Oktibbeha County school board members postponed their decision whether to allow students out of uniform as a reward so they can decide if the district will continue with a school uniform policy.
The board met Monday night for its regular meeting, and Cynthia Ward was the only board member absent. The bulk of the meeting dealt with testing and school performance issues, and the uniform question came up in these discussions.
The issue came up when the board tabled the request to approve the West Oktibbeha County Elementary School’s performance contract. Principal Andrea Pastchal-Temple’s proposed contract would reward high performing students with incentives that include a trip to Six Flags Over Georgia and the option to not wear a uniform on certain days.
The board said the proposed incentive plan would allow students who score as proficient on the state tests in the spring to wear non-uniform but appropriate school clothes every other Friday during the coming school year. Those who score advanced on the state tests would be allowed out of uniform every Friday.
“If telling a kid you can wear whatever you want within reason if you score proficient or beyond — and we’re all about test scores — if that gets them to do it, then I have no problem with it,” Superintendent James Covington said.
He suggested the incentive could be tried for a time to see if it works.
“That alone is not going to do it,” Covington said, explaining that this incentive would not improve test scores but reward performance. “Give it a shot. If it doesn’t work or gets out of hand, we know how to get it back.”
At one point in the discussion, he also commented on the status of uniform use in the district.
“They’re not in uniform now,” Covington said of students.
He said while navy blue pants are a fairly standard color, there is wide range in the colors that can be considered khaki. Also, many shirts that started off white when school began started to turn yellow after being worn by kids.
While Covington was open to the incentive offer, board members saw things a bit differently. Yvette Rice thought that since the district has a policy on school uniforms, it should enforce the policy, not allow exceptions.
“In order that nothing gets out of hand, I say keep it like it is,” Rice said.
She expressed displeasure that the existing school uniform policy covers footwear, but it has never been enforced. She also said if this was the only incentive offered, she may have been more inclined to accept it, but there were “four or five” other incentives also being proposed
Board president Curtis Snell also did not like the idea of allowing students out of uniform as a reward. He said it would be unfair to allow some students to dress in clothes of their own choosing while others had to stay in uniform.
“I feel if they’re going to be in uniform, they need to be in uniform,” he said of all the students in the schools.
However, he did say that despite his misgivings, the superintendent who is ultimately responsible for the school district, suggested the board give the incentive a try, so he was inclined to follow Covington’s lead.
Herman Bush weighed in on the disparity in school uniform enforcement and suggested the board revisit the issue before school begins for the 2010-2011 year. Covington said with kindergarten enrollment to start in April, the board needs to act quickly to decide whether or not the Oktibbeha County School District will require school uniforms again this year.
“We need to take our kids out of uniform or make them uniform,” Bush said.
The board is set to meet again at 6 p.m. April 6 in the superintendent’s office, but Covington suggested they may need to call a special meeting before then to decide the issue of uniforms again.
I personally do not think using the non uniform day is a good idea for a reward. I think a test exemption or grade would be a great way to reward a student. Perhaps having a drawing for laptops, video games, or iphones would be a good incentive also!
Uniforms do not improve behavior or reduce instances of bullying. Schools need to spend more time educating students than policing what they have on. Students need to be taught to focus on learning which is the reason why attend school.
Please consider the source on this article. Look at the byline. Check the comments under the stories about the Starkville School District uniform issue.
How about students that perform well get rewarded with success in later life?
Why does everyone in our modern American society think we need to reward behavior or actions that are just to be expected? What's next? We give people rewards if they don't commit a crime? Oh, you didn't murder someone or sell drugs? Well, you deserve a Wii or new iPhone! No wonder our nation is crumbling around us.
The uniforms do not do what they were intended to do. It would be better to teach our children to make good choices rathar than always telling them what to do.
"I personally do not think using the non uniform day is a good idea for a reward. I think a test exemption or grade would be a great way to reward a student. Perhaps having a drawing for laptops, video games, or iphones would be a good incentive also!"
Gread idea, can we put down to provide those items for a drawing? Our schoold have no money. if things don't change jobs will be lost how are they going to buy laptops, video games etc to give away.
Time to face facts kids don't always see the longterm reward (that is why they are kids) if coming out of uniform gets them to try harder then why not try it?
This article is just telling what was said at an Oktibbeha County School Board meeting while discussing rewarding students for good test scores. It has nothing to do with SSD. You may not like the author, but she only wrote what happened at the meeting giving both sides.
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