Hi Mamapedia mamas.........
I am reposting the answer that I wrote for the last question about this same thing for mamas who didn't read that post, but read this one.
There certainly are options for kids who have allergies or medical issues. I will guarantee you that if you are feeding your child organic, vegan or vegetarian lunches your child wouldn't be in this neighborhood school.
I also think that mamapedia is a fantastic resource. But these posts have fueled considerable misinformation about the city where I live and the school district that provides my daughter with an education that rivals many across the country. She does not go to the school mentioned in the article. She doesn't have to. Many kids, however, do.
Chicago is a large and diverse urban city with problems the likes you have never seen - and I hope you never will see. But that is not the entire city or the entire school district. Many of you are sitting within your perspectives of saying that your child would starve before they would eat school lunch. For many kids in Chicago, especially in neighborhoods like this one, this is the only meal they get each day, and certainly the most healthy. These kids don't have the option to whine about what is being served to them because they are focused on getting good grades and being thankful for the circumstance they are in.... because they know it could be much worse for them.
Are there parents in this particular school who have the resources, abilities and desire to fix their child(ren) a healthy home-made lunch every day? Absolutely. This is not a one-dimensional issue.
I am on a bit of a rant..... but this Tribune article was horribly slanted and has given a large amount of people who don't have the time, energy or desire to actually research the facts to make snap emotional judgements on how horrible this is when you have absolutely no idea what is involved.
Mamapedia is a fantastic resource for support and inspiration to mamas who benefit from and enjoy this community.
Posts and responses like these are counterproductive and one-sided.
Thanks for reading,
B.
original reponse--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am not generally in favor of this - for all the reasons mamas stated below. I think it is about educating parents on making healthy choices for their children - not taking away their ability to make parental decisions.
But this is ONE school - not the entire district.
Also, I wanted to provide some factual information for you.
*Chicago public schools always has 1 fresh fruit. Usually it is an apple or an orange.
*milk, chocolate milk and water is offered as a drink
*A Salad option is always offered
*in addition to the salad, children have either 2 or 3 options of 'main course' choices
*CPS provides a menu that tracks calaries and nutritional information by day and by selection choice.
*Yep - most of the meals are not gourmet - or even as good as what I could cook for my family. But I can cook well and with fresh ingredients. some parents can't or won't.
This school in particular........
*In this particular school, 99% of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch. It is an extremely poor area of the city (north lawndale) which is prone to violence.
*36% of the students do not speak english at grade level and receive supplmental 'english as a 2nd language' support.
This principal through her perserverence in getting grants/partnerships from outside CPS has brought extra curricular activities to this school that are not provided by CPS - arts, music and PE to name a few.
This is a year round "Track E" school and the principal instituted a dress code.
This school EXCEEDS not only CPS but state of IL standards in:
Math 79.4% (CPS 76%)
Science 75.7% (CPS 67%)
Attendance 97% (CPS 95%)
participation in extracurricular activities 78% (67%)
In addition, parent satisfaction was 91% vs 89% for CPS as a whole
These results are DESPITE poverty, violence and language barriers and being a neighborhood ONLY School - ie (no charter, magnet or selective enrollment students to bring 'up' the #s).
Additionally.....
Little Village Academy is designated as an Illinois Horizon School to Watch receiving national recognition for its exemplary practices. The Academy is currently on Track E year round school calendar and partners with Livio Medical Center to provide programs in sports, music and creative writing with Barrel of Monkeys to enchance academic achievement for all students.
But by all means let's get bent out of shape and focus on what our kids can/cannot bring to school for lunch. This is a SCHOOL POLICY. not a civil rights issue. Really?????? It's not discriminatory. CPS has a policy that you are free to apply to any neighborhood school if you don't like yours. If they have space available they will accept you.
By all means take your kid out of this high functioning success story of a school so you can exercise your RIGHT to send them lunchables and juice.
I say that principal should institute WHATEVER policies will help her teach those kids, who are at extremely high risk for being recruited into a gang or dropping out of school.
We gripe that teachers aren't doing enough to help our kids and then when they do we don't like that either and we tell 'em to butt out and scream civil rights.
Well, exercise your 'rights' and move your kid to a different (and probably less successful school) if you don't like it. THAT IS FREEDOM. "Freedom" is not crying foul if you don't like it and demanding that your kid get to bring whatever they want for lunch. Soooooo not important in the scope of these kids lives.
What's too bad is that the Chicago Tribune slanted the article the way they did -which causes people to NOT read the entire story and not look at all the factors involved and then rush to judgement.
Just my $0.02