Kids Are Back in School and Let’s Just Say Their Food Has Them “Thanking” Michelle Obama

Getty - MARK RALSTON/AFP

School is starting up again and kids will be hitting the cafeteria for some less-than-stellar food. A popular meme includes thanking First Lady Michelle Obama on social media for gross or sub-par lunches in an effort to mock her health plan, otherwise known as the “Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act.”

me and Austin when we see theres no chocolate,soda,and only whole grain in the vending machine #thanksmichelleobamapic.twitter.com/navjbdxhHf

— saige clawson (@saige_clawson) August 31, 2015

Here are some of the best #ThanksMichelleObama pictures from back to school week.

#thanksmichelleobama I payed $2.75 for thispic.twitter.com/XCDx4Qkb0N

— Hails❤️ (@hella_hailey) August 31, 2015

#ThanksMichelleObama ???????? btw it was served like this.They're supposed to be buffalo wings.(chicken nuggets & hot saucepic.twitter.com/6KKJe7fLgO

— kay.kay.kay(KKK) (@Kayla_Alaina) April 27, 2015

Gotta love Willowbrook lunches… #thanksmichelleobamapic.twitter.com/uoBs1O9GWO

— Juni Cortez (@Ethan2Wallace) August 27, 2015

#equalrightsforcheesesteakconsumers #thanksmichelleobamapic.twitter.com/48XB3G4G50

— KΛY (@realkayrowe) August 27, 2015

#thanksmichelleobama pic.twitter.com/jVZugl2yK9

— Katt (@sandsandseas) August 13, 2015

This is what costs taxpayers $4 #ThanksMichelleObamapic.twitter.com/mB3uy0QL78

— Dr. White (@RealDoctorWhite) August 31, 2015

#thanksmichelleobama I don't think this would be enough for a kindergartener pic.twitter.com/CDB2gzqVe0

— Ryan Hussey (@ryan_countryboy) August 28, 2015

#thanksmichelleobama "bacon" pic.twitter.com/OBlZX6qtWH

— Dylan Blum (@jamestoblame) August 31, 2015

Making sure our country's high school students get full tummies at lunch aren't we? #thanksmichelleobamapic.twitter.com/Ro0HdCVn3I

— bessie (@bjoman_) August 24, 2015

Smh school food #thanksmichelleobamapic.twitter.com/mb99GBK3ii

— Jimmy (@jimmy_nunez) August 28, 2015

#thanksmichelleobama #schoollunch pic.twitter.com/L0JQVs6ljg

— Jordan Chance (@JordanChance15) August 26, 2015

When you go to school in the hood this is getting out of hand ????#thanksmichelleobama #exposingluskin pic.twitter.com/6oIiJ8aF5t

— mylifeasana (@royaltytype) August 19, 2015

My lunch today.. #thanksmichelleobamapic.twitter.com/AEEIlPbHBU

— Liamtinson (@liamteenson) August 22, 2015

My school lunch????????#thanksmichelleobamapic.twitter.com/EEfavuPhyx

— kassidy reagan (@kassidy_maee) August 24, 2015

“@Bigdaddyswatts: School lunch 2k15 #ThanksMichelleObamapic.twitter.com/2PJiGLdoJY” #prayforus2k15

— emmy (@EPelston) August 11, 2015

#thanksmichelleobama pic.twitter.com/QQOUNJNe7E

— agann (@AllisonGannon_) August 4, 2015

'Nutritious' school lunch 4 the summer. Good that its free for kids under 18. Bad that its crap #thanksmichelleobamapic.twitter.com/lzrTUmuE0o

— Melissa Lane (@MeSillyWoohoo) July 27, 2015

#NothingMoreAmericanThan The 1st lady interfering with the school lunch program #ThanksMichelleObama @midnightpic.twitter.com/vFVxPyoE6M

— Elaine (@ElleMG7) July 3, 2015

#thanksmichelleobama pic.twitter.com/5Yz9BxEHue

— Savannah Finney (@savannahfinney3) June 15, 2015

When the school lunch is stuck to the plate #thanksMichelleObamapic.twitter.com/1U7GVKvYqC

— Renée (@CIUFIA) June 2, 2015

Melted 2 years ago. MT @Septire This is cheese in our school calzone. #thanksmichelleobama pic.twitter.com/W0wuAmwgWQ

— Jeff Capell (@JeffCapell) June 9, 2015

Kids do say the darndest things.

Via: Independent Journal

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Feds cheer skyrocketing dependency on ‘free’ School Breakfast Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Federal officials are patting themselves on the back for increasing dependence on the national school breakfast program, citing explosive growth with free meals in particular.

Data released by the Economic Research Service shows the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s School Breakfast Program currently serves about 13.5 million students in about 90,000 schools nationwide, statistics that have more than doubled since 1996.

“Throughout the history of the School Breakfast Program, the number of participating children was considerably smaller than in the National School Lunch Program and is still less than half. Nevertheless, as the breakfast program finding increased – and grants to schools to help start up the program became more available – the number of schools participating in the breakfast program has steadily grown, making it available to more students,” according to a USDA blog.

The ERS data is displayed in a “Charts of Note” series that highlights research on food assistance and other topics, and was undoubtedly chosen because of the striking exponential rise in free and total lunches served to students since the program was founded in 1975.

The program launched with roughly 2 million total participants, with about 1.5 million going toward free food and the rest toward reduced or full priced meals. By 1995, total participation had eclipsed 6 million with about 5 million in free meals. Last year the program provided food to more than 13.5 million students, including more than 10 million free meals, according to the ERS chart.

“A notable increase in the free and reduced-price share in both (the breakfast and lunch) programs in recent years likely reflects more children qualifying and choosing to participate during the 2007-2009 recession, along with policy changes that have simplified the process of program qualification,” the USDA blog opines.

Those policy changes can have a profound impact on participation. In recent years the USDA has expanded eligibility qualifications to allow for “community eligibility” in places where a high proportion of students qualify for free or reduced priced meals.

In those places, all students receive free meals from the government, as long as schools comply with very strict regulations on calories, fat, sugar, sodium, whole grains, and nutrition restrictions championed by first lady Michelle Obama.

And there’s also the breakfast in the classroom program that’s becoming increasingly popular in many school districts. Teachers in some school districts, however, have resisted that program because it cuts into class time and creates sanitation issues with younger students.

Cynthis Schaefer, superintendent in Keyes, California told the Ceres Courier the district implemented the program for a year by she canceled breakfasts in the classroom after teachers complained and the local teachers union filed a grievance.

“There are a number of issues to be worked out regarding the program, including employment issues that need to be negotiated with the teachers union,” she said.

In other places, like the UCLA Community School, parents have lead a revolt against the breakfast in the classroom program because they believe it’s offensive to parents and wastes valuable instructional time.

“They say if kids don’t eat they won’t learn,” mother Lilian Ramos told the Associated Press. “The truth is that many of our kids come to school already having eaten. They come here to study.”

The federal school food programs are also getting a boost from liberal lawmakers who seem determined to steer their constituents toward dependency.

“State legislation in the form of AB 1240 authored by Asseblymen Rob Bonta, D-Oakland, and Tony Thurmond, D-Oakland, is seeking to take such issues out of local control by mandating that lower income districts be forced to participate in Breakfast in the Classroom,” the Ceres Courier reports.

And there’s little question why. As the Food Research and Action Center points out, “it pays” to serve government meals.

“For the 2015-2016 school year, CACFP sponsors receive $1.66 for each breakfast served, $3.07 per lunch or dinner served, and $0.84 per snack. CACFP sponsors can additionally choose to receive the value of commodities (or cash in lieu of commodities), $0.2375 for July 2015 through June 2016, for each lunch and dinner served, which would total about $3.31 per lunch or dinner served,” a FRAC fact sheet reads.

Via: EAG News

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When A Mom Spotted One Question On Her Fourth Grader’s Math Homework, She Lost It

The district confirmed it was aware of the situation Thursday, providing a more detailed response Friday morning.

The mother of one Ohio elementary school student is enlisting the assistance of local and social media to determine why a recent classroom assignment was peppered with what she felt to be inappropriate references.

She posted a social media photo showing an assignment sent home on the second day of the school year, prompting the press and concerned parents to share the image.

I suggested that with questionable wording, he should, maybe, have the pages retyped with new words and recipes he agreed. So not sure this resolved anything, but at least this teacher is aware that parents do pay attention to their kids’ assignments.

The district confirmed it was aware of the situation Thursday, providing a more detailed response Friday morning:

The wording is both insensitive and developmentally inappropriate. It also runs counter to the values of NAM and Cincinnati Public Schools, where we celebrate the diversity of our families and respect differences in backgrounds and beliefs.

Former district teacher Tyran Stallings agreed that the language used in this lesson was worrisome.

“I had an issue with the fact that liquor is being brought in a fourth grader’s classroom,” he said, “and in terms of education, I think that’s ridiculous.”

Should elementary school students be exposed to such references? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Via: Western Journalism

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Middle School Cancels Honors Night Because It’s Too “Exclusive”…

EAST GREENWICH, R.I. —Citing concerns about the "exclusive nature" of the annual honors night at Archie R. Cole Middle School, school officials have decided to scrap the tradition.

Instead, students who would normally be recognized at the annual spring tradition will be honored during team-based recognition ceremonies and graduation.

Update: School Changes Heart, Honors Night Back on the Table after Parent Outcry
The notice was sent to parents over the weekend in an e-mail signed by School Principal Alexis Meyer and Assistant Principal Dan Seger.

"Members of the school community have long expressed concerns related to the exclusive nature of Honors Night," the email stated. 

By having the recognition ceremonies during team-based ceremonies, it will "afford us the opportunity to celebrate the individual and collective success of all students and their effort, progress and excellence."

Via: East Greenwich Patch

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Michigan district reportedly lost $60,000 on lunch program due to menu changes

ARMADA, Mich. – Another school district – this time from Armada, Michigan – is reporting that it lost a significant amount of money on its lunch program last year after the federal government forced schools to serve lower calorie food that students don’t like.

The district with roughly 1,900 students lost about $60,000 on the program last year, according to the Voice News. The district had to dip into its general fund, which pays for teacher salaries and supplies, to compensate for the losses sustained by the “healthy” lunch changes promoted by First Lady Michelle Obama.

“Local revenues are going way down because the regulations are requiring us to put out food that the students don’t want to eat. You still have to buy the food; the students just aren’t eating it,” said district accountant Michael Frawley.

“With the new USDA guidelines, we got hit really hard,” food services director Stacy Moyer said. “They limited the protein, they limited the bread, so our nice, big sub sandwiches are now little, so we’re working very hard to do everything we can to get those kids back and try to be real creative on what we can do.”

“So what we try to do so we don’t get caught where we’re not getting a lot of reimbursable meals is we’re telling the kids, ‘you can have your hamburger and your milk, but you also have to take a fruit or vegetable.’ That way we do get the reimbursement money because we can claim it as a meal,” Moyer said in the Voice News story.

School board member Tami Seago suggested the district collect “unwanted lunch foods that could possibly be donated.”

That reminds us of a Seinfeld episode where Elaine suggests donating unwanted muffin stumps to the homeless.

Something tells us that’s not a viable solution for the problems created by the new lunch regulations. How about instead allowing school districts to serve meals students are interested in eating?

Via: EAG News

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Boston school bus drivers strike, so kids get lifts from cops

Hundreds of Boston public school bus drivers surprisingly walked off the job Tuesday morning in a labor dispute, catching many families and even the mayor off guard.

CBS Boston reports that approximately 15,000 students were stranded when 300 of the bus drivers' union 700 members refused to work.

Boston Public Schools called the move "an illegal work action" to protest safety and performance improvements.

Only 30 of the city's 650 school buses were actually on the road Tuesday morning.

The school system sent out automated phone calls to all families , but it came too late, according to most parents.

All schools remained open, but students who checked in late or who were absent were excused for the day.

The drivers work for the city's bus contractor Veolia Transportation, which has had no comment yet about the strike.

Drivers gathering at school bus headquarters in Dorchester told WBZ-TV's David Robichaud they're upset with Veolia and its' strict safety conditions, which they claim don't allow them any bathroom breaks during their shifts.

Via: CBS Boston

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Dinwiddie student forced to remove 'threatening' Duck Dynasty t-shirt

A Dinwiddie mother says her son got in trouble for wearing his Duck Dynasty t-shirt to school.

The popular show featuring a group of bearded millionaires is a hit on the A&E network, but the mother says her teenager was told the shirt was threatening to other kids at Dinwiddie High School.

"For this to be considered as a threat to the school," said Edna-Jo Spain. "I couldn't understand it."

Spain was outraged when teachers at Dinwiddie High School forced her son to remove the shirt, which shows a character from the reality television show Duck Dynasty clenching his fist.

"It says, 'I will hurt you physically and metaphysically,'" said Spain. "Anybody that ever watches Duck Dynasty knows that Si Robertson is famous for his little funny slogans."

"Your beard is so stupid it took it two hours to watch 60 minutes," said Uncle Si is a recent episode.

Spain says her son, Hunter, was given a choice to turn the shirt inside-out or go home.

"I'm not going to look stupid in front of all of these young ladies in the school," said Hunter with a smile. "So, I decided to get a different t-shirt."

School superintendent, David Clark, offered the following explanation in response to an email for comment.

"If you are a Duck Dynasty fan you understand the meaning of the shirt," said Clark. "But if you haven't watched Duck Dynasty you may question if the shirt implies violence. As a school division, we would like to keep our slogans on student shirts as non-violent as possible."

Edna-Jo Spain notes Hunter's grandmother gave him the shirt.

"A lady who would not even buy my daughter ripped up jeans to wear to school," said Edna-Jo Spain. "She viewed that as inappropriate."

Duck Dynasty is a pretty big deal in the Spain household.

"Big!" exclaimed Edna-Jo. "We are major fans. We are getting ready to go on the Duck Dynasty cruise next summer."

Hunter says he meant no harm.

Via: NBC12

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‘YOU MORON!!!’: ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER IN TROUBLE AFTER FACEBOOK RANT THAT RIPS A ‘CRACK HEAD’ PARENT, DUMB STUDENTS

The teacher works at Alicante Elementary in Lamont, a southeastern suburb of Bakersfield, Calif., and posted the following, according to KERO-TV.

Here he rants about a mom who complains he’s too harsh with students, adding that the woman’s third-grader can read only “7 freaking words a minute” and still counts on her fingers while criticizing the mom for possessing only a fourth-grade education and not speaking any English:

(Credit: Facebook via KERO)

Here’s the promised image, implying a family is on welfare:

Via: The Blaze

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‘WHAT IS GOVERNMENT?’ ELEMENTARY STUDENTS TAUGHT IT’S YOUR ‘FAMILY’

Fourth-grade students in Illinois are learning that “government is like a nation’s family” because it sets rules and takes care of needs such as health care and education.

So says a worksheet for social studies homework that was distributed to students at East Prairie School in Skokie, Ill, complete with a drawing of Uncle Same cradling a baby that represents the citizens.

The worksheet distributed to fourth-graders at East Prairie School in Skokie, Ill.

Students are then prompted to answer 10 questions comparing government and families, including how their family provides for their health care needs and how the government does the same, and what rules families set and what rules government sets.

The worksheet it titled, “What is Government?” and then goes on to answer that question.

“Government is all of the agencies, departments, organizations, groups, individuals in a nation who make, carry out, enforce, and manage conflicts about rules and laws,” the worksheet says.

Via: The Blaze

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Fat, Poor, Liberal, and Stupid

A recent study of obesity in children suggests that being overweight when young reduces the child’s intelligence. Researchers at the NYU Langone School of Medicine claim to have found that obese toddlers wind up being, well, stupid teenagers.

I would be apt to dismiss this Federally-funded study (see abstracthere ) as junk science, since the researchers do not simply claim a statistically small difference in I.Q. between obese children and their peers but a whopping 5 to 15% test score difference. Still, it does dovetail with other studies that give similar results, so for the sake of argument let us assume it is accurate.

(Interestingly enough, little was made of a recent study showing similar effects on children from high levels of fluoridation of water.)

The research was funded by the National Institute for Health and the lead author is founder of the BODY Project :

“Dr. Convit’s focus on combating and raising awareness about the impact of childhood obesity led him to create the The BODY Project, a program that works with New York City schools and parents to evaluate students’ height, weight, blood pressure, test for insulin resistance and record other measures of health, giving parents an overview of their child’s health status”

Which leads one to believe that perhaps Dr. Convit and his team are perhaps crusaders. Increasingly, science - particularly government funded science - serves political purposes and finds what the paymasters want them to find. This is particularly evident in Climatology where researchers produce voluminous bodies of work showing that the world is doomed when the actual world conditions show nothing of the sort. The way it works is simple; liberal activists get into controlling positions in science journals and professional organizations and reject papers that do not comport with their views, while promoting those that do. Once a paper is published it is used as a building block for another piece of research finding the same results, and the whole house of cards grows like a cancer, with no rebuttals allowed in the establishment system. Researchers understand this, and tailor their work to fit the new paradigm. It ultimately goes back to an excess of government funding.

Via: Canada Free Press

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