No Noon Meal For Kids In Debt At Middle School

Originally posted by Char-Lee
So here is what i learned from going to school hungry.

First of all kick those that are down

If you are a little kid and helpless of your situation and your parents are poor or don't care, you are hungry and the majority of teachers will treat you like somehow your lack of nice cloths and food makes you less worthy of their care and attention. They will gush over the wealthy kids and not even look your way, not a kind word or any look of sympathy to be had...you are on your own.

In the meantime your well off country sends billions to aid children just like you in another country.

Yes guess we need our lessons!

You are absolutely right here, Char-Lee. I was from a wealthy family and gush they did. I was on the other end of the spectrum and was the wealthiest kid in my school (probably in a lot of schools). Back then, if kids didn't have money, they didn't eat. After watching the same kids just buying a carton of milk for months, I offered to "loan" them some money, knowing full well that they'd never repay it. We did it on the sly because I knew that there was pride involved. My locker used to get broken into a lot, especially during winter, and my coats would frequently disappear. Wouldn't you know it but the school actually ordered specially treated money and bought a nice leather wallet in order to catch the thief. I sabotaged it. Some might find that appalling but I was smart enough to know that kids were stealing my coats for a reason--they didn't have one. Actually felt bad that they probably felt like they couldn't wear them to school because they would've stood out. What I found sad is that the school administration didn't see that the real problem was that there were kids at that school that were abjectly suffering--no money for lunch, hungry, and cold--and chose to sink money into the wallet and money to further punish those kids to protect a wealthy kid from "petty theft". It's not petty when it's to keep a kid warm.

There is a double standard within the schools beyond a doubt. I was dumped into the gifted program with additional school resources being spent to try to make me "better" than everybody else. Unbelievable and disgusting arrogance that basically assures that some kids received a far better education than the rest. What that means at the end of the day is that some kids had more opportunity from the get-go than the rest and it was consistently amplified upon. None of my classmates in this program were poor.

Bertrand Russell, The Scientific Outlook, Pg. 233:

Those children, on the other hand, who aredestined to become members of the governing class will have a very different education. They will be selected, some before birth, some during the first three years of life, and a few between the ages of three and six. All the best-known science will be applied to the simultaneous development of intelligence and will-power.

www.scribd.com...

Both my children were placed into this program. My youngest is about to turn 11 and is learning Euclid and perfect numbers in it. If any don't believe me that what we have in the US is Russell's divided by class education, then explain to me why my youngest, who turns 11 in just a couple months, is learning of Euclid and number theory just like Bertrand Russell did:

"At the age of eleven, I began Euclid. This was one of the great events of my life, as dazzling as first love. I had not imagined there was anything so delicious in the world." Bertrand Russell.

Source: www.mathpath.org...

Char-Lee, you are right. Absolutely. I am so deeply sorry.

reply to post by Char-Lee


Unfortunately it is the only thing that would work because the school has no authority over the parent. Trying to be realistic and compassionate.

the policy is that any kid who can't pay gets a cheese sandwich and milk until the bill is worked out

the employees who decided to make the kids go hungry are bitter idiots who surely felt the kids were "liberals taking hand outs"

disgusting

Some arguments I have read here are truly terrible!

We come here and complain how terrible the world is, how people go without food, without shelter, we talk about how the system is rigged against people, how the few and wealthy continue to exploit the poor and many.

We can blame the parent sure that they lost their job or bills are pilled too high, we could blame their job that pays too little or laid them off, we could blame congress for allowing such crimes against man to occur that leave so many destitute while so few benefit. But most of all we should blame ourselves for promoting the perpetuation of a broken system.

Change the future by changing the children, do we really think teaching them that not having money means no food, or that we should teach by example by being compassionate and not let food be wasted, while stomachs empty for the sake of principle because the cost of profit!

More important then teaching a child through action, the cause and effect of a monetary system, we should teach through our own actions that compassion for fellow man, and sacrifice of wealth for the benefit of others health is a much greater message.

No child should go hungry or treated less then another because of the wealth status of their parents, I would pay twice as much in taxes to ensure that all children are giving a level launching point in life, that they are fed healthy food, and a proper education, one that before all else teaches equality, compassion, teamwork, creativity, and self discipline.

Being a MA resident, I will be writing my congressman on this crime against the future.

It's simple... these kids starve because they're not seen as children, they're seen as business.

Oh where our wonderful capitalism has brought us...

reply to post by WhiteAlice


Thank you so much! I also had money when raising my two and they were also both put into the gifted program. I made sure they were popular and had everything but tried to make them understand have compassion.

I was smart but no one cared I had A's on all tests but never did any homework, when I left school and took the GED they said I had the highest score ever in our county. when i went to college the others there for their tests passed my scores around and called me a genius.

When I was in 8th grade there was a girl like you, named Cindy, she was the wealthy girl with everything, the hair and nails done at the salon loved by all, but she was the first in a line of schools I attended (we moved every few months always new) to be kind...she was the sweetest person, she actually went out of her way to say something nice to me. I will never forget her!

I never had a coat and in the snow I didn't have boots, I would never have stole anything but I simply lived quietly with my pain.

Seems unreal how many people don't know about true poverty. We did not get welfare.

I was a babysitter at 12 for a woman, her little boy was about 7, a very angry gorgeous young man who never knew who his father was, his mom was out at dances all night brought home a different guy every night. She had me give him a piece of bread with sugar on it for breakfast, and the same for lunch. When I ate one too...very hungry...she accused me of eating her food :-( there was nothing at all but bread and some sugar.

I as a very poor kid ran into many like myself, people don't see them, they are invisible.

reply to post by nw15062


I know that I don't know you but I love you for this, nw15062. I wholeheartedly second the motion without any reservation. It was wrong when I was a kid and it's wrong today.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

If we do not provide for equality at the beginning of a child's life where, through no fault but the mischance of what economic status that they were born to can become a penalty against them that they bear throughout the course of their life, then we are not holding to the comprehension that we are, in fact, all created equal. Yes, some few may rise above the circumstances of their economic status at birth but it's an incredibly hard track to do so in the face of being, as Char-Lee astutely put it, kicked while they were down through a variety of venues from educators to peers. Why should this even be so? We're supposed to be the land of opportunity.

Originally posted by SearchLightsInc

Originally posted by bg_socalif

Originally posted by SearchLightsInc
So instead of feeding the children and contacting their parents they wasted items that could have been eaten? Talk about a lack of regard for what's going on in the world. Half the people on this planet are starving and they're throwing away food to set an example, what a joke.

I want to take every adult involved in this and crack there heads together. Stupidity at its best.

And while you're at it crack the parents heads together also, for not keeping enough money in their kids accounts.

If they can't afford then they should go on the Free Lunch Program.

Sh!t happens, don't punish the kids. Its not their fault their parents messed up.

Sin's of the father...it happens all the time. I bet they won't forget to keep enough $ in their child's account from now on.

Yes, it sucks for the child, but missing one meal isn't going to ruin a child's educational process. If that was they case i never would've made it out of grade school. I forgot my lunch money or sack lunch on more than one occasion and didn't each lunch as a result.

It's not the end of the world. I can't believe how many people have their panties in a bunch over this.

reply to post by bg_socalif


For every one event reported how many instances go unreported, these stories that occasional break, are simply the tip of the iceburg, they are indications that humankind is slowly losing its humanity.

That we are forgetting the most valuable resources in the universe is life, and all other things mean nothing if we forsake the importance and value of life.

To stand over trays of food, and when a child comes forward with a tray of food they are told to throw it away rather then eat it. That we need some policy or protocol that tells us what to do over our own morality and principles.

Are the meaningless jobs we occupy more important then a full belly of another, especially a child. I am sure if they fed those children and told their supervisor of the dilemma they would not have been punished but simply informed of the proper protocol.

Our commercialized ways have left us fractured and pinned against each other, we forsake compassion for principle, even when principle is clouded with ignorance.

We all depend on each other for everything, no one person could survive for very long alone, so we should also consider that our success, and happiness depends on the success and happiness of others too.

And no staff member stepped up and paid a few bucks so these kids could eat lunch? I know I couldn't function at school without it. This country has changed and not for the better, are their lunches served by Halliburton by any chance? (meanwhile the kids on the free lunch program leave will full stomachs while those of more means are left to suffer).

Well I think if we are to teach the kids real world scenarios, we should give them a charge card. Then they can charge it regardless of ability to pay. Now you can jack up the price, for the other kids who can pay. You can charge exuberant fees to the "non-payees" for collections and start their debt burden early! God I love capitalism! Now the lunch company can apply for federal bailout money for uncollected debt, because they couldn't pay their bills due to bad loans.

Without reading all the replies, let me tell you of our own experience here in Colorado with the local schools! I have four kids spanned all through elementary up through high school. The official policy is that they are to be given a pb&j and milk if they don't have lunch money, then they contact the parents about payment. At least that is what we were told. The school farms this out to a private company who comes in and makes the meals at one school and delivers it to the rest of the schools. Some food is made in middle schools and high school, but most of the elementary schools are delivered to in the morning for reheating at lunch. At any rate, this company works through the district as subcontracted labor.

I was at the office of the high school when a mom came up and explained her daughter was made to put all her food back because her account was 16 cents short. Her mom didn't know about the online way to keep tabs on what was in their account, but she said she usually just sent a 50$ check every so often. The secretary insisted the lunch line NEVER turns kids away for not having enough money, but the student kept insisting to her mom that the lunch lady made her put everything back and she didn't eat lunch that day. (on top of being embarrassed) The secretary was all but calling this poor girl a liar so I spoke up and said "actually they do this ALL the time! The middle school and high school has done it to three of my four boys on more than one occasion. I sometimes forget to write them a check and they have been turned away for being 2 cents short before." That shut the secretary up real quick, but she sat there throwing nasty looks my way.

The office will always say one thing, but in practice the lunch people do things their own way no matter what the school says. The middle school my boys go to even will run out of food before the line is done or will put food away while kids are still in line. It is getting ridiculous! They turned my best friends daughter away saying she had no money in her account. Well my best friend is recently a single mom and the kids are on free and reduced lunch so she should always have lunch, but they turned her away and wouldn't let her eat either.

This is a regular problem and I plan on bringing it up to the principal this Monday at the middle school.

My wife and I both worked for a public charter school and this was a constant problem. Deadbeat parents who were too poor to pay for their kids' lunch but too proud to fill out the form for free governmental aid. One year we had over $16,000 dollars of lunch debt that we could not enforce payment upon.

Our small school had to just absorb those costs which meant no Christmas bonus and definitely not a raise that year. With most of our teachers making barely more than minimum wages, it hurt!

There is no government mandate to feed students. It should stay that way unless the government is going to bail out every school in America. Our school did give students PB&J sandwiches to kids who couldn't pay for the longest but it never worked. Parents continued to abuse the system and we suffered because of it.

The true problem is the Dept. of Education and school law. Public, and charter, schools are restricted from exacting a fee from parents. Sure, there may be a library fine or something like it but it is illegal to require parents to pay a fine or fee for almost anything. There's the problem! There is no effective way to punish the parent.

One of my responsibilities was school attendance & truancy. I had to consistently call and harass parents to bring their children to school. C'mon. When your kid's grandmother has died 3 times in one year... I wrote police truancy tickets and had to meet several parents in court simply because they would not bring their kids to school. The great majority of problems we face in today's education stems from the parents more than anyone else. I've seen it time and time again. If the parents are disciplined or have their priorities in order, the children succeed.

Originally posted by wulfgar
My wife and I both worked for a public charter school and this was a constant problem. Deadbeat parents who were too poor to pay for their kids' lunch but too proud to fill out the form for free governmental aid. One year we had over $16,000 dollars of lunch debt that we could not enforce payment upon.

Our small school had to just absorb those costs which meant no Christmas bonus and definitely not a raise that year. With most of our teachers making barely more than minimum wages, it hurt!

There is no government mandate to feed students. It should stay that way unless the government is going to bail out every school in America. Our school did give students PB&J sandwiches to kids who couldn't pay for the longest but it never worked. Parents continued to abuse the system and we suffered because of it.

The true problem is the Dept. of Education and school law. Public, and charter, schools are restricted from exacting a fee from parents. Sure, there may be a library fine or something like it but it is illegal to require parents to pay a fine or fee for almost anything. There's the problem! There is no effective way to punish the parent.

One of my responsibilities was school attendance & truancy. I had to consistently call and harass parents to bring their children to school. C'mon. When your kid's grandmother has died 3 times in one year... I wrote police truancy tickets and had to meet several parents in court simply because they would not bring their kids to school. The great majority of problems we face in today's education stems from the parents more than anyone else. I've seen it time and time again. If the parents are disciplined or have their priorities in order, the children succeed.

Dang, where the heck do you live that parents don't make their kids go to school? That just seems weird to me! As for the main topic, I think it's one thing if you have repeat offenders, but to turn someone away because their account is over by less than a dollar and not let them eat is ridiculous! I pay for my kids lunches, but I am human and forget sometimes. Just last week my son had to put his entire tray back because he was a few cents short because I wrote a check out to my high school son instead of my middle school son by mistake. This is NOT a common thing for us, but yet they didn't give a crap about that and they sure as hell didn't give him a PB&J. He didn't eat lunch that day.

Thing is I'm not some dead beat parent. I volunteer, I bring food for teachers and staff during conferences and teacher work days, I know all my boys teachers and communicate with them regularly. I have helped with fundraisers, I volunteer reading with kids, and am generally speaking an involved parent. Yet somehow none of that matters, even though they know I regularly put money in their accounts. They still didn't feed my son because of a few cents, NOT OK!

It isn't the kids fault the parents may be deadbeats anyway.

reply to post by elevatedone


Those poor children! If the school has the food on hand and there are children who are hungry and in need, they should be given food. I can't believe we live in a country that can spend billion of dollars on wars but can't feed poor children. It's discusting. I hope someone with money reads this article and donates money so these children can eat. I would do it in a second but I'm barely scraping by.

Breaks my heart to think of those children's belly's growling while there is food sitting in the pantry. Sad.

I think all involved should be held on child neglect and that's parents all the way to the person taking the food away.

I would like to see a food card have to be purchased in advance say a month and then things can be handled before the kids have to be involved. Poor kids.

To tell you the truth I don't know who to be mad at more something like this happens. Parents, school system, or perhaps even the people that are pro-life. Trying to force people to have kids they don't want and things like this will be everyday news.

Originally posted by MaMaa
Without reading all the replies, let me tell you of our own experience here in Colorado with the local schools!...
....
This is a regular problem and I plan on bringing it up to the principal this Monday at the middle school.

When I was in school we were allowed to bring a lunch from elementary on up to high school (and I did every day because I was picky). Do they just not allow kids to bring lunches anymore? (I don't have kids, so I don't know what is going on with public school policies)

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000

Add to all this, they whine for money every election, without fail

LOL, the school I went to from K-12 ALWAYS asks for more money in the form of higher taxes every election as well. A couple years ago they asked for a large increase so that they could build.... a college grade theater! Because you know a growing town of 3,000 people needs that for the 400-500 students in the high school. When they began asking and campaigning for the raise it caused a lot of hard feelings in our small town. People were using the age old line of "it's for the children!!!!" and it got so bad that people who were pro-theater were calling into the local radio stations and shrieking about how if you didn't want to pay higher taxes for the children's enrichment then you needed to get out of "our" town. It was a really close vote, but we are currently the ?proud? owners of a massive production theater. The kids can be hung from the ceilings with harnesses, etc and put on impressive shows year round.... which would make more sense if this was a theater arts technical school rather than the local public school of a very small town.....



On the topic of children not being fed by the schools, I feel conflicted. I hate to see the kids punished for the parent's failure and kids and teens need food since their bodies are growing. I feel like if the school kids are allowed to bring a lunch then it isn't the school's responsibility to supply the lunches. However if the kids are banned from bringing outside food in, then it should be the school's responsibility since they are preventing the kids from being able to eat with their policy.

It he school I went to, If you didn't bring your lunch from home, and had no money to buy from the cafeteria, you'd be hungry unless you could borrow some money off your friends until you paid them back the next day.

Originally posted by GreenGlassDoor:

Welcome to real life: if you do not pay you will not eat.

Since schools are supposed to be preparing youngsters for life this will be one of those lessons that actually mean something.

Wow, your comment is getting a lot of stars. Wonder if you or many of the star givers consider yourselves Christians.

reply to post by elevatedone


I can understand expecting lunches to be paid for, but why would they serve the trays, then dump the food in the trash??? That makes ZERO sense. They could have fed the kids, then billed the parents, and explained that they have to take care of the money owed. These kids aren't the ones that are responsible for paying.