[Ed. Note: Recently a Lunch Tray reader asked a very basic question -- how can one parent begin to change school food? I responded to the reader in a series three posts: Part One offered advice for bringing about change at the classroom level (e.g., teacher rewards and snacks); Part Two dealt with changing the school-wide food culture (fundraisers, wellness programs, etc.); and Part Three talked about change at the district level.
Now I'm yielding the floor to my personal school food "superheroes" -- Janet Poppendieck, Mrs. Q, Chef Ann Cooper, Ed Bruske, and Dr. Susan Rubin -- to get their thoughts.]
Today we hear from Mrs. Q, an anonymous public school teacher somewhere in the Midwest. In her blog, Fed Up With Lunch, Mrs. Q is eating the school lunch with her students every day in 2010. She posts photos and descriptions, along with commentary and she always has great guest bloggers. I’m thrilled to have her on The Lunch Tray today.
Mrs. Q
Hello Lunch Tray Readers!! Mrs. Q…blah, blah, blah, you probably already know who I am!
I love that Ms. Bettina is running this collaborative series. How creative to think of this problem on various levels: classroom, school, and district. I think tackling a complex problem by breaking it down into “micro” and “macro” is a great strategy.
If you have a similar kind of personality as I do (which is extremely non-confrontational), the idea of being bossy and loud is disturbing. I don’t want to be known as “that parent” or a “bitch.” There are ways to get your point across in more subtle and powerful ways, which do not require you to get angry in a way that is upsetting to you and potentially off-putting to others. But you will have to work hard and be persistent.
I am an educator and so I know that parents have the power. When parents demand something in the school environment, they usually get it, especially if there is an active PTA or equivalent parent group at school. The easiest thing for you to do is join the PTA. Take the step, make a commitment, and do it. If there is not PTA, go ahead and start one. Bring the issue of school food reform (or any school-related issue including recycling, school gardens, composting, etc) to the attention of the PTA or parent group and gage their collective reaction. Are they in agreement? Is their resistance? If so, you might need to present more information and educate them about the need for healthy food and how important it is.
You should have an idea of who supplies the meals at school. Is it a corporation? Which one? Go over that monthly lunch menu with a magnifying glass. The name of the food service vendor will be there. Are meals cooked onsite or brought in frozen? I would suggest taking those steps prior to talking up influential parents in the PTA. Do a simple Google search on the food service vendor and go to their website. What information can you find out about what others across the country think about the company?
Join the PTA and, simultaneously, approach your child’s teacher. You don’t have to set up a special meeting; you can bring it up after school (after pick up time, which is so busy) or during parent-teacher conferences. Face to face is probably the best thing, but if you want you could send your child’s teacher an email, but watch your tone.
The way I approach discussions about school food is similar to how I learned to approach talking to my boyfriend (now husband) about important issues. If I started out with, “We need to talk,” he would instantly seize up and stare at me, asking, “What’s wrong??” But if I started out more casually, with “Hey I was thinking about…,” he would look at me and engage in conversation without being defensive.
You can be casual and direct. It doesn’t diminish what you are saying to couch it in normal, social language, but it’s much better stylistically for your communication partner to receive that information. “Hey, Ms. Jones, how was your week?” Be a sympathetic listener; teachers are people too. “You know, Ms. Jones, Joey came home with dum-dums in his pocket and I wondered is that a special reward for performance?” Get explanation for reward. “Would you mind giving him a sticker instead? It’s too much sugar before dinner (or whatever your reason is). You know, I know rice crispies and cheetos are occasional snacks or treats too. I can see how those kinds of foods are ok rarely, but I just worry that processed and sugary snacks aren’t good on a regular basis. What’s your thought on that?” Allow open dialogue. “Maybe the parents can get together and brainstorm some healthier snacks like cheese and crackers, grapes, carrot sticks that help them learn healthy habits and remain focused at school.”
It will be necessary to start a dialogue. Communicating about this kind of thing can be scary and challenging, just like chatting with your boyfriend about tough topics. But just like sharing your feelings with your loved ones, some things have to be said and it makes things better.
Now here’s where I get all cynical on you: unless you have a large coalition of parents, it’s going to be challenging for you to make an impression on the district level. But if you can get your local PTA motivated, all of you together can take action by sending emails or writing letters. I am a firm believer in hand-written letters. Email is no replacement for getting something in the mail. Write a letter to your superintendent. If you know who is in charge of nutrition services, send one to them as well. I love writing long letters to both friends and foes (though I don’t have time for that with the daily blogging commitment) and I always get a response.
Definitely peruse the resources provided by previous contributors: Chef Ann and Ed Bruske. No need to give you any more links to click. I hope that my post today answers some of your questions. Thanks!
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Many thanks to Mrs Q for contributing to the School Food Superheroes series! Next up, my BSLG (beloved school lunch guru) Janet Poppendieck, whose post will appear next week.
[Marvel Characters are TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.]
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