Would people be interested in an integrated healthy eating/wellness-oriented charter school?

[Anonymous]

I'm a new poster and am intrigued by the idea. It seems like a creative way to address food and obesity issues that our society faces. I applaud your initiative.

[Anonymous]

OP, many of the DC public and charter schools already focus on healthy eating and exercise. Ours certainly does. You need to do more homework on existing charter schools and what they do and do not offer.

[Anonymous]

If the school was otherwise a good school, I would have no objection to a healthy eating/wellness focus. But I wouldn't seek the school out beacuse of that focus.

[Anonymous]

Personally, I can't stand the American obsession with the health value of food and eating purely for nutritional reasons (read the first chapter of Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food and his discussion of "orthorexia" - people with an unhealthy obsession with avoiding unhealthy foods- in America, among certain socio-economic groups). I would avoid a school like this like the plague.

For the record, I love good healthy food and exercise, but the way it's approached by most people around me seems obsessive, competitive, and judgmental/elitist. The last thing I would want is for my kids to start looking down on others because they eat sugar, or for their lives to revolve around diet and exercise. No thanks!

I would, however, be interested in a Home Ec school, as someone seemed to make fun of. A school where kids learn to cook, learn to sew, manage personal finances, crafts, gardening, etc, would be awesome. Take out the focus on healthy eating though as the point of all existence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:for me it sounds like a charter for parents who used to have eating disorders and now just have obsessions with 'healthy eating' which in my opinion isn't that healthy. I'm not knocking healthy eating--I'm all for it and try to practice it--but having that be the basis of education seems totally misguided to me.

full disclosure; I used to have an eating disorder and have someone in my family who does, so this is a bit close to home.

Exactly. I have family members with eating disorders who started out "eating healthy," and gradually became obsessed with it to the point that they were seriously ill.

[Anonymous]

I'm not particularly interested in charter schools with a gimmick. I'm more concerned, OP, with your qualifications to start a high-quality, excellent public school with something to offer all DC kids.

If you have those qualifications, you don't need a gimmick. Just create an excellent program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With the exception of the farm-to-school cooperative, Mundo Verde is already doing most of what you describe.

So is Walker Jones (with an Urban Kitchen) they also keep bees and butterflies and eat the food the grow.

But, you know- they have black kids there, so we don't like to talk about it at DCUM.

[Anonymous]

One person's "gimmick" is another person's virtue. Every top charter that DCUM alternatively loves/hates. builds up/tears down has a gimmick....you either dig it or you don't. If you want basics, go to DCPS.

[Anonymous]

No sorry I am not interested. An important issue but you are over playing it a bit OP.

[Anonymous]

OP,
Since you're in ECE, are you talking about setting up a PS3/PK4 only program like AppleTree? As I'm sure you know (although maybe not all DCUMers), there is a huge need for high quality early childhood programs in in high poverty neighborhoods. The same areas where DCPS is closing schools. And of course everyone can benefit from health/wellness.

But have you considered creating a nonprofit service provider that could work with multiple schools? You could create curriculum, run PD or offer afterschool programs that serve students and their families. Without having to deal with the hassle of DC-CAS, facilities, and other things that would take time and energy away from your core expertise.

Foundations may be more interested in funding a scalable, replicable program that avoids the politics of charters vs. DCPS in facilities, funding etc. Being a service provider avoids the competition for enrollment, outside funding, and space with more established and growth oriented charters like KIPP.

Have you checked out Education Strengthens Families charter at Mary's Center in Adams Morgan? http://www.dcpubliccharter.com/data/files/Schools/60/053-ESF_AP11-12.pdf It's primarily for low-income, young parents and their children. The center provides comprehensive medical treatment and the school focuses on literacy for children and adults. But it doesn't appear that they have a specifically healthy eating or IB academic program.

AppleTree, ESF, and Inspired Teaching charter schools all grew out of nonprofits that built up expertise and scale in their core competence. That model may be aligned with your idea and mission more than Yu Ying.

Best of luck

[Anonymous]

I'm an NP. OP I totally support you in using your energy and ideas and creativity "for good". I think you have the roots of a good idea, although I would be even more interested if one part of the focus stayed sustainability and food systems (yes info on whats good and unhealthy and why) but much more focus on using the subjects of world food economies and agriculture as a platform for learning math, science, social studies... And unlike the PP who frowned on "home ec"-type classes, I believe cooking and home business management are excellent topics to teach (along with math, science, language, logic, literature... Etc etc).

Mainly though OP it seems like you've got a lot more really basic research to do. You said you know the founder of Yu Ying, start with her. Talk to the founders of some of the newer popular charters (MV, CM, IT). And to round out your initial research, talk to a couple of DCPS Principals and Principals at Kipp Academy and some Ward 8 schools specifically. In making the decision of whether to pursue this or not, there is no such thing as talking to too many experienced people - even if you don't end up agreeing with them.

Lastly, you really need to consider partnering with someone who has actually run a public school. Many years ago I wanted to open a school (but not in DC and my focus was arts therapy for victims of serious child abuse). This was before the huge rise of charters nationwide, but even then I found a lot of people interested in supporting me and even early commitments of serious funding. But here's the thing: while I had taught in several public schools, it was with an independent program and we weren't subject to the pleasures/pains of public school bureaucracies. Basically: I didn't have a clue what it would take to start and run a school, and I knew there were a ton of people smarter and more experienced than me that I should seek out and partner with.

If you have the time and energy, try to make it happen. But seek knowledgable allies and be open to all sorts of feedback. And then only do what works for you. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the exception of the farm-to-school cooperative, Mundo Verde is already doing most of what you describe.

So is Walker Jones (with an Urban Kitchen) they also keep bees and butterflies and eat the food the grow.

But, you know- they have black kids there, so we don't like to talk about it at DCUM.

I doubt it's the color of the children, seems more likely to be that the catchment area contains Sursam Corda, one of DC's more notorious housing projects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Yu Ying is in the process of applying to be an IB school. It says on its website that it not an IB school yet, but is "in the earliest stages of this process." Accordingly, it is not listed on the IB website as a PYP school.

I have no opinion on whether the 3 IB DCPS schools are "dreck," although it's certainly an uncharitable and unsupported opinion (speaking of unsupported opinions), but they are IB schools, so the OP might want to visit them.

WIS: IB test results for their students (most of whom get not just the IB diploma but a bilingual IB diploma) are excellent, as is their international reputation. Among my colleagues, whose children have attended at least 2-3 dozen international and UN schools around the world, the reputation of WIS places it in the top tier anywhere, not just in the US. But that is neither here not there; I was simply providing information for the OP, who--if he/she really wants to pursue an IB PYP school--might want to start there with her research even though it is a private school."

The website is dated. The school has gone through applicant, candidate, and is now finishing the authorization process. By the end of this school it will be an IB world school.

As a Chinese Immersion school, they are pursuing the bilingual IB Diploma, naturally. I understand WIS offers it in French and Spanish. This will be a fresh opportunity for DC families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Academia Alergia! Where all the hypochondriacs can send their diet-challenged children! No nuts? No grains? No GMOs? NO PROBLEM!

If you include GF, we're in!! Just kidding. We are the STEM obsessed parents mentioned above. Want kids to have a good job when they get older so I can have fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the exception of the farm-to-school cooperative, Mundo Verde is already doing most of what you describe.

So is Walker Jones (with an Urban Kitchen) they also keep bees and butterflies and eat the food the grow.

But, you know- they have black kids there, so we don't like to talk about it at DCUM.

Walker Jones is amazing! I was there for Early Stages and was really impressed with the kids and what it seemed they were doing. My almost 4 year old wanted to stay. I am shocked it isn't discussed here more!