It baffles me that schools are not paying attention to kids long-term health

[Anonymous]

Honestly, all of those things bothered me and I wasn’t happy with the learning environment in my kid’s public school. So, I pulled him out and have sent him and his siblings to private school for years. I am exactly the kind of parent that would have advocated for change, but I thought it would be futile and change wouldn’t come fast enough for my kids. Their current school uses almost no screens and has a delicious lunch program cooked onsite. It also costs me an arm and a leg. I do understand why the public school system, which is not well-funded in the US, cannot do these things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To be blunt, I do not want my kid to be able to access any food at school that I didn’t send in lunch money for, unless school lunches start looking like Finland’s.

That means I don’t want my kid to be able to go up to the school lunch line and say “I forgot my lunch money,” and then be handed some junk without my knowledge.

How many kids are in your kid's school? If a kid forgets his lunch, do you really think they should just let the kid go hungry? Try to track down a parent by phone to ask if it's ok if the kid eats school food? Do you really think the cafeteria staff have time for this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure people outside your bubble really feel as strongly about this as you do.

I have no issue with screen time. Children need to be technically capable. I spend my entire work day staring at a screen. This is how professional jobs are structured. I want the schools teaching my kid how to use technology - including learning on screens.

I also don’t understand the outrage over occasional snacks for celebration. DC had a parent once that organized a “garden” party where the students celebrated an event with carrots and celery. The students thought it sucked - because it does suck. Your household rules of no sugar ever do not match most the nation. It’s not really fair to the other students to have your views pushed upon them.

Yes I know most people don’t share my views, and that is why we are in the current state of affairs!

I have commonly heard this belief spouted that “lots of computer games in school —> future Gates or Zuckerberg” but it is not true!! Those of us who are successful in STEM will tell you that there is no correlation, or more likely a negative correlation, between heavy use of screens and development of one’s observation, inference, and spatial awareness skills.

We actually host occasional afternoon “garden” parties for our ES-aged neighborhood friends with active backyard games. Snacks are limited to carrot sticks/hummus, fruit salad, and water. They demolish everything - hunger is the best sauce! I also do not mind sugar as a treat. About 2-3 times a month my kids get cupcakes or cookies in school to celebrate a classmate’s birthday or holiday party. I would not like if it were 2-3 times a week or day, especially if the treats had all sorts of unexplainable ingredients.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To be blunt, I do not want my kid to be able to access any food at school that I didn’t send in lunch money for, unless school lunches start looking like Finland’s.

That means I don’t want my kid to be able to go up to the school lunch line and say “I forgot my lunch money,” and then be handed some junk without my knowledge.

Oh well. Bummer for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure people outside your bubble really feel as strongly about this as you do.

I have no issue with screen time. Children need to be technically capable. I spend my entire work day staring at a screen. This is how professional jobs are structured. I want the schools teaching my kid how to use technology - including learning on screens.

I also don’t understand the outrage over occasional snacks for celebration. DC had a parent once that organized a “garden” party where the students celebrated an event with carrots and celery. The students thought it sucked - because it does suck. Your household rules of no sugar ever do not match most the nation. It’s not really fair to the other students to have your views pushed upon them.

Yes I know most people don’t share my views, and that is why we are in the current state of affairs!

I have commonly heard this belief spouted that “lots of computer games in school —> future Gates or Zuckerberg” but it is not true!! Those of us who are successful in STEM will tell you that there is no correlation, or more likely a negative correlation, between heavy use of screens and development of one’s observation, inference, and spatial awareness skills.

We actually host occasional afternoon “garden” parties for our ES-aged neighborhood friends with active backyard games. Snacks are limited to carrot sticks/hummus, fruit salad, and water. They demolish everything - hunger is the best sauce! I also do not mind sugar as a treat. About 2-3 times a month my kids get cupcakes or cookies in school to celebrate a classmate’s birthday or holiday party. I would not like if it were 2-3 times a week or day, especially if the treats had all sorts of unexplainable ingredients.

HAHAHAHA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

This is inaccurate and frankly naive. There is NO correlation between playing math/letter games on an iPad and being successful in a professional/technical career. If we want to support development of technical skills then an occasional lab is more than sufficient and screens do not need to be integrated into every activity.

+1

Many of my students have difficulty staying focused for a 10-12 minute picture book read aloud, no matter how funny or engaging. This was rarely a problem 20 years ago. Ironically,I have been encouraged to try using rewards--like watching a 3 minute video--to help students focus. The amount of screen time students get at school and at home is impacting their ability to learn, and we are just waiting for the research to catch up to what teachers already know.

This is very sad to read. I am recalling my son’s classmates (private) last year during mystery reader sessions. Their eager faces attentive, hanging onto every word I read aloud, some of them knowing the book practically by heart from having read it at home so many times. Why should some kids have an upbringing like this and others like what you described? It’s unfair and heartbreaking and schools are exacerbating it further.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure people outside your bubble really feel as strongly about this as you do.

I have no issue with screen time. Children need to be technically capable. I spend my entire work day staring at a screen. This is how professional jobs are structured. I want the schools teaching my kid how to use technology - including learning on screens.

I also don’t understand the outrage over occasional snacks for celebration. DC had a parent once that organized a “garden” party where the students celebrated an event with carrots and celery. The students thought it sucked - because it does suck. Your household rules of no sugar ever do not match most the nation. It’s not really fair to the other students to have your views pushed upon them.

Yes I know most people don’t share my views, and that is why we are in the current state of affairs!

I have commonly heard this belief spouted that “lots of computer games in school —> future Gates or Zuckerberg” but it is not true!! Those of us who are successful in STEM will tell you that there is no correlation, or more likely a negative correlation, between heavy use of screens and development of one’s observation, inference, and spatial awareness skills.

We actually host occasional afternoon “garden” parties for our ES-aged neighborhood friends with active backyard games. Snacks are limited to carrot sticks/hummus, fruit salad, and water. They demolish everything - hunger is the best sauce! I also do not mind sugar as a treat. About 2-3 times a month my kids get cupcakes or cookies in school to celebrate a classmate’s birthday or holiday party. I would not like if it were 2-3 times a week or day, especially if the treats had all sorts of unexplainable ingredients.

HAHAHAHA.

Well I don’t actually call them garden parties… I don’t have a name for them at all

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure people outside your bubble really feel as strongly about this as you do.

I have no issue with screen time. Children need to be technically capable. I spend my entire work day staring at a screen. This is how professional jobs are structured. I want the schools teaching my kid how to use technology - including learning on screens.

I also don’t understand the outrage over occasional snacks for celebration. DC had a parent once that organized a “garden” party where the students celebrated an event with carrots and celery. The students thought it sucked - because it does suck. Your household rules of no sugar ever do not match most the nation. It’s not really fair to the other students to have your views pushed upon them.

Yes I know most people don’t share my views, and that is why we are in the current state of affairs!

I have commonly heard this belief spouted that “lots of computer games in school —> future Gates or Zuckerberg” but it is not true!! Those of us who are successful in STEM will tell you that there is no correlation, or more likely a negative correlation, between heavy use of screens and development of one’s observation, inference, and spatial awareness skills.

We actually host occasional afternoon “garden” parties for our ES-aged neighborhood friends with active backyard games. Snacks are limited to carrot sticks/hummus, fruit salad, and water. They demolish everything - hunger is the best sauce! I also do not mind sugar as a treat. About 2-3 times a month my kids get cupcakes or cookies in school to celebrate a classmate’s birthday or holiday party. I would not like if it were 2-3 times a week or day, especially if the treats had all sorts of unexplainable ingredients.

I’m all for bringing back cursive instruction. And the scientific evidence supports it. But I’m generally alone in that view.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To be blunt, I do not want my kid to be able to access any food at school that I didn’t send in lunch money for, unless school lunches start looking like Finland’s.

That means I don’t want my kid to be able to go up to the school lunch line and say “I forgot my lunch money,” and then be handed some junk without my knowledge.

Oh well. Bummer for you.

Well no, I moved my kid to private where they don’t serve garbage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure people outside your bubble really feel as strongly about this as you do.

I have no issue with screen time. Children need to be technically capable. I spend my entire work day staring at a screen. This is how professional jobs are structured. I want the schools teaching my kid how to use technology - including learning on screens.

I also don’t understand the outrage over occasional snacks for celebration. DC had a parent once that organized a “garden” party where the students celebrated an event with carrots and celery. The students thought it sucked - because it does suck. Your household rules of no sugar ever do not match most the nation. It’s not really fair to the other students to have your views pushed upon them.

Yes I know most people don’t share my views, and that is why we are in the current state of affairs!

I have commonly heard this belief spouted that “lots of computer games in school —> future Gates or Zuckerberg” but it is not true!! Those of us who are successful in STEM will tell you that there is no correlation, or more likely a negative correlation, between heavy use of screens and development of one’s observation, inference, and spatial awareness skills.

We actually host occasional afternoon “garden” parties for our ES-aged neighborhood friends with active backyard games. Snacks are limited to carrot sticks/hummus, fruit salad, and water. They demolish everything - hunger is the best sauce! I also do not mind sugar as a treat. About 2-3 times a month my kids get cupcakes or cookies in school to celebrate a classmate’s birthday or holiday party. I would not like if it were 2-3 times a week or day, especially if the treats had all sorts of unexplainable ingredients.

I’m all for bringing back cursive instruction. And the scientific evidence supports it. But I’m generally alone in that view.

I had fine motor issues growing up, and handwriting was really good for those. What do they do now?

[Anonymous]

One of my pet peeves is people always wondering why we can't have nice things like Europeans. Many of those nice things happen because of higher tax rates because they have social democracies, not all out capitalism.

And as for Japan, maybe they are more capitalist, but they are having a huge demographic issue because people don't even want to have kids.

I agree that we need structural reform, but it does not come free. You get what you pay for and we don't pay/tax/invest enough to make that happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of my pet peeves is people always wondering why we can't have nice things like Europeans. Many of those nice things happen because of higher tax rates because they have social democracies, not all out capitalism.

And as for Japan, maybe they are more capitalist, but they are having a huge demographic issue because people don't even want to have kids.

I agree that we need structural reform, but it does not come free. You get what you pay for and we don't pay/tax/invest enough to make that happen.

There is an element here of making the perfect the enemy of the good, though.

We don't need to just fully adopt French or Japanese education systems. Yes, a really healthy, high-quality school lunch program is expensive to administer and the money must come from somewhere. Ok, maybe it is not feasible to serve our kids gourmet meals every day at school. I personally can accept that.

But there is no excuse for schools to be relying on hours of screen time, daily, for elementary school systems. No excuse. It is not more expensive to offer in-person, experiential instruction. It's just harder. It is easier to plan the kids in front of a YouTube video or hand them an iPad than it is to engage them with instruction.

And it doesn't cost anything to simply NOT give the kids candy and junk food all the time. It takes self-restraint and developing better ways to motivate the kids to participate and work hard.

I don't need gourmet French meals in school. My kid packs a lunch anyway because she's a picky eater and probably wouldn't eat the gourmet French meal. I just don't want school to be endless screen time and candy and junk food all the time. It is really not too much to ask and it would do a lot to help these kids grow up with healthy habits.

And sure, some parents are giving them screens and junk food at home. Of course this happens. But are you really telling me that since some bad parents do this crap, it's okay for schools to do it too? No. We have a collective duty to these children and we are failing them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my pet peeves is people always wondering why we can't have nice things like Europeans. Many of those nice things happen because of higher tax rates because they have social democracies, not all out capitalism.

And as for Japan, maybe they are more capitalist, but they are having a huge demographic issue because people don't even want to have kids.

I agree that we need structural reform, but it does not come free. You get what you pay for and we don't pay/tax/invest enough to make that happen.

There is an element here of making the perfect the enemy of the good, though.

We don't need to just fully adopt French or Japanese education systems. Yes, a really healthy, high-quality school lunch program is expensive to administer and the money must come from somewhere. Ok, maybe it is not feasible to serve our kids gourmet meals every day at school. I personally can accept that.

But there is no excuse for schools to be relying on hours of screen time, daily, for elementary school systems. No excuse. It is not more expensive to offer in-person, experiential instruction. It's just harder. It is easier to plan the kids in front of a YouTube video or hand them an iPad than it is to engage them with instruction.

And it doesn't cost anything to simply NOT give the kids candy and junk food all the time. It takes self-restraint and developing better ways to motivate the kids to participate and work hard.

I don't need gourmet French meals in school. My kid packs a lunch anyway because she's a picky eater and probably wouldn't eat the gourmet French meal. I just don't want school to be endless screen time and candy and junk food all the time. It is really not too much to ask and it would do a lot to help these kids grow up with healthy habits.

And sure, some parents are giving them screens and junk food at home. Of course this happens. But are you really telling me that since some bad parents do this crap, it's okay for schools to do it too? No. We have a collective duty to these children and we are failing them.

+100 and not to mention all the $ spent on ed tech could be re-directed to reward teachers to things like teacher salaries, lunch program, and who knows what else. Buying $millions of crappy, low spec laptops is suchhhh a waste of money!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my pet peeves is people always wondering why we can't have nice things like Europeans. Many of those nice things happen because of higher tax rates because they have social democracies, not all out capitalism.

And as for Japan, maybe they are more capitalist, but they are having a huge demographic issue because people don't even want to have kids.

I agree that we need structural reform, but it does not come free. You get what you pay for and we don't pay/tax/invest enough to make that happen.

There is an element here of making the perfect the enemy of the good, though.

We don't need to just fully adopt French or Japanese education systems. Yes, a really healthy, high-quality school lunch program is expensive to administer and the money must come from somewhere. Ok, maybe it is not feasible to serve our kids gourmet meals every day at school. I personally can accept that.

But there is no excuse for schools to be relying on hours of screen time, daily, for elementary school systems. No excuse. It is not more expensive to offer in-person, experiential instruction. It's just harder. It is easier to plan the kids in front of a YouTube video or hand them an iPad than it is to engage them with instruction.

And it doesn't cost anything to simply NOT give the kids candy and junk food all the time. It takes self-restraint and developing better ways to motivate the kids to participate and work hard.

I don't need gourmet French meals in school. My kid packs a lunch anyway because she's a picky eater and probably wouldn't eat the gourmet French meal. I just don't want school to be endless screen time and candy and junk food all the time. It is really not too much to ask and it would do a lot to help these kids grow up with healthy habits.

And sure, some parents are giving them screens and junk food at home. Of course this happens. But are you really telling me that since some bad parents do this crap, it's okay for schools to do it too? No. We have a collective duty to these children and we are failing them.

+100 and not to mention all the $ spent on ed tech could be re-directed to reward teachers to things like teacher salaries, lunch program, and who knows what else. Buying $millions of crappy, low spec laptops is suchhhh a waste of money!!

It's all a boondoggle for the education consultants and app developers and such. It's just third party vendors wooing administrators with tech and products and wasting education dollars on crap that does not actually make school better at educating kids. It's a distraction from the actual things that make school better -- smaller classes, well qualified teachers, well-maintained buildings, family and community engagement.

Teacher don't want to learn a new smart board/tablet/reading app/testing software/whatever. They want time and tools to actually teach. You know, the thing they went to school and got a degree to do? They want bathrooms that function and buildings that are properly heated and cooled. Outdoor play spaces with enough shade and grass and safe equipment for the kids. Age-appropriate curriculum requirements. Student and school assessments that do not eat up all the class time or force teachers to teach to the test.

No teacher needs another screen in their classroom. They don't need a stack of iPads for the whole class, especially if that class is in elementary! All of this just lines the pockets of people who don't even work in the classroom. Throw it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of my pet peeves is people always wondering why we can't have nice things like Europeans. Many of those nice things happen because of higher tax rates because they have social democracies, not all out capitalism.

And as for Japan, maybe they are more capitalist, but they are having a huge demographic issue because people don't even want to have kids.

I agree that we need structural reform, but it does not come free. You get what you pay for and we don't pay/tax/invest enough to make that happen.

Oh please. There is plenty of existing tax revenue that could be re-allocated to education. And plenty in the school budget that could be re-allocated to *real* education