Students left hungry and shamed!!!

[Linda7NJ]

Too bad Fox doesn't pick up on stories like this which took place a week or so before, in the very same school district with the very same Superintendent:

3,500 free backpacks being distributed to Willingboro students

Posted: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 12:00 am | Updated: 6:29 am, Tue Aug 27, 2013

Paraphrase

The Better Education Institute, a nonprofit organization in partnership with the Willingboro School District, will distribute 3,500 backpacks to parents and guardians from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Garfield East Elementary School and the J.C. Stuart Elementary School.

"We are grateful for BEI's commitment to help children in need in Willingboro. Their contribution will help our students start the school year prepared to learn." -- Superintendent Ronald Taylor

Organizers ask that children be in attendance during the pickup.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/loc...7-8afe-590b-b45e-c7effd2bc07f.html?TNNoMobile

He said okay to a group that wanted to make a donation...you think he deserves praise for that???

 

[O'Really]

I sound cold, but the schools are not responsible for feeding kids, even though there is a Lunchroom. Parents are! If the parents are not sending a lunch or lunch money, report them to DHR to be held accountable for not meeting the needs of their child!

Then I am cold too.
Remembering that the small creature you are responsible for needs to eat, multiple times a day, is one of the wonderful duties of a parent.
Not remembering something isn't the fault of the person who didn't remind you multiple times, it is your fault for forgetting. If you know you are a forgetful person, buy a calendar from the dollar store, and take the time to write down the things you need to not forget.
Responsibility and accountability are important.
If a parent does not have a job where they make enough money to feed their child, there are programs available with a child's welfare in mind. And yes, you need to fill out paperwork, and hand it in on time. You need to be a responsible and accountable adult human being.

 

[killarney rose]

Then what? The parents get's fined $$$ they don't have? The parent gets thrown in jail leaving the kid where? Then there's the man-hours paid to gov't agency employees for pursuing the case...

Umm....if the parents can't afford lunch money then they should be held accountable for not filling out the free lunch forms. There is NO excuse for this kind of lazy, irresponsible parenting. As far as DHR, its their job to investigate parental neglect. That's what they are there for. Not making sure your child has a lunch from home home or lunch money is neglect.

 

[Show Me]

I still like the idea our school district had when they went to doing ALL FORMS that day when you enrolled your child in school. You had to sign yes or no on the reduced or free lunch program. You couldn't enroll your child without the info. Seems to me a simple solution.

 

[killarney rose]

I still like the idea our school district had when they went to doing ALL FORMS that day when you enrolled your child in school. You had to sign yes or no on the reduced or free lunch program. You couldn't enroll your child without the info. Seems to me a simple solution.

That would work if parents had to enroll their kids each year. But all school systems don't require that. Once the kids are enrolled in a school, they stay enrolled after that unless the parents withdraw them and enroll them somewhere else.

 

[Sonya610]

Then I am cold too.

Yeah me too, I have just avoided commenting on this thread.

The constitution says every citizen has the right to "receive" an education. It Does NOT say the right to a government paid FREE education! Much less that the government is responsible for feeding all of those receiving a free education!

Now all meals are expected to be provided for free too. Even those that pay "full price" for the meals are usually getting heavily subsidized. A full price meal costs 90 cents or a dollar? I don't think so! And not just school meals, schools are sending food home and also keeping cafeterias open during the summer.

When I was a kid I went with a lunchbox and that is what fed me, yeah food from home, provided by my parents. Imagine that. The fact parents are NO LONGER EXPECTED TO EVEN PROVIDE FOOD FOR THEIR CHILDREN IS INSANE (hey if they are poverty stricken they get food stamps, meaning free food for the kids)!

Close down the school cafeterias and the problem regarding "denying children food and shaming them" is instantly solved!

 

[killarney rose]

Yeah me too, I have just avoided commenting on this thread.

The constitution says every citizen has the right to "receive" an education. It Does NOT say the right to a government paid FREE education! Much less that the government is responsible for feeding all of those receiving a free education!

Now all meals are expected to be provided for free too. Even those that pay "full price" for the meals are usually getting heavily subsidized. A full price meal costs 90 cents or a dollar? I don't think so! And not just school meals, schools are sending food home and also keeping cafeterias open during the summer.

When I was a kid I went with a lunchbox and that is what fed me, yeah food from home, provided by my parents. Imagine that. The fact parents are NO LONGER EXPECTED TO EVEN PROVIDE FOOD FOR THEIR CHILDREN IS INSANE (hey if they are poverty stricken they get food stamps, meaning free food for the kids)!

Close down the school cafeterias and the problem regarding "denying children food and shaming them" is instantly solved!

:yourock: this post deserves more than just the thanks button!

 

[Show Me]

That would work if parents had to enroll their kids each year. But all school systems don't require that. Once the kids are enrolled in a school, they stay enrolled after that unless the parents withdraw them and enroll them somewhere else.

Hmm...didn't realize that. Went to school in several states and all required enrollment every year even if you went to the same school each year.

 

[shygrl]

Umm parental responsibility seems to have disappeared. Reduced and free lunches are easy to get. You can not qualify for any aid and still get free or reduced lunch. Is it really to hard to full out paper work or call your child's school to check the account? Does the 5 minutes it takes to pack a lunch just ruin people's days. I am really lost at when it became the school's job to make sure a child has a lunch.

Parents should be ashamed that they don't want to take a few minutes out of their day to parent......and that their kids pay the price.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

 

[lil_buddy]

Umm....if the parents can't afford lunch money then they should be held accountable for not filling out the free lunch forms. There is NO excuse for this kind of lazy, irresponsible parenting. As far as DHR, its their job to investigate parental neglect. That's what they are there for. Not making sure your child has a lunch from home home or lunch money is neglect.

Ummmmmm.... I'm not defending those parents. Clearly, they are at best, negligent. Now what?

Have CPS come in and take the kids away to live happy, fulfilling lives?

Sometimes we have to find a best solution when there are many unpleasant constraints and the ideal is unattainable.

 

[killarney rose]

Ummmmmm.... I'm not defending those parents. Clearly, they are at best, negligent. Now what?

Have CPS come in and take the kids away to live happy, fulfilling lives?

Sometimes we have to find a best solution when there are many unpleasant constraints and the ideal is unattainable.

Yeah, if that's what it takes. Here's a novel idea, how about we require these people to actually parent their kids or face consequences as opposed to expecting the school to do it for them!:stormingmad:

 

[Txstrace]

Our school district has installed a system whereby you can pay online and add money to your student's account. They also notify you when there is a low balance. No more having to remember to write a check or have cash handy. This whole situation could've been avoided with a system like this...

They have it at the school she's at now and I'm sure they have that in the old school by now. It's a large school system that had lots of problems and continues to. We moved to a smaller town so she could go to a better school.

 

[LinasK]

It's all well and fine to say that feeding the child is the parents' responsibility, but when the parent forgets, why should the child suffer??? I think the school should provide the occasional cheese sandwich or PB&J so the child doesn't starve and has more academic success because they can concentrate better when they are not hungry. The school can notify the parents however they choose about the low account balance or bill them. The children shouldn't be penalized because of their parents!!!

 

[animlzrule]

A lot of kids only get to eat when they are at school. So we're going to punish the hungry children for the negligence of the parents? Is that really the society we want to be? We can't control the quality of parenting out there, but we can control whether or not the nation's children are in a safe, compassionate, civil environment during their school day. School is a reprieve from a harsh reality for many of these kids. Let them eat. It's the decent, humane, and moral thing to do. Can't we expect at least that much for children?

 

[animlzrule]

Yeah, if that's what it takes. Here's a novel idea, how about we require these people to actually parent their kids or face consequences as opposed to expecting the school to do it for them!:stormingmad:

That sounds great and everything, except for the fact that the children are the one's who are going to suffer, NOT the negligent parents. The parents aren't going to suffer ANY consequences. How can a civilized society lay that kind of responsibility on a 5 year old's shoulders? A 7 year old's shoulders? A 10 year old's shoulders? They are at the mercy of adults. Let them at least be safe, secure and fed at school.

 

[Linda7NJ]

Yeah, if that's what it takes. Here's a novel idea, how about we require these people to actually parent their kids or face consequences as opposed to expecting the school to do it for them!:stormingmad:

And just where pray tell are these foster parents gonna come from? You are aware there is a shortage? Do you realize the cost, not only to the child, but the tax payers, of placing a child in fostercare? You're aware social workers have too many cases already and are overworked and underpaid?

Sounds to me like you haven't thought this through very well. IMO

 

[Linda7NJ]

It's all well and fine to say that feeding the child is the parents' responsibility, but when the parent forgets, why should the child suffer??? I think the school should provide the occasional cheese sandwich or PB&J so the child doesn't starve and has more academic success because they can concentrate better when they are not hungry. The school can notify the parents however they choose about the low account balance or bill them. The children shouldn't be penalized because of their parents!!!

Cheese sandwich? PB&J? I still say no! Feed them the freaking hot lunch ... Do no throw it in the trash!

School is for educating children. Teaching children that school administrators are morons that would prefer them to go hungry and toss food in the trash? That's brilliant! Teaching them how NOT to be charitable. Perfect.

That's like saying the Red Cross should be disbanded because people should plan ahead and get blood from relatives.

 

[Linda7NJ]

It's all well and fine to say that feeding the child is the parents' responsibility, but when the parent forgets, why should the child suffer??? I think the school should provide the occasional cheese sandwich or PB&J so the child doesn't starve and has more academic success because they can concentrate better when they are not hungry. The school can notify the parents however they choose about the low account balance or bill them. The children shouldn't be penalized because of their parents!!!

Cheese sandwich? PB&J? I still say no! Feed them the freaking hot lunch ... Do not throw it in the trash!

School is for educating children. Teaching children that school administrators are morons that would prefer them to go hungry and toss food in the trash? That's brilliant! Teaching them how NOT to be charitable. Perfect.

That's like saying the Red Cross should be disbanded because people should plan ahead and get blood from relatives.

 

[MissJ]

Parents SHOULD do a lot of things that they DON"T do. Its not the childs fault. In this case the child is humiliated and food is going to waste. How is this in anyone's best interest.

 

[Flinders]

They will go hungry for ONE day according to this report.

Most parents in Willingboro should have gotten a letter from the school district in the mail today. It talks about a new lunch program. The new lunch program states that if kids, not on the Free and Reduced Lunch program, don't have money to pay for their school lunch, they will go hungry for the day.

That's like wasting food. If the kid already had the lunch, let the parent know instead of taking food from a kid.

http://www.myfoxphilly.com/story/23328897/new-school-lunch-program-upsets-parents

I can not see that good food was put in the rubbish in front of a child.

Many parents are so awful that their kids are shamed on a daily basis and would not dream of asking for a free meal. They don't want to call attention to themselves.

I know 2 teachers in Australia. There is not a canteen at all schools. One says the unfortunates have to grab whatever for lunch even if it is sugar.

These lunches are subsided by the government and if sales are down, so is the school budget.

They pre-purchase and if there are less consumers, the school misses out.

I can't believe kids get to have tabs for lunch. Kids should not have access to the credit card system.

Moo