Most of the BCPSS schools I've worked in have been uniform schools.

I think that one of the things that scares people off about it is the word itself: most people have an image of having to wear plaid skirts that are just-so-high above the knees, or some such. "Uniform" schools in BCPSS still leave some room for creativity on the part of the wearer. Usually it's a simple color code, for example: at Cecil Elementary the students wear khaki or navy pants (or skirts) and yellow or white shirts. Boys are expected to wear their pants with belts.

One of Cecil's more creative ways of enforcing uniforms was to have parents send outgrown clothes to the school. They thus maintain a "uniform" bank so that a student who comes to school out of uniform has to go to the bank and change. The school used Title I funds to buy a washer and dryer to clean the clothes (usually no more than 1 or 2 loads to tal) at the end of the day.

Uniforms make everyone's lives easier. Since everyone's expected to dress withing given parameters, nobody is given grief about what they're wearing. So that's one less reason for teasing or bullying. Parents don't have to think too hard about buying the school clothes because they're already defined; in addition there are no morning battles about what their child is going to wear because that's a known quantity.

Do uniforms lead directly to better grades? Who knows, but if a couple of "knucklehead" problems can be eliminated by a dress code, then I'm all for it. Incidentally, Cecil has a fantastic track record of meeting AYP for the last several years, despite being in one of Baltimore's more run-down-looking neighborhoods. Coincidence? You make the call.

Oh please pass a rule requiring uniforms!!!
As a teacher I can say that young people are all round better students when they dress well. Sometimes there are school concerts or sporting events which require dressy dress. Students behave better, sit up straighter and focus sharper on such days.
I am so tired of seeing front and rear cleavage, of baggy pants, bondage attire, chains, gang flags, all day coat wear, oh the list goes on. These things are all distractions to instruction.
Uniforms are also the great equailizers.
Many parents leave for work or get home before the bus comes in the morning so they are shocked when the get a call saying Suzi Q was wearing a tank mtop cut down to there with an unzipped hoodie overtop, or that skinny little Johnny Boy had no belt on his size 48 jeans.
T-shirts are often rauncier in the school hall then they are on the boardwalk!!!
School Uniforms for the common good-oh yea!