For the love of anything sane, when is this kind of crap going to stop?  This is so stupid.  Do we expect to just take complete control of children away from their parents some day?  I know some parents would completely love that, but the idea of lack of responsibility is not virtuous.  Why isn't this community up in arms over this b.s.?

Breakfast at school now is on the principal

By Alfred Lubrano

Inquirer Staff Writer

In a locally unprecedented move, the School District of Philadelphia will hold principals accountable for the number of students eating breakfast in their schools.

Breakfast participation will be part of the report card that rates principals each year, along with categories such as attendance and math and reading performance.

All 165,000 students in Philadelphia public schools, regardless of income, are eligible for free breakfasts. But just 54,000 ate breakfast last year, district figures show.

The new system, which begins this year, is expected to increase the number of students eating breakfast, said Jonathan Stein, a lawyer with Community Legal Services, whose efforts - along with those of Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) - helped bring about the move.

Many studies have shown that breakfast boosts student performance and health.

"This is the first accountability system for school meals in the history of the school system," Stein said. "It's very exciting."

Wayne Grasela, senior vice president of food services for the district, said he was equally pleased.

"One of our main goals is to help improve a child's ability to learn," he said. "We're working with the principals to make this happen. They're already reaching out to us."

Not everyone is happy, however.

"You're doing a disservice to principals by holding them accountable without controlling for other variables," said Michael Lerner, president of Teamsters Local 502, Commonwealth Association of School Administrators.

Should a principal be blamed for a student who ate breakfast at home and therefore doesn't eat in school, asked Lerner, who was a principal for 22 years.

"Are we going to get to forced feedings?" he continued. "I think it's wrong to assume no parent in Philadelphia is providing breakfast each day."

And, Lerner added, many children wind up not eating, thereby wasting food.

"If you know kids," he said, "they'll eat what they want and when they want."

High-poverty areas

Advocates point out that many Philadelphia children live in high-poverty areas, and thus are more likely to be without the kind of nutritious foods that mandatory breakfasts provide.

And Grasela added that "it doesn't count against principals if kids already ate, because we already assumed that in our target numbers, which are reasonable and attainable."

Not every principal will be held to the same numbers, he added, saying the targets are on a graduated scale, taking into account established lower rates of breakfast participation at certain schools.

The goal is to increase breakfast participation by 35 percent over the next two years, so that participation would be 70,000 students by 2011, Stein said.

There is a huge disparity among schools in serving breakfast, according to a School District Division of Food Services analysis.

Maybe my reading comprehension has declined, but did this not make any fuckin sense to anyone else? They're trying to get the principal to essentially railroad kids into eating at school.

Considering that a) The majority of them probably ate at home, and b) providing an extra meal for 70,000 kids really isn't the best way to prolong the budget.

I feel like I must have read this wrong, it just isn't making sense to me.

 Why does this not make sense to people but mandatory exercise at school does?

Originally posted by Sabiancym

 Why does this not make sense to people but mandatory exercise at school does?

The breakfast menu for my child's school this week:

Monday - French Toast w/ Syrup Dipper

Tuesday - Mini Donuts

Wednesday - Scrambled eggs and sausage patty

Thursday - Pop Tarts

Friday - Breakfast Pizza

Keep in mind this is FDA nutritional standards.

That is why - especially when my autistic son is on a gluten-free, sugar-free diet.

Originally posted by Dekron

Originally posted by Sabiancym

 Why does this not make sense to people but mandatory exercise at school does?

The breakfast menu for my child's school this week:

Monday - French Toast w/ Syrup Dipper

Tuesday - Mini Donuts

Wednesday - Scrambled eggs and sausage patty

Thursday - Pop Tarts

Friday - Breakfast Pizza

Keep in mind this is FDA nutritional standards.

That is why - especially when my autistic son is on a gluten-free, sugar-free diet.

I didn't even know schools served breakfast.  I know mine never did.

Anyway, it's a school board issue.  If people don't like it, they'll complain.  If they do, all is well.

Originally posted by Sabiancym

Originally posted by Dekron

Originally posted by Sabiancym

 Why does this not make sense to people but mandatory exercise at school does?

The breakfast menu for my child's school this week:

Monday - French Toast w/ Syrup Dipper

Tuesday - Mini Donuts

Wednesday - Scrambled eggs and sausage patty

Thursday - Pop Tarts

Friday - Breakfast Pizza

Keep in mind this is FDA nutritional standards.

That is why - especially when my autistic son is on a gluten-free, sugar-free diet.

 

I didn't even know schools served breakfast.  I know mine never did.

And they wonder why kids are so hyper in school and so obese. To make matters worse, they sell 1 liter sodas ala carte - even at breakfast.

If memory serves, fast food companies have invested heavily in the school breakfasts in many states anyway, no?

Yes, we need to force them to eat breakfast, since they seem so undernourished.

If you read the second page which wasn't posted by the OP, they cite the actual discrepancy which seems to motivate now holding some principals accountable.

In some schools, participation is as low as 18 percent, while in others it's around 98 percent. Some schools showed as much as a 50 percent increase in breakfast participation from 2007 to 2008, while others showed a decrease of as much as 20 percent.

"Some schools need the push of accountability," said Kathy Fisher, PCCY family economic security associate. "We're really pleased the district is taking this important step to support kids' learning."

So it makes sense when there's as much as an 80% gap in breakfast participation, when proper nutrition has been shown to aide academic performance, to start holding some principals accountable for not getting breakfast to some students who may not receive it not at home and would benefit from it.

The measure isn't dictating that all schools MUST start serving breakfast during homeroom or anything, it's simply trying to solve why a voluntary breakfast program is working well in some schools, and others not. It's only ridiculous when the actual problem isn't understood and the solution consequently seems unnecessary.

A big problem is distinguishing between the poor kid who eats all the candy and drinks all the soda he wants and the poor kid that eats ketchup soup and ramen noodles.

WOW.. I have eaten breakfast my entire life, and never at school.

I have always had eggs, ham or sausage, hashbrowns; biscuits n gravy... No sugary cereals of anything like that . School food sucks, why would a kid want to eat that junk when they can have a real homecooked breakfast?  I used to wake up extra early and make breakfast for  my brother and sisters as well.  That would completely suck for kids to have to eat school food instead of good home cooking . LOL

Originally posted by //\\//\\oo

 

Yes, we need to force them to eat breakfast, since they seem so undernourished.

 

Actually, a healthy breakfast helps them lose weight by speeding up metabolism, however, from the looks of Dekrons menu, that would not have the desired effects.
 

It is actually better to eat 5-7 smaller meals a day rather than 3 large ones for increased metabolism. Breakfast should be one of the larger meals because you will burn it off during the day, and it kicks start your metabolism. Dinner being the smallest.

Processed food should not exist in anyones diet .. I don't understand how people can eat that crap.

A lot here seem to not realise that most of the children there are from a poor family and that this is aimed at seeing to it that they at least get a half decent meal to start the day off. Tho looking at the menu example i question the wisdome in letting buisness sponsors chose the content of such meals.

I think it's a good idea that schools are able to supply kids, if they want or are unable to get it from home, with breakfast. As Dekron noted however some schools fail miserably in their choices of what to serve. That's where parents need to step up and demand schools serve kids healthier choices, remove sodas/candy/etc.

Both sides need to work together to make it work.

*Edited - Typos

Originally posted by deviliscious

WOW.. I have eaten breakfast my entire life, and never at school.

I have always had eggs, ham or sausage, hashbrowns; biscuits n gravy... No sugary cereals of anything like that . School food sucks, why would a kid want to eat that junk when they can have a real homecooked breakfast?  I used to wake up extra early and make breakfast for  my brother and sisters as well.  That would completely suck for kids to have to eat school food instead of good home cooking . LOL

Because not everyone is so fortunate to have that luxury.

Originally posted by Sabiancym

Originally posted by deviliscious

WOW.. I have eaten breakfast my entire life, and never at school.

I have always had eggs, ham or sausage, hashbrowns; biscuits n gravy... No sugary cereals of anything like that . School food sucks, why would a kid want to eat that junk when they can have a real homecooked breakfast?  I used to wake up extra early and make breakfast for  my brother and sisters as well.  That would completely suck for kids to have to eat school food instead of good home cooking . LOL

 

 

Because not everyone is so fortunate to have that luxury.

So why would a person be forced to eat more breakfast, if they already ate at home? Supplying breakfast is fine, but FORCING them to eat breakfast at school is another. Have it available for those who need it, and allow those who don;t to eat at home. Why is that so hard?
 

Originally posted by Sabiancym

Originally posted by deviliscious

WOW.. I have eaten breakfast my entire life, and never at school.

I have always had eggs, ham or sausage, hashbrowns; biscuits n gravy... No sugary cereals of anything like that . School food sucks, why would a kid want to eat that junk when they can have a real homecooked breakfast?  I used to wake up extra early and make breakfast for  my brother and sisters as well.  That would completely suck for kids to have to eat school food instead of good home cooking . LOL

 

 

Because not everyone is so fortunate to have that luxury.

And how many breakfasts have you made for underprivledged youth?  Please don't pass on your wealth guilt to others who have no reason to feel guilty.

To the OP: Government programs always want more and more control.  It's the nature of things :(

It is unfortunate that more parents don't take responsibility for their children's needs and make sure they have the proper foods to help them grow strong.  This is unfortunately another example of people offloading responsibility to the government. :(

Originally posted by deviliscious

WOW.. I have eaten breakfast my entire life, and never at school.

I have always had eggs, ham or sausage, hashbrowns; biscuits n gravy... No sugary cereals of anything like that . School food sucks, why would a kid want to eat that junk when they can have a real homecooked breakfast?  I used to wake up extra early and make breakfast for  my brother and sisters as well.  That would completely suck for kids to have to eat school food instead of good home cooking . LOL

You deserve a cookie!

Why didn't we have breakfast pizza when I was in school?

Originally posted by Dekron

Originally posted by Sabiancym

 Why does this not make sense to people but mandatory exercise at school does?

The breakfast menu for my child's school this week:

Monday - French Toast w/ Syrup Dipper

Tuesday - Mini Donuts

Wednesday - Scrambled eggs and sausage patty

Thursday - Pop Tarts

Friday - Breakfast Pizza

Keep in mind this is FDA nutritional standards.

That is why - especially when my autistic son is on a gluten-free, sugar-free diet.

This list doesn't surprise me at all. While reading the article, that's all I could think about: how healthy is eating breakfast at school if they're just going to feed them the same crap they do at lunch?

While I understand that encouraging children who may not be able to afford breakfast (or don't have the time in the morning to do so) to eat even these crappy breakfasts is a good thing in the long run (ie: energy, focus), "grading" anyone on how many children take advantage of this program is just mind-boggling stupid. What's next, chaining kids to their desks until they finish their homework after school? But doing homework is GOOD FOR YOU!

Originally posted by streea

Originally posted by Dekron

Originally posted by Sabiancym

 Why does this not make sense to people but mandatory exercise at school does?

The breakfast menu for my child's school this week:

Monday - French Toast w/ Syrup Dipper

Tuesday - Mini Donuts

Wednesday - Scrambled eggs and sausage patty

Thursday - Pop Tarts

Friday - Breakfast Pizza

Keep in mind this is FDA nutritional standards.

That is why - especially when my autistic son is on a gluten-free, sugar-free diet.

 

This list doesn't surprise me at all. While reading the article, that's all I could think about: how healthy is eating breakfast at school if they're just going to feed them the same crap they do at lunch?

While I understand that encouraging children who may not be able to afford breakfast (or don't have the time in the morning to do so) to eat even these crappy breakfasts is a good thing in the long run (ie: energy, focus), "grading" anyone on how many children take advantage of this program is just mind-boggling stupid. What's next, chaining kids to their desks until they finish their homework after school? But doing homework is GOOD FOR YOU!

Yea, my parents hardly ever let me eat school food, and when I did I kept wondering what it was made out of.  I brought hot foods such as pot roast, stew, rice and chicken in a thermos, and always had healthy sides such as broccoli and carrots, apples, peaches ect .. The school food looked  like a punishment in comparison.

only thing i miss is that super greasy high school pizza.../drools

hey now we are allowed to eat a few unhealthy things once in awhile!!

Originally posted by smokemonsc

Originally posted by Sabiancym

Originally posted by deviliscious

WOW.. I have eaten breakfast my entire life, and never at school.

I have always had eggs, ham or sausage, hashbrowns; biscuits n gravy... No sugary cereals of anything like that . School food sucks, why would a kid want to eat that junk when they can have a real homecooked breakfast?  I used to wake up extra early and make breakfast for  my brother and sisters as well.  That would completely suck for kids to have to eat school food instead of good home cooking . LOL

 

 

Because not everyone is so fortunate to have that luxury.

 

And how many breakfasts have you made for underprivledged youth?  Please don't pass on your wealth guilt to others who have no reason to feel guilty.

To the OP: Government programs always want more and more control.  It's the nature of things :(

It is unfortunate that more parents don't take responsibility for their children's needs and make sure they have the proper foods to help them grow strong.  This is unfortunately another example of people offloading responsibility to the government. :(

 

So what do you want to do?  You don't want the government feeding children, so what do you propose.  Apparently all the private charities aren't getting the job done, so what is the solution.

I'm not even talking about the school breakfast thing.  Why is it wrong for government to feed children who aren't being fed at home or by private charities?  Please, I'd like to see you explain that one.  Would you rather them not eat?

Once the private charities prove that they can handle taking care of those in need I'll stop supporting government run aid.  Since that certainly won't happen anytime soon, I'll continue advocating my tax dollars going to feeding those in need.

And to answer your first question.  I volunteer at an after school program for young kids here in Chicago.  So shut it.

Jesus, Joseph and Mary.. The goal isn't to FORCE children to eat breakfast from now on. It's to figure out why there exists as much as a 80% gap between schools in the exact same system; where some serve breakfast prior to school, some during homeroom, and whatever other discrepancies that exist that might lend to such a huge gap.

Please don't sully something as freaking old and beneficial as school breakfast with the usual liberty vs. tyranny rhetoric this thread is headed towards, because there exists no mandate for breakfast and you can't without completing making an ass of yourself start using words like 'force'. Even if there were a measure to mandate breakfasts already be on every child's desk each morning, its not like they can force feed them.

But we all know where this thread is heading. By all means, go ahead, in a couple of pages you'll be watering the tree of liberty with rage keyboard tapping and have one more insignificant falsehood lodged into your brain to be afraid of your own country about.

Originally posted by Sabiancym

So what do you want to do?  You don't want the government feeding children, so what do you propose.  Apparently all the private charities aren't getting the job done, so what is the solution.

I'm not even talking about the school breakfast thing.  Why is it wrong for government to feed children who aren't being fed at home or by private charities?  Please, I'd like to see you explain that one.  Would you rather them not eat?

Once the private charities prove that they can handle taking care of those in need I'll stop supporting government run aid.  Since that certainly won't happen anytime soon, I'll continue advocating my tax dollars going to feeding those in need.

 

And to answer your first question.  I volunteer at an after school program for young kids here in Chicago.  So shut it.

You made a huge assumption that private charities haven't gotten the job done.  Show me an instance where schools have said to their community, "Please help us provide breakfast foods for the children."  Or "Please donate money to help bring quality foods in to the schools".  No, what they've done is gone straight to the government to provide for them, instead of taking responsibility and doing it themselves.

Why is it wrong for the government to feed children who aren't being fed at home or by private charities?

Because it is done through coercion, the only way government funds anything is with coercion.  Charity is only virtuous when it is done with both parties through voluntary consent.

"Would you prefer them to not eat?"  Lol what a ridiculous statement.  I said that children should go hungry where?  I simply asked, if it is so bad, why aren't you giving your time, talents and property to help?  Why do you think its virtuous to force others to help when you will not?  So you help out at an after school program, thanks for your service.  Now will you help 'feed the children'?

Free markets would solve this.  If it became an issue large enough that it actually mattered schools would be forced (through competition) to provide the services their clients want.  if parents wanted their students to be able to buy healthy breakfast foods then the schools could charge whatever they please to fill that need.  if you didn't want to pay that charge you're free to go elsewhere for education.

It ceases to amaze me how the problems caused by government are only solved by more government.

watch thsi video sab  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z1buym2xUM it explains why stealing is never ok, even when the government does it.

Originally posted by //\\//\\oo

 

Yes, we need to force them to eat breakfast, since they seem so undernourished.

 

I Alf. He's such a cute and unique character.

That T-shirt is awesome ;)