Cobb County school board members are not changing the district’s uniform policy, even though black and Hispanic students are more likely to be penalized for violating uniform requirements.
Grant Rivera, the district’s chief leadership and learning officer, said schools that require uniforms have abided by district policy, and they sought parents’ input and approval beforehand.
But parents critical of requiring uniforms say schools have not done enough – or cannot fully document — that they sought parent approval. They say principals are often the ones who decide, with little or no input from parents.
One of those parents, Valerie Testman, said after Wednesday’s meeting she was disappointed that board members failed to address the system’s discipline practices or the racial disparity in schools that require uniforms.
Testman said she plans to file a complaint over Cobb's uniform policy with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights.
“I thought Cobb could work this out, because I don’t want to go down this road,” said Testman, whose daughter attends Tapp Middle School, which requires uniforms. She says her daughter has been told she would face suspension if she did not comply with the uniform rules.
“They’ve (board members) washed their hands of it,” she added.
Board member David Morgan had previously asked Cobb school leaders to re-evaluate the uniform policy. At least one board member, David Banks, had said he believes students should have the choice whether to wear uniforms. Wednesday, however, no board member suggested revising the policy. “As long as we’re following what we have in writing, I’m good,” Morgan said.
Susan Thayer, who represents Smyrna and other areas, said principals and parents at schools in her district that require uniforms like them.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in September that Hispanic and black students in Georgia and throughout the U.S. are required to wear uniforms more often than white students.
Across the metro region, about half of black students and one of every four Hispanic students wear uniforms, while about one of every 20 white students do, the AJC reported. That means nonwhite students are more likely to face disciplinary action over their clothing, which can include missing classroom lessons.
The racial disparity is stark in Cobb, where about half of students are black or Hispanic, and all 29 schools that require uniforms are majority black and Hispanic. The district also has one of the harsher discipline records, with about one in five dress code violations punished with in-school suspensions.
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