Minutes a day n e w y o r k

L e s s o n   1 3
Practice 1 and 2
Following are two possible conclusions for the school uniforms essay.
Closing with a question:
Of course, school uniforms won’t solve every problem. Low-income kids will still be poor, violent students may still
be violent, and advertisements will still assail us with the message that you can get what you want (the right
guy, the right girl, the right friends, the right job) by buying and wearing trendy clothes. But school uniforms can
help equalize the incredible division between the fashion “haves” and the “have nots”; they can improve discipline,
and they can improve learning. In the same year the disciplinary incidents went down at Jamestown High, SAT
scores went up. Wouldn’t you like your school to do the same?
Closing with a call to action:
School uniforms aren’t a cure-all, but in all of the public schools where school uniforms are now required, atten-
dance and test scores are up, and disciplinary incidents are down. Students attest to feeling as if they’re part
of a community, and most say they like not having to worry about what to wear. More importantly, most say they
actually feel better about themselves and school than they ever did before.
The power to create this kind of positive change is in your hands. Talk to your PTA and school board repre-
sentatives. Show them the facts. Start a campaign to make school uniforms part of your child’s education. You’ll
be glad you did—and so will they.