Do students in Harford County Public Schools get enough time for lunch? No, says Ryan Burbey, president of the union representing county teachers, and he’s calling on the Board of Education to ensure a minimum 30-minute lunch period in all county schools.
Burbey recently began circulating the following petition, posting it on the Harford County Education Association’s Facebook page and sending it to local PTAs:
“Students Deserve at least 30 minutes for lunch.
We the undersigned, feel that it is the duty, responsibility, and obligation of the Harford County Board of Education to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for the children of Harford County. To this end, we feel it is imperative that every child in Harford County Public Schools be afforded a minimum of thirty minutes for lunch each day. Harford County students are among less than 10% of students in Maryland with less than 30 minutes to get and eat their lunch. Research has shown that kids need adequate nutrition to excel in the classroom. We need to make sure that our students have ample time to eat a nutritious meal before returning to the rigors of the classroom.”
Burbey says that lunch times have declined nationwide, sparking protests from other educators, parents and doctors. He started the Harford County petition to push for more time, which he sees as a matter of equity, health, and human rights. Burbey asks: “Kids can’t work at McDonalds without a thirty minute lunch, so how can they not get 30 minutes at school?”
Most Harford County public schools have 30 minute lunch times, said Gary Childress, HCPS Supervisor of Food and Nutrition, but some secondary schools have less due to the size of the school cafeteria or scheduling issues. However, Childress said in an e-mail, students in HCPS have enough time to eat:
“From my observation over the 7 years I have been here, we do not have schools that are not providing enough time at lunch for students to eat. What we have done, as an operation, is to work to increase service speed in the lines to provide the students more time to eat. In most instances, schools make the adjustment to assure the needs of the students to have adequate to consume their lunch.”
Burbey disputes the claim that most schools have 30 minutes for lunch; and those that do, he said, may only have it on paper, because the time allotted also includes transit time to and from the cafeteria.
Requests made by The Dagger for the number of minutes offered for lunch at each HCPS school have yet to be answered by the school system.
Burbey acknowledges that his call for 30-minute lunch times at all county schools is not entirely selfless, because teachers’ lunch periods mirror that of the students.
According to the teachers’ contract with the School Board:
“The duty-free lunch period shall extend for at least thirty (30) minutes but when the pupils have a regular lunch period of less than thirty (30) minutes the duty-free period shall coincide with such regular period of less than thirty (30) minutes.”
Burbey says that before teachers can eat, they have to walk their classes to the cafeteria in elementary and in some middle schools; and often both teachers and students are rushed, he said.
Nationally, the time allotted for school lunches ranges from 21 – 44 minutes, averaging about 31 minutes, according to a 2009-10 survey of school principals and food service managers, a summary of which appears below.
Studying the use of lunch time, the National Food Service Management Institute found that, on average, it took students 7 – 10 minutes to consume their lunch, with 20 minutes of “time at table” cited as the ideal recommended by food and nutrition professionals. Time is also spent during the lunch period for socializing, travel, food service and cleanup, according to the study.
As for a recommended length of time for school lunch, the School Nutrition Association doesn’t have a figure, according to Diane Pratt-Heavner, director of media relations. However, she wrote in a recent email to The Dagger, the new emphasis on fresh produce increases the time students need for eating:
“Under the new nutrition standards for school meals, cafeterias are offering more fresh produce, which takes more time for children to chew (think of the time it takes to eat an apple vs. applesauce). Often, school principals are in charge of scheduling decisions and it is critical that the lunch period be long enough for students to get to the cafeteria, get through the lunch line and still have adequate time to eat. (After all, students usually have to stop by the rest room and their locker too.)”
According to the National Association of Boards of Education, which has compiled state-by-state data on school meal programs, Maryland has no policy on adequate eating times, although other states have established guidelines.
Lastly, the Harford County Board of Education has no policy on the length of school lunch periods, according to Teri Kranefeld, HCPS manager of communications, because she said that school lunches are governed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Absent a minimum requirement for school lunch periods, Burbey’s effort to raise the issue may offer policy makers something to chew on.
Below are the results of the national survey on school lunch schedules cited above:
When I’ve visited my daughter’s elementary school I see so much fresh fruit and vegies tossed out. By the time the kids get there, get the food, sit down and start eating lunch they only have 10 minutes to eat before they have to start cleaning up. They eat the “good” tasting food first and then start on the fruits and vegies. We pay for this food and it’s getting thrown away. If they can’t make lunch longer then I wish they would give the kids fruit breaks. I use to do that at work. I never had time for a full lunch so I’d doggie bag the leftovers and eat it on my afternoon break.
This is Burbey showboating his false advocacy for students.
Everyone should understand Brian represents teachers.
Brian is the Teachers Union President not the Students and Parents Rights President.
Burbey for shame, you false prophet.
And since Ryan is HCEA president, he is incapable of caring for kids? I agree with him here, even if his advocacy is just for the teachers. I would want the time away from the kids to reset too. What I don’t understand is his failure to lobby for the state funding that is being cut to the county, after the recent poll to fully fund our schools.
I and MSEA have been lobbying for held harmless legislation since the state budget was first introduced and we realized there was a reduction for Harford. I just have not been doing it in the media.
Sine die is rapidly approaching, it doesn’t help that you are asking for assistance for a Republican county before a Democratic legislature and governor with political ambitions beyond our borders. O’Malley won’t have to confront the plight of Harford’s schools on the national stage, just the state of Maryland’s finances as a whole, so he can ignore your request without any blowback.
In other words: Good luck.
Um childhood obesity is at an all time high, why give them more time to gorge.
How much time do kids need? Go into any cafeteria and you will find that most students are done in 10-15 minutes. See how much time your children take to eat at home for lunch. I’ll be they don’t take 30 minutes to eat.
Yes, you are right that it takes me fifteen minutes to eat. That’s because I don’t eat a full meal. At Patterson Mill, we spend five minutes of “our” 25-minute lunchtime composting and throwing stuff away. The people who buy from the cafeteria waste another six minutes. Also, the cafeteria is the only place to talk. “Don’t talk now. You can talk in the cafeteria,” a teacher once said. I go home hungry.
As a parent with 3 children in HarCo public schools (1-elementary ,1-middle,1-high) they themselves have told me how little time they have to eat by the time they get through the line to purchase their food , especially the older two . I definitely think lunch should last a bit longer so my kids don’t come home starving because they were unable to finish their lunch . Even as an adult I know how hard it is to work/concentrate while your hungry .
At my daughter’s former elementary school (Riverside ES) they would get 30 minutes for lunch. It’s great if you are packer but if you have to get in line to buy lunch it can sometimes take up to 15 minutes to be served. The cafeteria workers are doing the best they can with an out-of-date kitchen/serving area; young children (K, 1st and 2nd) who can’t figure out what they want for lunch, or my favorite (if the kids forget their utensils or salad dressing since they are in a separate spot of the serving area – you have to raise your hand and wait for the 2 – 3 adults [to oversee 150 – 200 children at any given time] to come to you to bring you your fork, spoon,or salad dressing) and then finally when Food & Nutrition serve items that can’t be opened by little hands (yogurt tubes, bananas with no stems, etc), so the kids again have to raise their hands again and wait for someone to assist them. I have seen a lot of food wasted because they don’t have time to eat it because they didn’t have enough time OR because the food is not appealing (again a Food and Nutrition issue not a school/cafeteria issue). On the flip side, I have seen a lot of food wasted because the kids are too busy goofing off instead of eating. And then finally, if you are set to leave the lunchroom at 12:30, you are sometimes lined up 5 minutes early to get the table ready for the next class to come in.
Just spoke with my youngest who goes to Magnolia MS. She said their lunch period is 25 minutes long. I then asked is that 25 minutes from the time you get to the cafeteria. She said no that is from the time they leave the classroom. Then she said by the time you get through the line you have about 10 minutes to eat.
At the high school level I haven’t heard of any complaints, which is a good thing!
Since the school system would not answer the Dagger’s question. I challenge all readers (who have children or other family members attending a HCPS school) to ask about their lunch period. I bet it would be an eye opening conversation.
My daughter is an 8th grader at Magnolia MS. She also said they get 25 minutes from the time they leave the classroom. Many times, there are a couple of disruptive students and instead of punishing those students, many of the teachers will punish the whole class by holding them over and not letting them go to lunch. They surely don’t have enough time to eat.
My son said they get 27 minutes and has little time eating in that time frame and he buys. He said the kids who don’t get eaten spend lots of time in the bathroom in the middle of lunch.
My daughter also says that once they get to the cafeteria, they have to sit down at the table. Then they are dismissed by table to get into the serving line. One day, she did say the AP on duty forgot about their table and the AP was told about it, they had about five minutes to eat. I understand trying to keep it orderly but there has to be a better way.
Please sign an share our petition.
http://standupforpubliceducation.weebly.com/give-students-time-to-eat-lunch.html
You can also view various studies about the impacts of kids rushing to eat but clicking the hyper linked text.
Ryan,
If the teacher’s union is so concern about this issue I would suggest the union propose to the school system that they reduce teacher planning so that the children can eat.
Why don’t you start a petition to give teachers a raise that actually beats inflation? How about that?
Jesse, We have. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/542/164/438/harford-countys-children-deserve-quality-schools/
Teacher salary is tied to funding. I feel the same pain as the other teachers. I am on the step scale and lost 3 steps. We deserve better. We must convince the County Executive and County Council to increase funding; to prevent cuts, rifs and to be able to negotiate approriate salaries. You must know that HCEA is working hard at this. We need you to rally your friends, neighbors and family behind our cause. However, we can’t allow funding to be our only focus. We must also advocate to improve learning conditions and equity for all students.
The HCEA mission is as follows:
To work for the welfare of school children, the advancement of education, and the improvement of instructional opportunities for all;
To develop and promote the adoption of such ethical practices, personnel policies, and standards of preparation and participation as mark a profession;
To unify and strengthen the teaching profession and to secure and maintain the salaries, retirement, tenure, professional and sick leave, and other working conditions necessary to support teaching as a profession;
To enable members to speak with a common voice on matters pertaining to the teaching profession and to present their individual and common interests before the Board of Education and other legal authorities
Give me a break! I have worked in school cafeterias for 15 years. The students eat thier lunches in less than 15 munutes. Teachers start bringing their students down to lunch long before their official lunch period starts.
This issue is all about Ryan Burbey and the teachers union. Cindy, perhaps you could do some real research and quit submitting everything the union gives you or start calling yourself the HCEA Education Editor.
ParentTrap, your comments are unfair to Cindy. She did not support the union’s accusations by presenting them. As a former educator myself I see the problem. Kids don ‘t get much break to eat in school. On the other hand, many don’t eat much and are anxious to run around, with some of them getting into trouble with excess time at lunch. Instead of seriously punishing offenders, we punish the majority by keeping lunch times brief. Like many issues in education, there is the theory, and then the reality.
This is usually because the teachers realize that is the only way students can get their food with enough time to eat it before the lunch period is over.
Check out Montgomery County Public Schools. Once again, they get it right. My nephews both attended this institution and lunch was 50 minutes long. During that time they met for clubs, homework, or went off-campus for lunch. (and yes, everyone is just fine with that) Give the kids responsibility if you want them to act responsible. It’s amazing that when we give kids some leeway, they actually use it to their advantage. And no, teachers did not have to supervise every club. These kids are taught to be responsible. By the way, I am in many different work places during the year. Most companies allow 30 minutes for lunch. That includes time it takes to purchase a lunch and eat it. Granted, many can eat at their desk and work.
If you argue that there is not enough time in a day, check out their schedule, then if you still disagree check out the 7 keys to college readiness, and the free ACT and SAT prep they offer. Then check whether it works…Yup. All you need to do is check out how many Montgomery County kids are National Merit Scholars. By the way, RM has ALL demographics, very diverse. Is it perfect, of course not, just a good start.
sndhutch, could you tell me what institution in Montgomery County has student activities without teachers being present. I am sure the State Bar Association knows, but I would like to also.
Hi Monster,
Thank you for your comment.
I find it very telling and sad that you jump right to the litigation path. Threatening a lawsuit. Such a shame. Perhaps this is the reason teachers (especially newly indoctrinated ones) are so afraid to let students grow on their own. Parents know they can take that path. I think if everyone sits back and observes, they will be amazed, truly amazed at what 14 to 18 year-olds can accomplish on their own.
When I said teachers don’t have to be present, of course they are present in the school. The kids break up into groups around the hall ways and common areas, even some classrooms. And teachers may walk by or check in occassionally but the students are conducting business on their own. Can you imagine?? And by the way, my kids conducted meetings in Harford County Schools where teachers were not necessarily present every minute–they lived. Students are allowed to leave the grounds (at RM) without a teacher too. I think it’s awesome that we allow the responsible students to take on more instead of punishing/restricting everyone for the sake of a few as we have seen happens (see previous comments) Kind of the same as letting students excel if they can…not keeping your bright students to the average..which I know from personal experience tends to be a gateway for trouble (because of boredom) for these accelerated kids.
Will there be trouble makers? Naturally, let’s take care and help them individually, and not punish the group as a whole.
I taught High School. So many AWESOME kids are out there waiting to take on the world. (and some that cause trouble now, certainly will surprise you in years to come!) Let’s prepare them to be on their own BEFORE sending them off to the real world, whether it be college, trade school, work, or traveling about the world.
I realize I’m a bit verbose, but as you might tell, I am passionate about educating and loving on our students.
sndhutch, I was a high school teacher also, and I share your concern for kids. However, I live in the real world. Let something happen without a teacher present and see what happens. Surely, as a teacher you must know that. By the way, you didn’t identify the institution in Montgomery Co. or anywhere else that has students meeting without a teacher being present.
The information about Montgomery County Public schools is not correct.
First of all “open lunch” is not standard at all high schools. Only some high schools have “open lunch” where students can leave the campus and it is very controversial. It is not without problems including problems for local business, neighbors, and traffic issues (accidents).
Second, the hour long lunch in a closed campus is not great. It means that most of the students eat their lunches on the hallway floors. No cafeteria can handle 2,000 students, so students spread out through out the school during lunch. The students are not allowed in classrooms unsupervised, and teachers go into rooms and shut the door so they can eat their lunches. The hall floors are then littered with after lunch trash, spills etc… and school staff spend hours each day cleaning up. A hallway is not a cafeteria with seats, tables, and trash cans.
Third, I do not believe that students are allowed in classrooms without teachers. So the idea that students are meeting with out teachers would just mean they meet in the hallway and sit on the floor.
I’m having a certain amount of “wtf” here. The president of the teacher’s union? The same teachers union that hasn’t been able to secure my wife a raise that beats inflation for the past 5 years?
Get your priorities straight, Ryan. Affect the teachers, do your job, then worry about the other things.
Give them an hour for lunch, just make the school day longer.
Problem solved…. Next.
So now teachers get to work longer, thereby making even less money. This is the teachers union pushing this.
Give the teachers an hour too….
So, teachers are at school longer, so their salary works out to less per hour….
If we are paying them to eat lunch that is part of the problem….
Thanks for playing.
So you’re actually saying that they’re paying teachers too much? Is this a serious comment? People that are entrusted with the future of our children?
Do you understand how salary works? That it doesn’t matter if they’re there 40 hours or 80 hours, they get the same money?
Wait a minute Jesse, these are the same teachers that when I was in high school had 2 “planning” periods a day and spent them in the teachers lounge napping or outside smoking. If that is the same setup today, then I say make one of the “planning” periods lunch for the students. That way no more time is spent in school and the students get 40-50 minutes for lunch. Seems like a simple solution to me. But that makes it totally wrong because nothing can be made THAT simple.
Our school would not have the cafeteria capacity to extend the lunch period by much. Each cafeteria table is used by three different classes and lunches start before 11:00 already and end a little before one.
Based on observation, at different schools, thirty minutes is pushing the envelope for an adequate lunch. Elementary kids do get additional time for recess/freeplay, which I understand is not used for eating. I have heard my own kids on a rare occasion complain about limited lunch time, though it’s not the norm. An hour would be too much time for lunch. Forty-five minutes? I don’t know. The other side to this story is if you’ve got a whole cafeteria filled with students, who have finished their food and now have time to kill, that may be a recipe for mayhem. Again, in my opinion, the current lunch scheme is not at the top of the list of issues affecting education in Harford County. Now the new Core Curriculum…..
Amen……too much time, especially for elementary school children, would not be beneficial to anyone. I have seen students try to throw food on the floor and kick it like a soccer ball or use their forks as picks to tear their trays up when they are done with their lunches. This is a way for them to pass the time away!!!! Or they take left over food and mix it together to make a pretend new food! Gross!!!!! On average, 15 minutes is enough time to eat lunch. I am a kindergarten teacher. Our students have to be quiet the first 5 minutes so that they won’t waste time talking in order to eat their lunch. After 5 minutes, the students are allowed to whisper to a neighbor. As for me, I usually bring foods that I can nibble on for lunch because 15 minutes is not enough time from an adult perspective especially if I am having to open items for children who need help. I find that for me, I am still working even at lunch because I am still with my students. So yes, I deserve to get a paid lunch break!!!!!! My true lunch break happens at dinner time when I get home!!!!!!
Actually love the picture, but if you walk into any HCPS cafeteria you will not find lunch looking like this!
First off, no real silverware! The plastic ware depends if the dishwasher is working! Same with the tray, if no dishwasher the trays are styrofoam (which are very hard for little hands to balance). No cookies, they are not healthy according to Food & Nutrition (but ice cream is served) Same with the french fries, not a healthy option. Lettuce and tomato only on nacho day! Plus do you really know what is in the nachos? Not beef.
Michelle Obama knows more than 99% of parents about childhood nutrition. If your kids refuse to eat black bean burgers and quinoa, that is your fault for not educating them on healthy food choices, not the school’s fault for serving vegetarian slop.
So if you extend lunch another 10 minutes then you have to extend either the school day or 10 minutes less teaching time. If they reduce teaching time then they should reduce their salary since they are teaching less. We all know that wont happen. If they extend the day the teachers will be complaining how long their 7 hour work day is
Correction……8 to 9 hour work day. 7 hours with students…. 1 plus hours to plan effectively and throw in parent teacher conferences and meetings too……..thank you!!!!!!!!! Not to mention the hours at home with a teacher bag of papers to grade and critique!
CLUELESS!!
This comment is directed towards “like the picture”-
So now you are crucifying the lunch program for mechanical issues beyond their control? And crucifying them for not using real silver? Get a grip!
Before you post something that is untrue, perhaps you should do your research first. Baked cookies ARE served; one cookie per package. Ice cream is LOW FAT…remember, everything in moderation. If you have gripes in the personal nature with the program regulations and what is served maybe you should voice your concerns to a legitimate source! I encourage you to go out and look at the cafeterias. Look at the fresh fruit. Look at the salad. Look at the variety of healthy choices. If you want your kids to eat “french fries” and junk then maybe you should send them to school with McDonalds everyday.
-PTA Volunteer that supports the school lunch program
Moderation which results in many students, especially athletes, complaining they are getting insufficient nutrition due to the small portion sizes. Not every kid goes home to play Call of Duty for seven hours, some of them are running around at practice, swimming or lifting weights after school and the lunch program needs to accommodate their needs.
They can pack a lunch that suits their particular nutritional needs – including greater portion size. And packing a lunch would give them more time to consume a larger meal.,
So what about the students receiving free meals that also play sports?
I agree YM. I’ve spent a lot of time in school cafeterias throughout the district. In my opinion, without a scientific nutritional analysis, the food served is good! I see mixed green salads, a variety of fruits, milk, an entree with a protein of sorts, and a la carte items. A child has the option of purchasing a double lunch if one serving is insufficient. What I’ve seen is far superior than in years past. I’ve seen packed lunches from home that consist of some of the worst, nutrient lacking junk that is unfit for an animal. As far as the eating utensils and trays that the food is served upon, they are not something I would use in my home. But, I’m sure a dictate from a bureaucrat somewhere had something to do with the switch.
Kids do not have enough time to eat! they are waiting in line for 20 mins. Do a time study!
They absolutely do not. I do volunteer cafeteria duty at the elementary level and they are gulping down their food. Some never get to finish, especially if they have to go through the line to buy lunch. And, as a former HCPS’s employee, by the time you get the kids to the cafeteria, the teachers may have 18 min. for lunch if they are lucky. In high school, if they have to see a student, or attend an IEP meeting, they get no lunch.
Why don’t we just have school until 1:00 with no lunch? Then the kids can eat their own lunch at home.
Can’t do that becuase some kids families get free meals because they can’t afford to feed there own kids. But don’t worry they will keep having kids
I see that, in the same way those folks can’t afford food, you can’t afford decent punctuation and grammar. Be careful, your ignorant is showing.
I love the disconnect in this situation.
Welfare provides such families funding to buy 3 meals a day for their kids, yet they also get free lunch (and sometimes breakfast) at school without being asked to pay the school or return some of the money. Why do we not prorate their assistance checks for each meal that is made available at the school?
Kharn,
I never thought of it that way but I must say I agree with your outlook.
I agree….never saw it that way.
Schools get paid for the number of free and reduced lunches. The school encourages students to get free and reduced lunches. How nice that no one here has ever been hungry. You’d probably like a more Oliver Twist approach so the kids could work for their food.
“Research has shown that kids need adequate nutrition to excel in the classroom. We need to make sure that our students have ample time to eat a nutritious meal before returning to the rigors of the classroom.”
I wouldn’t feed that lunch to my dog.
Everyday I pack my children’s lunch and everyday they say I did not have enough time to eat. The kicker is that they have to through away what is left over. I just got off the phone with one of my children a student at AMS and what did he say. “MOM I AM HUNGRY”! I don’t see why the children are not allowed time to eat. Maybe from now on I will pack a sandwich and drink. Fruit and veggies can stay at home and eaten after school.
In comparison: MD State Law says that every full-time employee must be given a 30 minute lunch break. If the teachers can have 30 minutes; why can’t the children?
Unless something has recently changed, there is no law of required breaks in Maryland.
The federal standard is a paid 15min break included in every four hour period of paid work, two may be combined together for a 30min paid lunch but the employer may also require the employee take an unpaid lunch period in addition to the paid break(s).
Maryland is an employment at will state. No paid breaks required by law unless the employee is under 18.
Sorry didn’t mean to say “paid” breaks.
They must still abide by federal law.
If an employer says you have to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week…that’s the job. If you don’t like it, quit. As Kharn said it’s an employment at will state. There is no law that mandates breaks.
OOps, I meant what Jim in Hickory said, Kharn doesn’t know what the hell he is talking about.
Sorry Kharn but no you are wrong.
I can hire anyone for $7.25 / hour to work 40 hours in a row with no breaks in the state of MD and there is no law that would stop me. I might not win employer of the year award but it is perfectly legal. If you don’t want to work it ,that’s fine you can quit. If you are going to give legal advice on employment law at least do your home work.
You might want to look at Federal law which also applies in the State of Maryland.
My mistake, I was thinking of the retail employee standards.
Teachers have the same lunch time as studetns.
Are you sure? I thought the students taught themselves while the teachers were still eating
Folks, The subject of the article is whether kids in school have enough time to eat their lunch. It is NOT what they are offered for lunch by HCPS or who pays for it. If they don’t have enough time to eat then the answer is very, very simple. Make sure they get enough time as long as it is reasonable. Some kids will dawdle over lunch and not be finished in 45 minutes while others will gulp it down and be done in 10. What’s reasonable? If we can’t agree on a reasonable time period then we are all just looking to flap our jaws.
Give them 45 minutes and just make the day a little longer, not rocket science…….
Burbey will likely find a way to blame this on Obama’s Sequestration.
or
Pay teachers more…the children are starving!
Just imagine the complaints in boot camp at our various armed service branches;
“But Sir, I was given 50 minutes to eat lunch at school.”
My daughter comes home starving every day because either the portion size is small or the food is unappetizing. Today for example, she didn’t eat lunch because the pizza was oily on top and the tator tots were burned. Most days, the food is overcooked, or more recently cold. I don’t mind feeding her when she gets home, at least I know she will have decent food and enough time to eat it.
Maybe you should make their lunch if they are unhappy with what is prepared at the school.
Tater Tots? You jest! Does Michelle Obama know about this? Just kidding. The nutritional value of a Tater Tot is minus something. Could we please, please serve something with some nutritional value? Giging your kids Tater Tots borders on child abuse.
Funny how everyone nitpicks the most ridiculous, and miniscule issues ever nowadays. What’s next? School provided lunches suck? Brown bag your kids lunch.
Oh I know, we need to have a Shoe Lace Tying Enforcement Protocol Employee because children might not know how to successfully tie their own shoes, and it’s now the school’s problem because they could hurt themselves if they trip.
I think they should (1) extend the lunch period to 40 minutes, (2) have a volunteer rotation of parents to work in the cafeteria to help with order and timing, (3) reduce the length of the school day by 25 minutes, and (4) end standardized testing.
1. There’s no way I could eat in 25 minutes. I understand these parent, student, and teacher complaints.
2. If our government schools are going to be truly public schools then they should be more accessible to parents both in terms of input regarding academics and shared responsibility.
3. I imagine there is a lot of wasted time (e.g., hallway time, teachers settling down disruptive students, etc.) in a given day. Trim this down and reduce the day. There’s no sense in being there if the time isn’t used. There’s really no sense in being there if the only goal is to report back to the state that a school system has fulfilled their arbitrary amount of time needed to be in school.
4. I think we all know this has to end.
Tater tots and pizza? Wow! Sounds like a nutritional lunch!
Maybe you making her a healthy lunch would be a good idea? She could start eating instead of standing in a line waiting for unhealthy oily burnt food.
Cut the Cafeteria altogether! ….brown bag it…bring your favorites (share)…that way the budget can be balanced, teachers paid, more eating time, everyones happy….OH…… I forgot…FARM….doesn’t the independence card assist with this dilemna….I’m a bit annoyed with all this Political Correctness crap….give a kid a free tatertots and they usually wind up being tossed around….kids waste, government waste, Please, QUIT wasting my time……whatever happened to Common Sense?
We’ve downgraded to needing laws to legislate common sense back into the mindset.
I don’t think the issue is that kids don’t have enough time to eat lunch. Most are distracted by goofing around and talking instead of focusing on eating. I understand if the lunch line is long that the child may be rushed to eat but the solution is to pack your kid a lunch. A truly hungry child will find a way to finish eating within 10 minutes.