As the new school year begins for students situated in K-12, I would like to let parents know that one of their most important priorities should be to purchase their children some new name brand clothes for the upcoming school year. Although I know that the primary concern of great parents is to make sure that their children have all the necessary supplies and books required for their academic success, I would just like you to know that your children have another barrier to their academic success: their clothing. When students come to schools, they can face serious ridicule for not having on some of the latest fashions or some name brand clothes. While I’m at it, let me go ahead and tell you to make sure that you get them some name brand shoes too.
When your children arrive at school, they do not only face the fear of being critiqued negatively by their teachers on their assignments, but also experience a fear of a harsher critique: the critique of their clothing by their peers. Now, parents you can say that this is not an important issue that you need to concerned about with your children, but I have had the opportunity to witness how children were picked at about their clothing when I was in school and even now from my interactions with various K – 12 schools. Although I was fortunate to have parents who could afford to buy me the lastest fashions and shoes, many of my classmates were not able to do so. If you don’t have that much money to buy your children a bunch of new name brand clothes, then make sure that you try to make a sacrifice and purchase them one or two namebrand outfits that will help them to make a positive statement, and this will help them to combat negative peer criticisms about their clothing.
Even here at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I have people who try to hate on me about my clothing because I have the money to dress nice whenever I feel like it, and they are mad because they work so hard to dress nicely everyday but don’t have the money to do it. Because these people lack the money to try to meet their high fashion desires for their everyday wear, for which they don’t have the money to do, they end up putting on wild and crazy stuff to get attention and to compensate for the fact that they don’t have the money to dress in high fashions everyday. When I do elect to dress nicely in expensive name brand clothing, they hate on me by saying that my clothes are average or forgettable. Lol! Now, parents just imagine if I face this as a grown man, just picture what your child goes through during their K – 12 experience.
I know that we are experiencing tremendously tough economic times, but I would encourage you to make a sacrifice for your children and try to purchase them at least one or two new name brand outfits for school. You might even just try to buy them a pair of name brand shoes so that they can at least wear them everyday. I know you are probably saying that I am focusing too much on your child’s clothing, but I can tell you that it will make a world of difference in their academic achievement if you would make some sacrifices for them to let them wear some name brand clothing. They face great peer pressure and attacks at school about many things, including what they wear. By investing in name brand clothing for them, you can make a significant difference in their lives.
Antonio Maurice Daniels
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Revolutionary Paideia 
The k-12 experience shapes the lives of young people rich and poor. The character building opportunities that these incidents evoke could be triggered not only by the brand of clothing worn or lack there of, but also by being the mix child with “good hair”or the child with the oddly shapened head or even the girl whose eyes are far apart.
I wouldnt go as far as urging parents to buy their children name brand clothing, but I will say send them to school clean. Its important to take a bath everyday (with soap). A lot of public schools solved the issue of name brand clothing causing distractions in the classroom. These kids are mandated to wear uniforms. They all wear the same thing. But this wont solve the social plight some may face. There will always be the cool kids, the smart kids, the quiet kids and the weirdo ones.
Clothes will not shape their future and they definitely wont keep the big bully away, shoot, he may take your kids name brand shoes and wear them to school because his mom couldnt afford them.
Parents send your children to school clean, make sure they bathe, brush their teeth, wash their little faces and put on deordorant. Yes 2nd grade and up, kids run around, sweat and stink.
Parents read with your kids, they sit quiet in the classroom, embarassed to read aloud because they cant.
Parents talk to your kids instead of hollering at them all the time. The language you use with them is what they use on other kids in school.
I feel you Professor on the article but in the same breath I dont.
Excellent response, Mr. Newbold! You have really exposed the flaws in my article. This is the value of having people not only just read your posts, but also comment on them. As you have said, it is very important for parents to make sure that they send their children to school with a bath, teeth brushed, faces washed, and other essential hygiene tasks. Your teaching experience in the K-12 educational sector really shines through in your response. Your response makes a valuable contribution to improving my article. Thanks for reading and your response, Mr. Newbold!
Covering the fundamentals must come first. I’ve come across students that obviously do not come to school properly groomed and at bare minimum having bathed. The purchasing of name brand clothing by the parents could also promote the complete opposite of popularity by fostering jealousy amongst peers that could then turn into being bullied or fought for the name brand clothes off of their back and shoes off of their feet. Nice post that fosters healthy debating.
Nice response, Santresa! You really bring up a good point about the fact that students may have to fight to even keep those name brand clothes and shoes on, especially in some challenging school climates and environments. My goal in the article was to help children get the clothes that they need to help them fight some of the criticisms that come from their peers in schools that don’t make students wear uniforms. Thanks for reading and your response.