In an extraordinary rejection of parental decision-making over their children’s diets, the administration at Little Village Academy on Chicago’s West Side has banned homemade lunches to protect students from the unhealthy diet choices of their parents.
Students will now need a medical excuse to bring a lunch because Principal Elsa Carmona does not trust the nutrition choices of the parents. She explains “[n]utrition wise, it is better for the children to eat at the school. It’s about the nutrition and the excellent quality food that they are able to serve (in the lunchroom). It’s milk versus a Coke. But with allergies and any medical issue, of course, we would make an exception.”
While I respect the motivation, I find this policy to be another unnecessary intrusion into parental rights and authority. I have no problem with Carmona sending nutritional flyers to parents and encouraging their inclusion of healthy foods.
I will not get into conspiracy theories surrounding certain lunch ladies:
Source: Chicago Tribune
Jonathan Turley
This variant does not approach me. Who else, what can prompt?
“I’d rather my tax dollars go to fixing the problem than funding private, for-profit enterprise” – to which I would add – that may or may not be competent to fix the problem either and is, in fact, even more likely not to fix a problem if it interferes with their profit motive.
puzzling,
“These schools aren’t failing for lack of funds.”
If a school is failing, the reasons why should be looked into and corrected, but pulling funding only makes the problem worse. And, it does a great disservice to those students in those schools that are failing.
I’d rather my tax dollars go to fixing the problem than funding private, for-profit enterprise.
Stamford Liberal wrote:
These schools aren’t failing for lack of funds.
Elaine M,
“I don’t want MY tax dollars going to subsidize for-profit private schools.”
One of the best comments I’ve read here. I don’t get what is so difficult in that if a school is failing, instead of pulling funds to put towards private for-profit schools, why not just put the funds back into the failing school in order to make it better.
As far school lunches are concerned … I went to a very small private Catholic school through to junior high and we didn’t have a cafeteria. My mother, who I love dearly, isn’t known for her culinary prowess. Needless to say, some of my lunches were “questionable.” Once I hit public high school I thanked the goddesses for Liz Sue Bagels being right down the street … When my daughter was in school, I’d make her lunch every day – She could still eat PB&J and an apple every day for the rest of her life and never get bored.
That said, this is just a wee bit ridiculous to say the least …
House,
I don’t even need to see the videos to agree with your logic. And my experiences with homemade lunches was much as yours. As a working mother, my mom didn’t always have time to make my lunch and on those days she didn’t I ate at school. That being said, she did manage to pack my lunch most of the time. Not only was it consistently better for me than the school fare, it was better tasting as well. This principal’s arrogance is simply astounding.
I have posted two videos for people who want more information and analysis about this topic, because it really does infuriate me as a supporter of parents’ rights, kids’ rights, and the development of autonomous families.
http://bit.ly/h8oV0z and
http://bit.ly/g3rT9Z
Please view them; I hope you will agree with my logic.
It’s very unfortunate that a few parents’ bad food choices have led Ms. Carmona to conclude that she may summon the righteousness to substitute her judgment for that of the parents. My mother could have packed a far healthier lunch than any served at the school. Furthermore, Ms. Carmona’s generalizations are mind-blowing. She sweepingly states that it is better nutritionally for the kids to eat at school. I guarantee you that 9 times out of 10, my mom’s lunches would have been healthier, and the other time they would have been just as healthy and certainly not less. She implies that if the kids didn’t drink milk from the cafeteria, they would be bringing Coke as a general rule. I highly doubt it. Even if so, how about banning soft drinks or any kind of drink that isn’t 100% milk or juice. Ban potato chips while you’re at it — I don’t care. But it is simply ridiculous to suggest that all food packed by all parents for all kids on all days is somehow always substandard to what the school prepares every day with no exceptions to that rule.
When I went to school, there were no vending machines except one. That one machine gave you Washington state apple for 10 cents. I used just wait for a time when I would have the 10 cents for one of those apples. But, I think banning homemade lunches is the epitome of assininity.