clothes but prefers more of the South Street style -- the wide bell-bottom pants, platform shoes. 93 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 She's on her way to expressing her own view on these things. I just want to say two things. I appreciate the discretion of your views and concerns and opposition to this, but I also believe that as we go through life, we have to sometimes conform whether we like it or don't like it.

One quick response. I'd like to point out that actually the study, if there was a negative -- actually the study that Rockman and Brooksman did found an increase in drug use, absenteeness (sic), and a decrease in academic performance and school pride when school uniforms were used.

In high school?

8th through 10th grade.

And also that while lawyers have to dress up, I find now that a lot of big corporations, specifically law firms, that have in the past had strict suit-and-tie regulations at first, now there's one day that's dress-down. On Fridays, they can wear jeans something and respectable for a shirt. Now some 94 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 of them have made the entire week dress-down. That is becoming pretty common through our system and in the United States and in the world, so in essence, we're breaking down the conformance.

How out of place a guy is who wants to wear a suit is in some ways the reverse, by having nonconformist dress codes. It's all -- none of this is that important in the scheme of life. Parents in certain schools and in some areas feel that it's cheaper and easier and more efficient for them to have a uniform for their child, whether they're in grade school or middle school. I recognize that high school people may, as young adults, may have different attitudes about those things. Parents and teachers have expressed that to us, and that's why we're having a dialogue about the issue. Thank you.

Thank you.

Can I say something? I was just wondering why high school students are the only population that you found that this is really going to matter with? Then why even bother with the middle school and elementary school since it 95 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 doesn't seem to go either way with them. And we haven't found any results with them, and why even start this with them if we're happy as we are? And I'd also like to say that the school is hardly a homogeneous population, and we have a lot of people from a lot of different backgrounds. Some of them are definitely destined to walk into the courtroom wearing a suit and tie, some of them would never go with that. By making them wear it in elementary school and in the younger grades, it's kind of assuming that they are making that choice when they haven't.

I think we could sit here and debate the issue all day, pro and con. There's all types of things that people have to put a uniform on or conform to, and sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not good. There are places -- hospitals where they don't want nurses to wear uniforms or doctors because that's not the way they want those children to perceive their caretakers. We could sit here and go on and on. I personally like sweatsuits and backwards baseball caps and sneakers, but what I have to do when I come into work, come into 96 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 Council is wear a suit. What if we chaired these hearings with hats cocked to the side and sneaks on? You guys might think it's okay. The point is that there are rules that we have to go by when it comes to dress codes or behavior codes. I really think you've got a lot of good research, presented yourselves very well, took the time, and you collected data. And I'm glad to hear from you. But I don't think that anyone's mind is made up in particular, and I'm glad you came in representing your school and whatnot to talk about how you do not support school uniforms. You've exercised your right.

One quick question. Are you admitting that school uniforms are being instituted because you're giving into parents that think it's more cost-effective?

I raised the issue of cost effectiveness, and parents have expressed that it's easier for them when they don't have to go through this wardrobe issue everyday with their younger children. These are just some of the things put out there, anecdotal experience that 97 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 principals, parents, people have testified about. Understand that we as the City Council can only gather information and make recommendations. It's actually the School Board, because of the charter between the School District Charter and the Home Rule Charter, they will make the decision here based on hearings and the research they did.

Councilwoman Miller, in all fairness, that's not the only reason why the issue of uniforms is being raised.

I said it was just one of the things raised by people that I've heard and talked to. I'm sure there are a myriad of individual reasons why people want to do it. Those were some of the issues that. As a parent who has two children who wear uniforms, I can say that it is much cheaper and an easier chore. It's just easier to deal with my daughter, who's 6 years old and very much an individual and who knows what she likes. Because she knows that she has to wear a maroon jumper every day, it's just an easier chore to deal with every day at 6:30 in the morning when 98 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 you're trying to get people fed, dressed, and out the door.

In my opinion, the School District is in a serious financial crisis. I keep hearing about the schools possibly being shut down. That's something that scares me, and I'm not sure that uniforms are the best way of spending the money that we have. And I think that the real question should be, what are the most effective programs for helping students. And in my opinion, a priority to should be maintaining teachers and keeping class sizes small.

And I'm not suggesting that having uniforms is in any way more important than that. I know there's been some discussion about trying to provide dollars for people who can't afford the implementation, a break for most, if not all parents, in the purchase of clothing for the school year. Instead of having to buy, you know, a pair of designer sneakers that maybe cost $100, you can get three pairs. Buying black or blue pants, three white golf shirts is a much cheaper endeavor than trying 99 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 to keep up with clothing trends that some young people request or demand of their parents.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. We again note that there are many reasons why uniforms were proposed, and certainly one of the reasons is that some people function better in uniforms. When you dress for church and go to church, you act in a certain way, so uniforms were not instituted only for parents but were instituted hopefully for, quote/unquote, better behavior in schools. So there are various reasons that uniforms were proposed -- not only from the economic viewpoint for parents. I think that should be put on the record. I assume that next we have Kareem Holland, Tara Colston, and Unique Rivers, from West Philadelphia, Simon Gratz School. I suppose Tara isn't here because I just see two gentlemen. Say your name and your school, please. 100 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2

John Diggs.

Thank you. Glad to have you. What grade are you in?

9th grade, Overbrook High School.

And what is your name, sir?

Henry Kareem Holland.

And what grade are you in?

11th.

You're in 11th at West Philadelphia.

Yes.

Okay, thank you. Glad to have you.

My name is Kareem Holland, and I am the West Philadelphia High School Representative of the Student Union. I've come here to discuss how we, as an organization, are opposed to the idea of mandated school uniforms in public schools. First of all, we feel as if the implementation of uniforms on Philadelphia's 101 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 public schools is a way of blaming students for problems at schools, rather than dealing with real problems. These problems include lack of qualified teachers in public schools as well as the enormity of classroom sizes that plague our public system, from elementary to high school. As long as adults use the way we dress as the origin for school problems, we can never address the real problems that schools face every day. It seems like adults are placing the blame on students instead of fixing the problems that really exist. We have to consider the real reasons why we are mandating uniforms throughout the School District in the first place. It seems as if the whole purpose of mandating uniforms is to enforce conformity. How can you teach students to have minds of their own if you bring up in the world with the idea that all children dress alike, think like, and act alike in order to have a safe school environment. Is that the type of environment that we want to bring our children up in? Do we really want to begin teaching students not to express themselves or to be unique? Enforcing the school code that we have 102 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 now is still good idea. Making sure that students do not come to school dressed in revealing or clothing vulgar statements or inappropriate pictures is a great solution that would still allow students to keep their individuality. In closing, we feel that student's don't have to sacrifice their individuality in order to keep our schools safe. That's just not a real solution. Thank you.

Thank you.

My name is John Diggs, and I attend Overbrook High School. I think the idea of school uniforms is not relevant. They might look nice and make me feel comfortable, but what right does anyone have to judge us by what we wear if we still come to school and do what we are supposed to do, which is learn? Uniforms are not highly respected in most public schools, and a majority don't want uniforms. Enforcing uniforms will make students rebel against the idea. There is already a great number who don't come to school on a regular basis. Uniforms might cause that number to be 103 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 bigger. Think about who has to wear uniforms; now think about who wants to wear uniforms. Is it fair to make people take what they don't want? I don't think really think it is.

Thank you very much. Do you think students might not come to school if they had to wear uniforms?

Well, the way it is at Overbrook, kids already cut a lot of classes and just attend when they feel like it. So maybe by making them wear uniforms, it might make them not want to come even more. How they feel about it now, all right, is they feel like it's not a fun place to be. I guess it's just a boring situation to them, so I do think it would, you know. . .

What do you think about expensive sneakers or expensive clothing that students can't afford? Do you think it's easier for them to have to wear a uniform where it doesn't matter how much they have or what they can afford? Or do you still think that in spite of that, students will not wear uniforms?

Well, I have a job so as 104 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 far as me taking care of myself, it's easy for me to get a uniform, but other people might have a money problem. But the money problem isn't the big issue as far as uniforms are concerned. Kids will wear what they want to wear and might still wear sneakers with their uniforms or $100 boots or coats on top of their uniforms, but I don't even really think money has anything to do with uniforms.

Good afternoon, gentlemen. Thank you for being here. I'm going to ask you to look down the road a little bit. We've heard all of the sentiments by all stakeholders in this. If the schools decided uniforms were the right way to go, what recommendations or suggestions or tips would you offer to that leadership team on how the uniforms should be implemented? If you were to reckon with the reality that this is it and we need some help with the implementation of it, do you have any ideas off the top of your head?

What do I recommend as to why we should wear uniforms? 105 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2

No. If the leadership team decided that the new order of the day will be school uniforms, could you make any recommendations or suggestions on how best to get this started?

If the policy was to be implemented?

Yes, exactly, correct.

I think they shouldn't enforce them. It seems like they appeared out of nowhere. And the schools like West and Gratz and schools like that -- I mean people shouldn't have to wake you up and say "wear uniforms" out of nowhere. If it does happen, it hopefully doesn't shouldn't be forced upon them, especially with the idea of metal detectors and school security and cameras.

It should not be a surprise is what you're saying?

Yes.

Maybe they don't have to be like uniforms or like a suit and tie -- just slacks and shirts that were mentioned, like a nice 106 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 pair of dockers and a polo shirt, not really like ties. People feel uncomfortable in ties. Students feel uncomfortable in ties and suits and jackets and pants with creases. If you all get with the School Board to change the dress code a little bit, don't make it more uncomfortable.

So we should make more choices and options available to students?

Yes.

That's very instructive. Thank you very much.

Thank you have a nice day.

Thank you very much. Next we will hear from a parent, Elaine Blake. And then Reginald Carter and then we will hear from Thelma Peake, who represents parents as well as her own school, Peake's Little Angels. (Witnesses come forward.)

Thank you very much. Welcome. Please identify yourself for the record and begin your testimony.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair. 107 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2

Good afternoon.

Councilmen, ladies and gentlemen and students, my name is Elaine Blake, and I'm a parent of two teenage students here in the public schools of Philadelphia. Well, I'm surprised to find myself here today, but I was looking at the news sometime this week, and I saw Mayor Street proposing that the public school system might have uniforms. My children grew up in New Jersey and they had uniforms, and coming to Philadelphia was a big transition for my children. At Fitzsimon, my son was -- he got the fourth top score in the SAT, and I'm not bragging about him because there were other students too did just as good. But day by day, I've been watching in my neighborhood -- I'm from the 16th District, where Joe Williams is State Representative, and I even campaigned for him, and I don't know whether or not that district is more needy than other districts, you know. And I understand a democracy is a choice. But from where we see it, as the voice of the mothers and fathers, in District 16, 108 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 there's no choice for us. There's no choice because our teachers seem to have lost the attention of the students. And it is really the biggest problem there, the dress code. Myself and my peers and during the time we guys was in school, we all wanted to be individuals and, you know, but I'm sure that we all can see what this has done for our children. Fitzsimon, Simon Gratz and schools in that area, every day I see children drop out of school because they don't have the right shoes. They can't -- their mothers and fathers cannot afford those $200 pair of shoes, those (unintelligible) sweaters, you understand? I see doctors, lawyers, teachers, Heisman trophy winners, and even my son, I'm seeing a difference in my children, as a single parent in North Philadelphia with two teenage kids and a widow. And my family is originally from West Palm Beach, Florida, and it's difficult. My son went from an A student -- this is personal. I have been listening to everyone else speak, but I don't need notes today. I live and I see it and it's in my heart, the pain that I 109 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 see my children in and the childrens (sic) around me, that mothers are strung out on drugs and whatever, and the mothers that are making the transition from welfare back into the job sector. It's difficult. We are losing our children. It's real, real simple to me. We don't have time, the time that we're spending to debate about this issue. Every second is counting. The time is ticking because the children that are in the District 12 and other respective areas like District 16 are in 13 danger. There are guys on the corners selling 14 drugs that do not use drugs because their mothers 15 and fathers cannot afford those schools and those 16 dress codes. It is ridiculous. Do you understand what I'm saying? So the teachers have lost the attention of the students because they're not listening, they're not watching the teachers. They're not -- they are waiting for that person to walk in the door and see what they have on. And I heard somebody say that, okay, the uniforms would be like a Band-Aid on the problems that we're having in schools, but 110 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 somewhere, the healing must begin. As we clean up the wolves of our estates with this dress code and we bandage this situation and we wait for the healing to begin, we are also saving lives of the children that's in our high schools today. When I visit the PTA or whatever, I might need to go to William Penn. School is a place where our children must come to learn, okay. Once they get in the door and pass the rhetoric of what's going on in the school, uniforms will make a difference. It will make a difference there's no 13 shadow of a doubt.

You know, everyone has their opinion but, you know, I could understand statistics but we are living this nightmare and if the situation in our schools is not bandaged, every one of you will be the victims of the children that's coming up in schools today, every one of us. Do you understand? And I had to come here, you know, and let you feel what's happening to our children. And I thank God that we now have a voice, that we can say what we want. No matter what you're saying, I'm going to vote yes. 111 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 Thank you. God bless us and God bless our schools.

Thank you very much. We appreciate your testimony. The Chair also notes that Councilman Michael Nutter is here. We appreciate his attendance this afternoon at this hearing and he would like to make a statement.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And first let me commend my colleague Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown for bringing this resolution forward. I know that a couple members of the School Board are here and the Board of Education is examining this particular topic. I'd certainly like to support the testimony of the last speaker, but I would like to also say on a personal note that because of my education experience, I wore a uniform for the first eight years of my education and then was subject to a dress code for my high school years. Notwithstanding my current behavior, I don't think it had any impact on my ability to express myself, to be cool from time to time. I was not maybe the 112 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 coolest character in time but I wasn't the corniest guy either, and I think that it does provide some level of discipline and character- building for the young people. School is not a fashion show; it is a place of education. And even within that, I can recall, at least in high school, that guys would wear different jackets, different types of pants. The big thing in my day was a silk and wool pants. What you wore in high school was a jacket, shirt and tie, pair of pants, and shoes. You could not wear sneakers unless you were going to gym. And in the earlier years, there was somewhat of a dress code. I think that the attention that the young people spend worrying about who has what on is a distraction. And as the young lady said, no, it will not solve hunger, it will not bring world peace, and maybe it will only be a Band-Aid, but when you have a scrape, it's good to have a Band-Aid. I believe the final decision will certainly be for the Board of Education, but I would like to encourage them to make a decision 113 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 that brings some uniform policy for the younger students up through elementary and middle school, and probably somewhat of a more relaxed dress code that only allows the wearing of certain items in some limited variety of colors. But I think it will help. We have other things we need to deal with also: we have financing, we have facilities and infrastructure, a whole host of other things to worry about. But I think the kids need to get it straight in their minds that they're in school to have a good education, talk with friends, have a good time, go to gym, all those things, but it really is not when the next student comes in the door, what does that student have on and what the next person comes in has on. What you really have to worry about think about is things like geography, science, math, English and get ready to come out here in a uniform. I wear a uniform every day. Whatever it is I need to wear to get what I need to get done ends up being immaterial. For what some of the people are worried about here today, they have the rest of their lives to learn all of those 114 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 lessons. Thank you very much, Madam Chair --

Thank you.

-- for the opportunity to speak on this important topic.

Obviously your uniform served you well.

Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Reginald Carter.

I'm Reggie Carter, the father, parent of a Philadelphia public school child. I support uniforms. Just as Mr. Nutter just said, children are concentrating on things that they have no business concentrating on in class. I have two of my sons in public schools, W.S. Pierce Middle School, and there is an enormous amount of competition, especially with children going through puberty. So even though it's not going to cure everything, I hope the City will go for uniforms and implement them as soon as possible. In urban settings such as Philadelphia, 115 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 with all the things we have to deal with, like funding the local expertise of our teachers or the administrations of our particular schools or the clusters, whatever, we certainly need to be concerned about discipline. And uniforms go a long way to helping our children achieve a state of discipline in the schools. So I'm just here to say that I hope uniforms will be required as soon as possible.

Thank you very much, Mr. Carter. Thank you very much. Next is Thelma Peake, from Peake's Little Angels. She comes from West Philadelphia and does a fine job, not only as a school owner and principal, but certainly as a community leader who keeps up the area, fights the graffiti, fights the crime, and is overall a good neighborhood. (Ms. Peake comes forward.)

Welcome.

Thank you.

Allow me first to ditto in capital letters what Councilwoman Blackwell just said. You are true gem in West Philadelphia. 116 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2

Thank you. I come in concerned about the issue of school uniforms. First I want to say that I am a retiree from the Board of Education. After serving 7 years, I opened up Peake's Little Angels, which 8 has been in existence for 13 years. Out of the 13 9 years, we've had a uniform policy for 10 years, 10 and we feed into the public school systems. We 11 have graduated over 5,000 students out of our 12 center, and most of the children that are in the 13 public, private, and parochial schools are 14 excelling with Academic Plus in the public 15 schools. Now, the uniform issue is not something new that's in the public schools, because if you really look at it, uniforms are in every level of schools -- be it with bands, cheerleading, football teams, basketball teams, swim teams, and all other type of competitive teams in the schools. If I suggest anything about implementing uniforms in our schools, it's that the parents have a very, very important part in 117 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 selecting the uniform. At our center, by them being a part, it helped them to be very, very interested and supportive of the uniform. Uniforms for me work well in the elementary and middle schools, but I really think that a strong enforcement of a dress code in a high school would help because by the time young people get to high school, they need more of a choice. When I was in 12th grade, I was employed, so I know that leaving high school to go to work might be a little difficult to change clothes and get ready for your job. If you look around, the public schools are supporting charter schools, and every charter school in Philadelphia has implemented a uniform policy. Catholic schools have uniforms from elementary through high school. And it's -- it's -- a lot of young people would love to be in those charter schools so that's something that they would have to understand before they go in there, that they're going to wear a uniform. And that is something that I support -- the uniform -- because at Peake's Little Angels, our two-year-olds wear uniforms and have a very 118 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 strong sense of pride at our school. We have one day in which the children dress up for gym and do not wear uniforms. Children are required to wear shoes four days a week, and one day a week, they're allowed to wear gym clothes and sneakers. It helps us with self-esteem, it helps us in team- building, and helps us with children coming to school every day. A lot of times when I turn in my state reports, they don't understand why I have such a high attendance record at our school, especially with the food program. The children go to school every day why because it's very, very convenient for our parents. We are in an area that has a lot juvenile crime. I'm a committee person for the 46th Ward and the 11th Division and I talk to a lot of people on corners every day in the streets. And I know that a lot of young play people hooky from school, one, because they have a lot of pressure because of hair, clothes, and all kinds of materialistic values. If you could just try -- maybe it is a Band-Aid, but I think that uniforms would be a first step of trying to get structure. 119 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 One of the reasons that I left the School Board was because of the pressures of teaching and I was a dedicated teacher. I think I missed about ten days in many years of working with the School Board. One of the reasons I left, I think, was because of the fact that the cell phones were taking over, then the pagers started going off in my classrooms. I would also like the Board of Education to consider that if you're going to add some structure and add that uniform, that you also add some type of code that the young people will not have cell phones and pagers going off in the classrooms.

There is a policy. I don't believe children are allowed to bring pagers and cell phones to school.

Well, some of them have the vibrating pagers now.

Well, they're still violating the policy. Whether they vibrate or not, they're not supposed to them to have them.

I'm almost done. With competition -- competition comes 120 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 in all areas, and if we just could alleviate the dress competition, maybe there will be some doors that will open with brain competition, you know, and building a better tomorrow. Young people -- and I once said this before -- really do need structure, and I think that structure works -- a consistent structure, not one way, then change it to another way. So if the uniform policy is implemented, I would suggest that it would be implemented in September, at the beginning of the year and that it would be promoted up through the summer as something positive, not a negative, because if you implement it in the spring, it's already in the school year, and that would maybe be a little jagged or it would hurt a parent. I think you should give parents enough time and call the parents to discuss these things with the parents, and also go out and tour the schools that already have -- public schools that already have a uniform policy implemented in the school. And don't announce that you're coming because a lot of times when people know you're coming in the door, they put on their best show. 121 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 But you should and do studies before you vote and see the schools that already have uniforms implemented. You might first go to some schools that don't have uniforms and really see if there is a difference with the uniform. Other than that, I'm done. Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to give some remarks.

Thank you, Miss Peake. So you think we should have uniforms in elementary and middle schools?

I would suggest uniforms in elementary through middle school and that you enforce a dress code for the high school.

Thank you. Thank you very much. MISS PEAKE: Hi. My name is Esther Lindsay Peake. She said most of what I wanted to say, but I do totally agree with the dress code and the uniforms being implemented. We have children in the elementary school as well as middle schools that hide in closets, crying all day because they're getting picked on all day because of their clothes, 122 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 because they didn't have the proper attire. It's not a child's fault that the mother or father cannot afford expensive clothes. I totally agree that uniforms would be better for our children because, like so many other people have said before me, it would cut down so much on the competition in schools and it would help some of the kids who have no power over what they wear and who have to be forced to wear clothing that takes down their standards or builds a low self-esteem in them or they're picked on and talked about. When you think about children in elementary school, we say elementary schools do not have problems with it or we might not have a problem with them adjusting to it. But it's still needed even in high school or middle school because we have 7th-graders, when it's still cold outside, who come to school with belly-button blouses on and hipsters pants. And it's offensive, it's provocative, and they don't understand because they're not taught to cover themselves up. They don't know how to dress. And their dress can be interference to 123 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 schools. For example, I have a student in class right now, an 8th grader that wears a jacket all day. I said, "Why are you wearing that jacket?" She said, "These boys pick on my body because I'm heavy-built." She's heavy-busted and hippy and tries to protect herself so she wears jeans all the time,, and her jeans are tight, so the boys are looking at her all the time. If she wears a long uniform, it would not accent her hips and bust so she would be so much more comfortable totally. So as far as uniforms, I hope it passes.

Thank you thank you very much. MISS PEAKE: Thank you.

Mr. Barton Caine, from the ACLU. (Witness comes forward.)

Good afternoon. Thank you for allowing me to speak on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is in opposition to school uniforms. The students who were here from high 124 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 school who spoke to you today spoke with such conviction, and I, as a professor of constitutional law and who teaches a course in the first amendment would have been proud to have these students in my class, because they were able to enunciate far better than I can the real feelings which our constitution protects. They are not only future lawyers, they are present advocates. They were able to put into words, which should hold some conviction, what the basic freedoms of this country mean, not only for all of us, but especially for our schools. The first amendment of the Constitution of the United States protects our freedom of speech against government action. It says that the government shall make no law abridging freedom of speech. It doesn't talk about good laws or good speech or bad speech or dangerous speech or not; it is a sweeping protection. And from time to time, our courts, when it came to students, have held that to be in very high regard, evidenced by the quotation given to you by one of the high school students from the case of Tinker versus the School Board, in which the justice said 125 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 students do not leave their first amendment rights at the schoolhouse gate. These first amendment rights are not only the right to speak, but they're the right to express themselves. So not only do they have the right to talk, but they have the right to be different. The first amendment rights include the right to be let plus all the fundamental freedoms with which we should imbue our students. School uniforms send exactly the wrong message. This is a repression of freedom to be different, to say what you want, feel what you want, think what you want, and dress the way you want. These ideas are much more important than the ideas that we have talked about. When it comes to the life of adults, we have just seen the United States Supreme Court in a case involving a similar issue -- not the same issue, but involving whether or not the government can tell students or tell children what they can see on television, what they can see on the Internet. A profound statement was made not only by the judges in Philadelphia but in the Washington Supreme Court of the United States 126 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 where they said that parents should raise children, not the government, and therefore, they mean that these are issues which should be decided by the parent. If they want their children to come to school one way or another, they should have the right to make that decision. The whole concept of freedom under our constitutional system is who makes the decision. If the decision is made by the government, there is no freedom. If that decision is made by the individual, even if it's identical, there is freedom. And we shouldn't be persuaded by any arguments -- even if they could be proven, but they can't -- that somehow you will improve education by putting people in uniforms, because when you uniform somebody's body, you uniform their minds also, and that's exactly the wrong message we intend to convey to our students. But even if that could be proven, that doesn't prove the case at all, because under the first amendment, the government, in order to restrict freedom has to prove two things: one, that it has a compelling government interest to restrict that 127 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 right. The second one is to prove that the restriction is precisely tailored to convince you that the government has such an interest. There's no doubt about the fact in my mind, as a professor of constitutional law, that the government fails on both counts. Anecdotal evidence is something which cannot be directed to the issue of uniforms. That has nothing to do with it, commons sense dictates that.

Nor is it important to know what lawyers have to do when they come into court. Am I disqualified because I'm not wearing a tie, and suit coat, because I'm wearing different clothes? That's absolutely absurd. What we ought to tell our students is they have the right to be different and listen to Justice Drennan on the Supreme Court, one of the great voices of our time who says great that a tradition of our society is the right to differ, the right to do what you want, to repel authority, to make your own decision. What is unfortunately happening in the United States today is that a series of cases are coming down from the United States Supreme Court, 128 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 none of which touch this issue, by the way, but which are cases in which rights of students in public schools are cut down and cut down and cut down to the point that people are now making the assumption that children have no such rights. I was the one who wrote the pamphlet for the American Civil Liberties Union on the rights of school children in Pennsylvania, in which I urge on behalf of those children, that we stand up for right as elders. Justice Brandeis reminded us that people who are born to liberty are naturally suspicious of evil mind-rulers, but that the greatest danger to liberty lies in those people who are good-hearted but have an excess of zeal but with misunderstanding. Thank you.

Thank you. Do any members of the committee have any questions?

Excellent statement. Thank you.

Okay, thank you very much. Our last witness of the day is Ron 129 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 Wilch. Ron Wilch. Does anybody else want to speak that hasn't been called on? (No response.) (Witness comes forward.)

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

I want to thank you for allowing me to say a few words. I don't mind being last. In fact, it's a good thing, especially after hearing what I heard.

State your name for the record, please.

Ron Wilch, and I'm a clothing designer by trade and also a consultant for many manufacturers in Pennsylvania as well as outside of Philadelphia.

Mr. Wilch, would you spell your last name, please.

W-I-L-C-H. I just want to give some advice and don't want to tear down anyone's statement. But in my experience as a father of two children, our daughter and son -- my daughter is Eve, who is 130 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 well known as a rap artist in Philadelphia. Eve went to a Catholic school and wore uniforms but went on and became a well-known rap star. My son, who's six years old. Goes to Pfeiffer School and wear uniforms and he's doing very well. It's easy for me when my wife has to leave early and I know what to pull out of the closet for him. It's very simple and easy. " The word "uniform" should not be used. " The name "uniform" is confusing is very harsh, so "gear" is the proper term at this. " The whole fashion industry is marketing themselves today towards the urban youth. It used to be the working class, but now it's the youth. It's a million dollar campaign on our youth. Tommy Hilfiger was nothing to speak of five years ago, but he tapped into an urban market, the hip-hop. Calvin Klein, everyone is focusing in on the youth. Our youth has been transformed into a 131 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 tool to make growth and development for manufacturers. " Unity is about progress and our mission should be, as far as the public schools, to get an education and to regain our position as number one in mathematics, number one in science, because we should know we're not in the top ten now. The Asian countries have took our place in mathematics and in English, but if you look at Asian countries, Japan and China, the whole country wears uniforms, the whole nation of children wear uniforms. They are on a mission, and their mission is education and their education has now put them in a position to rule. So I suggest that when it comes to our high school students, we should include them in designing the clothing line for them to wear. We should market -- let them help us market the idea of the clothing of school gear for the schools. We should not rush into it this year. I suggest that we plan and market the idea this 132 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 year, but plan for next year for the uniforms to be implemented. It is a very shocking situation for our youth, who is being pulled right now by the marketing, the Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein and every major manufacturer today. The videos that we see on MTV, BET, all of the music videos, is talking about what they have on, what kind of jewelry do you have, what kind of shoes they wear, what kind of pants they wear. So we are at a great fight with our teens about this clothing. And I'm going to tell you, it's going to be a hell of a fight, but if we plan properly in the way of marketing this idea of uniforms, it will work. But it takes planning. My daughter, Eve, I talk to her. " She would do rap song, a commercial. These things you must plan properly and include the students. Let them come up with ideas for a uniform. Have a design contest for uniforms. The uniforms that they have today are outdated. They're 20 years old. They need to come up with new ideas. The old Catholic uniforms 133 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 ideas, I don't favor them. They need to be cut fuller, with more -- the young brother just stated that they want to be relaxed, they don't want to be in a suit and tie. But let them help. And the only way they can help is to let them come up with the ideas, that the School Board needs some advice, they need some consulting. They need to hear it from manufacturers, students, parents, everybody's involved. But I'd like to say this: This is a great opportunity for the City, economic growth in the way of manufacturing. The City of Philadelphia used to be the first and second place in manufacturing in the world. We are dead-last now.

The City of Philadelphia spends money on uniform clothing -- from police uniforms to correctional officer uniforms to Water Department uniforms, and they spend money on uniforms that are being made outside of Philadelphia, outside of the country, and we do not benefit. This is a good opportunity to restart or kick in an opportunity to bring back some, not all, but some manufacturers or the manufacturers that's left in the City that are starving and 134 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 looking for contracts elsewhere, 'cause Philadelphia is known not to get any contracts. I speak today not only as a parent but also as one who's in the industry and who could move to New York but don't want to move to New York. I was born and raised in Philadelphia and I have clients throughout the country. They ask me, "Ron, why you still in Philadelphia? Why don't you move to New York? " But I have hope in Philadelphia. There's a great opportunity. There's vacant factory buildings and untrained people. I think this is an opportunity that with the partnership of the community, we could bring them back and say, Come on, we'll train you well. And let's produce what we need to produce. The school uniform policy needs to be planned properly and not be implemented by this September. It should be marketed starting in September and then implemented in September 2001. It's simple. Our kids need to be told that it's okay to wear the uniform. That's marketing. You need the hip-hoppers, you need 135 /00 EDUCATION - BILL 2 Shaquille O'Neal, the NBA players to say that it's all right, I wore it, look at me now. That's called marketing. Those kids will fight against you if you force them this year to wear uniforms. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Wilch. Do any members of the committee have any questions?

I do not have a question, but your comments bring an added perspective that I never ever considered with regards to the marketing piece and how we can successfully involve young people in this new policy, should it indeed come to be that. So thank you for your very, very different perspective. We should thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Wilch, thank you for coming in. This concludes the Education Committtee hearing this afternoon, and this committee will recess at the call of the Chair. Thank you. (Adjourned at 5:10 a.m.) - - - 136 C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Thursday, April 27, 2000, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION RESOLUTION NO. 000174 __________________________________, JOSEPHINE CARDILLO, Registered Professional Reporter