Eddie A. Perez
Mayor
---NEWS RELEASE---
(November 15, 2006)--- Hartford’s new attitude towards learning is making national headlines! Mayor Eddie A. Perez, who also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Education, is ecstatic about how happy and proud Hartford Public School students, teachers, and parents look every day when it comes to the new mandatory school uniform policy. And now that pride is sending a strong and positive message nationwide: Hartford kids are committed to learning! This message of hope and opportunity is featured in the November issue of “The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education,” a national magazine that focuses on increasing opportunities for Hispanics from coast to coast.
In the segment “Punto Final!” Mayor Perez discusses how this policy has received overwhelming support--- especially from parents--- because it helps eliminate distractions and accentuates learning in Hartford Public Schools. Businesses, like St. Paul Travelers, are also applauded for embracing this effort.
Mayor Perez sets the scene: “For generations, Hartford has been the place where families get a new start in a new country, so there are almost 70 different languages spoken here. How do we find common ground? How do we give our kids a sense that they belong? Uniforms. How do we stop the teasing when a child can’t ‘keep up with the Joneses’? Uniforms. Also, uniforms cut down on discipline problems and increase learning opportunities. Education is the great equalizer in our society. Let’s embrace it, uniformly!”
Hartford’s mandatory school uniform policy went into effect in September for grades Pre-K through 8. It will expand as early as next year to the high schools. This message and policy were of particular interest to the editors at “The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education” because 53% of Hartford’s school age population is Latino.