Reply to no matter which side you are on - Open Lunch Call To Action

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Reply to "no matter which side you are on - Open Lunch Call To Action - more time for input is needed"

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[quote=Anonymous]The concern is not just the policy itself, but the process. And both sides should agree that big issues & decisions deserve the proper allotted time for feedback period & review.

A significant change to the open lunch policy deserves transparent discussion and meaningful input from students, staff, parents, principals, and the broader community. So far, that has not happened and with a Thursday vote approaching, it may not happen at all unless more people speak up now.

The moment we say yes to closed lunches, a cascade of brand new decisions have to be made in an incredibly shortened time during summer period. This decision could immediately trigger a major reshuffling of lunch schedules in large schools whose cafeterias cannot accommodate all students at once. That raises real questions families deserve answers to before a vote:
What time will students now eat lunch? 7:45 AM? 10:00 AM? How will this affect class availability? Security? 
How will schedules be adjusted? Where will the kids eat? How will we deal with the rodent & cockroach issues many schools are already facing with more food & lunch spots spread throughout the building? 
What happens to club meetings, teacher access, and legally mandated accommodations like extended time? Kids who rely on lunch time teacher support because they have an after school responsibility?

Whether you support or oppose open lunch, these are substantial operational and student-life impacts that deserve thoughtful public discussion before decisions are finalized. You may be for a closed lunch but are you for all the changes that comes with it?

The timing also matters. With AP exams, prom, graduations, beach weekends, and countless end-of-year events happening simultaneously, many students and families are unaware this vote is even taking place.

Watch this video and decide for yourself:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peOdt8LZV9Q
When you see it you'll notice that rather than expanding opportunities for community feedback, portions of the discussion in this video appear focused on shortening the public comment period. Why is that? Why the rush?

Regardless of where you stand on open lunch itself, I hope we can all agree that a longer and more visible public comment period is warranted before making a decision that will affect thousands of students and families.

If you believe issues affecting our kids deserve proper time, transparency, and meaningful public input, please speak up and ask for a fair and adequate feedback period before this vote moves forward.  You can send a note to the folks here to request more time for big issues no matter what side you are on.

Graciela_Rivera-oven@mcpsmd.org

Brenda_Wolff@mcpsmd.org

Rita_M_Montoya@mcpsmd.org

Karla_Silvestre@mcpsmd.org

Laura_M_Stewart@mcpsmd.org

natalie_zimmerman@mcpsmd.org

Anuva_C_Maloo@mcpsmd.org  [/quote]

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