Free Republic

Summer break is in full swing in Austin and the district wants to remind parents that starting Monday they will feed any person under the age of 18 breakfast and lunch free of charge... "One in four students in Travis County are living in a food-insecure household—that means that they don't know where their next meal is coming from."... Parents can simply drop their kid off at the school to eat or join them. "Kids can come on their own, we would prefer they come with an adult for supervision. Adults can also eat with us. Breakfast is $2.25 and...

LA teachers oppose feeding 200,000 students Breakfast in classroom. Teachers Union vs SCIU Rush Morning update

In the last year, Oakland schools have introduced and expanded a host of programs, some federally subsidized, to feed students at school and home. Dozens of parents now line up outside schools, at the end of school days, to receive plastic bags of food provided by a food bank. “Kids are coming to school hungrier and hungrier,” said Allison Rodman, a mother of two students, who is involved in the Oakland School Food Alliance, a group working to improve school food. Rodolfo Perez, outreach coordinator for Greenleaf Elementary School in East Oakland, said: “Hungry kids cannot learn,” adding, “There are...

The debate over who should get free breakfast at school and who shouldn't is becoming the first nasty political issue of the 2011 legislative session. Just days after lawmakers killed funding to cover the 30 cent cost per meal for some kids, there's a Democratic effort to restore that money. It's a debate with no middle ground. State Democrats are accusing Republicans of not feeding hungry school children. Republicans are accusing Democrats and the media of distorting the facts. At a Democratic news conference Monday, nutritionists said kids who don't eat, don't learn. "It's been proven that money is a...

Passing on as received. Subject: Something You Won't Read About In the Papers During the Immigration Debate As you all listen to the news about the student protests over illegal immigration there are some things that you should be aware of. My wife is in charge of the English-as-a-second-language department at large Southern California high school which is designated a Title 1 school, meaning that its student’s have an average lower socio-economic and income level. Most of the schools you are hearing about; South Gate High, Bell Gardens, Huntington Park, etc., where these students are protesting are also Title 1...

Eating Our Independence for Breakfast by Edward Hudgins As many major public policy matters are being debated in Washington -- a Supreme Court nomination, runaway federal spending -- seemingly small erosions of our independence and, thus, our freedom continue with very little attention. District of Columbia school officials have just announced that all students will be offered free breakfasts, regardless of family income, under a U.S. Department of Agriculture program. School system official Mark Truax argues that, "Studies keep showing the benefits of a good breakfast: increased attendance, better behavior and better performance." What he fails to say is that...

Although free breakfast is available to all students in Miami-Dade Public Schools, only a small fraction are taking advantage of it. Even a registered dietitian with a master's of science degree and oversight of food services in the nation's fourth-largest school system, Penny Parham, advises: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. ''I sound like an old grandmother, but nutritionally, it's the truth,'' Parham said. ``Everybody should eat breakfast -- hands down. Research is clear and strong.'' Free breakfast has been available to all Miami-Dade students for more than a year, but Parham said participation is still low....

Three St. Louis public schools are experimenting with a new way to make sure pupils get the most important meal of their day, by delivering breakfast to their desks. Aramark, the district's food service provider, launched the pilot project this week at Froebel, Ashland and Dewey elementary schools. All students and teachers in participating classrooms at those schools will eat free, regardless of whether they qualify for free or reduced-price meals.