Do wrap-around resources, 3 free meals, after-school activities, etc. move the needle?

[Anonymous]

Yes or no? If not, how did all this creep into schools? It blows my mind to hear about all the services the local title 1 primaries offer.

[Anonymous]

Never heard of all that and if they do, good. It only benefits the kids. If you want it for your kid, move to one of those schools.

[Anonymous]

What does "move the needle" mean? I am asking sincerely. What are wrap-around resources?

[Anonymous]

Teacher in a Title 1 School here. Students cannot learn unless their basic needs are met. It is not their fault their parents cannot provide for them so why shouldn’t schools provide food and extra support?

[Anonymous]

It doesn't matter. We've gutted social services, and now it's up to the schools to keep poor kids fed, safe, and out of the cold, and up to the jails to care for the addicted and mentally ill.

If we funded those services, maybe we could stop pouring endless money into schools that has no direct application to education. Yes, I get it that you can't learn if you're hungry, but feeding people is at least one step removed from the central point of a school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't matter. We've gutted social services, and now it's up to the schools to keep poor kids fed, safe, and out of the cold, and up to the jails to care for the addicted and mentally ill.

If we funded those services, maybe we could stop pouring endless money into schools that has no direct application to education. Yes, I get it that you can't learn if you're hungry, but feeding people is at least one step removed from the central point of a school.

Welcome to income inequality. When we address it as a nation so that everyone is making a decent wage, living in decent housing and getting access to decent health care, we won’t need to provide so many of these services through the school. If you want to see what that looks like (fixing schools by first addressing the income gap), google Pahsi Salberg and the school reform in Finland.

[Anonymous]

What are wrap around activities? I don’t know of any schools that serve three meals. We just added breakfast this year to make two, but few utilize it.

[Anonymous]

My city moved to free school lunch for all this year, and some schools are also offering a dinner option during aftercare. I work for a non-profit that offers afterschool programming (college application support) to high school students and we may also be able to offer free meals. It seems like studies are showing a positive effect, but there's no magic solution-and it seems like the people in power want to fund magic not incremental progress.

For the curious-other wrap around services include health care, support for parents applying for benefits, GED classes for parents, last year a few schools that had installed washers and dryers for student and parent use where getting a lot of attention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does "move the needle" mean? I am asking sincerely. What are wrap-around resources?

Um.. does all of this ACTUALLY elevate scores, reading levels, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My city moved to free school lunch for all this year, and some schools are also offering a dinner option during aftercare. I work for a non-profit that offers afterschool programming (college application support) to high school students and we may also be able to offer free meals. It seems like studies are showing a positive effect, but there's no magic solution-and it seems like the people in power want to fund magic not incremental progress.

For the curious-other wrap around services include health care, support for parents applying for benefits, GED classes for parents, last year a few schools that had installed washers and dryers for student and parent use where getting a lot of attention.

I teach third grade and have 24 students. On any given day I would say 2 or 3 get the school lunch. It’s very unpopular. I don’t think any get the breakfast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does "move the needle" mean? I am asking sincerely. What are wrap-around resources?

Um.. does all of this ACTUALLY elevate scores, reading levels, etc.

Slowly, incrementally yes -- at least in the early grades. Look at DCPS which is slowly doing better with young children -- e.g. grades 3-5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does "move the needle" mean? I am asking sincerely. What are wrap-around resources?

Agree.

I don't understand the title of your post OP.

Can your provide specifics in your post at the very least?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does "move the needle" mean? I am asking sincerely. What are wrap-around resources?

Agree.

I don't understand the title of your post OP.

Can your provide specifics in your post at the very least?

15:35 already answered this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes or no? If not, how did all this creep into schools? It blows my mind to hear about all the services the local title 1 primaries offer.

Meals crept into schools because during WW1, WW2, and Korea, the military was having to turn away large numbers of draftees because they were so malnourished.

My understanding is that the needle on childhood malnourishment has absolutely been moved, and that things like rickets and protein-energy malnutrition, which used to be relatively commonplace in this country, have been substantially reduced.

Having said that, while learning to read and calculate, and surviving to adulthood without a body deformed by malnutrition are certainly some of my goals as a parent, I also want more than that. I value things like learning to enjoy exercise, and quality of life during childhood. I don't have a problem with initiatives in school that support those goals for low income kids either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does "move the needle" mean? I am asking sincerely. What are wrap-around resources?

Agree.

I don't understand the title of your post OP.

Can your provide specifics in your post at the very least?

15:35 already answered this.

NP:--does it end the cycle of poverty? Do the kids that receive wrap around services "get out"? Can they get a job that provides a better life for their children? Do they understand how the world works enough that they can avoid poverty for their children?