Hi,<br><br>Just my comments on the article.<br><br>We are not "really" starving our children. The food program is based on district budget which a school district may or may not use. Sadly, how districts save money is for them to cut on food subsidy in schools. Schools also compete for grants and you are looking at $6 Million dollars for 3 years budget in one school alone, not a district (the grant writer for district I used to work for got a cut of $90,000 just for writing the grant). From experience, it is easier to use those federal grant money for technology because they are directly used inside the classrooms. Teacher training is also another feasible way to spend that money. Yes, our heart breaks when we have students who are hungry coming to school. But half of the time students do not even eat the food being served - breakfast is cereal, milk, fruit, yogurt/pop tarts and cheese string. They do not like that so they throw the food away. State laws require that each student is handed out the complete meal whether they eat it or not. If they don't want it even if it's untouched/unopened, it has to be thrown away. Because of this, it's a waste of money so that's why most school districts do away with giving out food. We cannot serve them the food they want like pizza, cheetos or soda because the Department of Agriculture already has those food calories counted. Schools are only allowed to give out candies during Christmas, Halloween and Valentine's Day. Other than that they have to watch out because people from the Dept. of Agriculture can make surprise visits and look at the trash cans then literally check them for any candy wrappers or soda cans. It gets ridiculous like that.<br>
<br>Another thing is there is MONEY for technology. Districts have already allocated budgets for online study builders (districts pay companies like <a href="http://studyisland.com">studyisland.com</a> based on how computers can access the online classroom) and just about any technology needed to suit each student's multiple intelligences. What is soaring nowadays in the US is the increasing number of learning disabilities among this generation. I work on the university student disability services so these students with learning disabilities pay $1200/semester to be accommodated in the university level. That means they get their own personal tutor. But not everyone can afford that. So some just don't go to college because it's too difficult. They would rather pick jobs that require a HS diploma or a GED, get married and have babies - well, it's a cycle. <br>
<br>Drop outs are hurting taxpayers money. If they drop out, they have to pay back their student loans. If they can't get a job, they go to public assistance programs. Now that's too easy to fall back into. <br>
<br>Bottom line - is to change the culture of entitlement. We work hard to have this technology for this generation. Life is too easy for them. Maybe it's our fault. Professors who are too stubborn to use technology are now forced to re-arrange their teaching to suit these digital natives. <br>
<br>I just think that because the food or SNAP program might soon dissipate with a different administration it's the end of the world and we are starving these children so hence they're too hungry to compete with the rest of the world. How many times have I informed my students that these food programs are not meant for long term assistance. They are temporary. You can't keep on extending unemployment and pass good jobs because you like getting your cheque every month without having to work. What we want to do now is change the culture where students can be self-sufficient and productive. It's actually called Work and it's been there for a long time.<br>
<br>Regards,<br><br>Charity Gamboa-Embley<br>Texas Tech University - Student Disability Services<br>CE Instructor - Goodwill Industries of Northwest Texas/South Plains College<br><br><br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Aug 30, 2012 at 11:29 AM, Dominique Lacroix <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:dl@panamo.eu" target="_blank">dl@panamo.eu</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/25/opinion/blow-starving-the-future.html" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/<u></u>08/25/opinion/blow-starving-<u></u>the-future.html</a><br>
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@+, Dom<span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br>
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-- <br>
Dominique Lacroix<br>
Société européenne de l'Internet<br>
<a href="http://www.ies-france.eu" target="_blank">http://www.ies-france.eu</a><br>
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