Dress codes have been the subject of debate in our educational establishments for many years. Administrators struggled to find effective ways to resolve discipline problems. The introduction of dress codes is a common intervention in our education system to help reduce the number of disciplinary issues dealt with on a daily basis. Topics such as gang activity, bullying, increasing violence and free speech have been thrown into the debate, causing controversy in our communities. The dress code policy is considered a silver bullet in our schools, but it has failed to stop major problems. Dress codes should not be instituted to solve a particular problem, but should be considered to contribute to overall school reform. A school uniform policy does not have a significant impact on creating a safe learning environment or helping students achieve their goals. The beginnings of any type of dress code come from social structures around the world. Dress codes were very important in distinguishing different classes of citizens in society. In the past, dress codes have changed and eventually become commonplace in our education system. Private schools have rules in place about what students must wear and some girls' schools expect their students to wear uniforms and have even gone so far as to inspect socks and nails every morning before starting their day (Elizabeth Crook, 2004). The Long Beach Unified School District is recognized as the first public school system to implement a dress code in the United States. Many schools followed in their footsteps and the controversy over dress codes and whether people were willing to conform to those rules had begun. The thinking behind the implementation...... middle of paper ...... answer, other options should be considered. If the students who break the dress code are the ones who regularly get in trouble, then having a dress code is simply giving them another rule not to follow, while giving the rest of the kids another rule to follow. Clothing will not change the violent behavior we see in schools; therefore, let us spend more time worrying about more important issues such as academic performance, better disciplinary policies and creating a better climate in our educational institutions. Works Cited Crook, E. (2004). Dad against the dress code. Texas Monthly, Hymowitz, K. (2009). New York Times Mayhew, L.M. (2007). School uniforms; cheap but uniformly fair. TelegraphPytel, B. (2006). Retrieved from http://barbara-pytel.suite101.com/dress-codes-and-school-a5232 Wilde, M. (2010). Excellent Schools.org. Taken from greatschools.org