No Packed Lunch w/o Dr's Note-Just 1 more reason

[Mrs Mungo]

The OP was full of inflammatory rhetoric about the public school system. This situation has nothing to do with the public school system. Headstart programs are federally subsidized pre-K programs for low-income and/or at risk kids. They have nothing to do with mandatory education. Calling it some sort of power grab comes across as ill-informed at best.

 

That is why the OP received the reaction that it did. To *me* interesting conversations use facts and logic to discuss the merits and/or drawbacks of a situation instead of fallacies and inflammatory statements. A request for additional information and a discussion about the merits of Headstart programs would have received a different type of response.

 

Surprisingly, requirements of a federally funded, voluntary preschool program doesn't show up on my list of reasons to homeschool my teenagers (none of whom have ever been in a traditional school).

[lovinmomma]

The OP was full of inflammatory rhetoric about the public school system. This situation has nothing to do with the public school system. Headstart programs are federally subsidized pre-K programs for low-income and/or at risk kids. They have nothing to do with mandatory education. Calling it some sort of power grab comes across as ill-informed at best.

 

That is why the OP received the reaction that it did. To *me* interesting conversations use facts and logic to discuss the merits and/or drawbacks of a situation instead of fallacies and inflammatory statements. A request for additional information and a discussion about the merits of Headstart programs would have received a different type of response.

 

Surprisingly, requirements of a federally funded, voluntary preschool program doesn't show up on my list of reasons to homeschool my teenagers (none of whom have ever been in a traditional school).

 

I completely agree with the bolded part and would also like to say that you are so very well spoken Mrs Mungo. Even when I don't agree with you I appreciate your posts.

[pushplaylearning]

The OP was full of inflammatory rhetoric about the public school system. This situation has nothing to do with the public school system. Headstart programs are federally subsidized pre-K programs for low-income and/or at risk kids. They have nothing to do with mandatory education. Calling it some sort of power grab comes across as ill-informed at best.

 

That is why the OP received the reaction that it did. To *me* interesting conversations use facts and logic to discuss the merits and/or drawbacks of a situation instead of fallacies and inflammatory statements. A request for additional information and a discussion about the merits of Headstart programs would have received a different type of response.

 

Surprisingly, requirements of a federally funded, voluntary preschool program doesn't show up on my list of reasons to homeschool my teenagers (none of whom have ever been in a traditional school).

 

Where did I bash all public schools?  I merely said it was wrong to tell a parent what their child could and couldn't eat with a little flare by creating an imaginary scenario of what life would look like if we followed the line of reason that "voluntary" federal govt programs have the right to decide if parents can give a child a packed lunch.  I mean really public school is voluntary or this forum would have no reason to exist. 

 

I didn't know this was a place that required facts to consider different opinions.   I hadn't seen a citation of resources by any posters anywhere to represent their opinions.  

 

Well at this point, citations would be a waste of my time as you aren't really looking for the facts or you would have found them already, but I leave you with some enlightening documentary and a TED talk.  completely unrelated to the topic...well, is anything unrelated really?  probably not, but maybe you will see that I am for all people. Maybe taxes collected from the people and used by the federal government could pull out the giant stick from its eye before pulling it out the speck of dust from a poor man's eye or lunch or whatever?  (interesting to say taxes fund federal programs with a government shutdown and a climbing debt ceiling...hmm, I guess we are all wrong...maybe the ones financing us are better suited to choose our needs...hmm, China, and who are the others?)

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pktOXJr1vOQ

 

[ChocolateReignRemix]

W  (interesting to say taxes fund federal programs with a government shutdown and a climbing debt ceiling...hmm, I guess we are all wrong...maybe the ones financing us are better suited to choose our needs...hmm, China, and who are the others?)

 

FYI - China owns less than 10% of our debt.  The majority of our debt is held within the US.  You are welcome for the fact check.

http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/21/who-owns-america-hint-its-not-china/

[Mrs Mungo]

Where did I bash all public schools? I merely said it was wrong to tell a parent what their child could and couldn't eat with a little flare by creating an imaginary scenario of what life would look like if we followed the line of reason that "voluntary" federal govt programs have the right to decide if parents can give a child a packed lunch.

Sorry, the link (and especially comments) were full of inflammatory rhetoric that your post appeared to agree with those comments. What would be the point of refusing to comply with the rules of your child's pre-school? Would you also consider it mere flair to tell you teenaged girl to flout her high school's dress code?

 

I mean really public school is voluntary or this forum would have no reason to exist.

Why would an education forum not have a right to exist? Or did you mean that we would have no right to homeschool, if the school system was not voluntary? Of course it is voluntary. That is my point. If you choose to participate in any system, then you choose to follow the rules and regulations of that system.

 

I didn't know this was a place that required facts to consider different opinions. I hadn't seen a citation of resources by any posters anywhere to represent their opinions.

Whether or not this happened within the school system is not up for opinion. It is a fact or not. If you offer opinion based in a mistaken assumption, then it is reasonable for people to correct that assumption before moving forward with the discussion.

[tabinfl]

Surprisingly, requirements of a federally funded, voluntary preschool program doesn't show up on my list of reasons to homeschool my teenagers (none of whom have ever been in a traditional school).

Mine either. In fact, the only traditional classroom my kids have been in was a preschool that was partially state-funded. They were allowed to bring their own lunch, though. :eek:

 

Where did I bash all public schools? I merely said it was wrong to tell a parent what their child could and couldn't eat with a little flare by creating an imaginary scenario of what life would look like if we followed the line of reason that "voluntary" federal govt programs have the right to decide if parents can give a child a packed lunch.

That's called a "slippery slope" argument. Your "little flare" (flair, I assume you meant) is a logical fallacy, and leads nowhere useful or realistic. More info: http://www.fallacyfiles.org/slipslop.html

[AimeeM]

I thought the blog comments were ridiculous. My favorite one?  Call Fox news! People need to untwist their underpants and see if there is any explanation before coming unglued. As others have said, if her kids are in a federally funded daycare, then there are often nutrition guidelines that must be followed if they want to remain a provider. There are reasons for that, and there are exceptions to the rule, as the provider politely explained.

 And really, sending a box of poptarts and a soda, just because you're p!ssed? How motherly. Just one more reason to homeschool? Do you live in a state with homeschool regulations? If so, do you follow them or not?

 

But don't regular public schools get federal funding as well?

[vonfirmath]

I thought the federal govt received taxes to pay for their programs making them obligated to respect parents' rights to pack a lunch. Interesting...I didn't realize how wrong I am, and programs that target the poor...well the poor are too stupid to know what is good for their kids. Plus, Volunteering for a program is definitely grounds for forfeiting ones right to pack their kids lunch or any parental right. What was I thinking....I concede. You win. Since all public schools receive federal funding, a petition is needed to stop packed lunches. Our govt has the right to end this atrocity and we need to encourage them to take it. Pop tarts and soda...what was I thinking? Removal of corn subsidies is definitely needed. We need to stop supporting bad parent choices with federal subsidies. In fact, a tax should be added too to all products that are bad for our health. That way the tax is voluntary just like preschool.

 

Alright this just turned political, so I concede for real. Rules are meant to be followed. Really, who is right and who cares? My kids aren't going to preschool so it doesn't matter to me, and I don't buy pop tarts, corn syrup and soda anyway so bring on the taxes. If my logic is flawed, I apologize. That govt education forgot to teach me logic. Darn them. We need to fix that. I humbly beg you for grace.

 

 

By whose definition of "bad for our health"

 

Even the government seems to go back and forth on some issues.  (Butter/margarine, for example)

 

[Tammyla]

I agree, that is crazy.

[GSOchristie]

The difference between ps and HS is HS is specifically a nutrition program, it is one of its chief aims. School is primarily for education, not nutrition, though nutrition is offered.

[nmoira]

The difference between ps and HS is HS is specifically a nutrition program, it is one of its chief aims. School is primarily for education, not nutrition, though nutrition is offered.

 

Head Start is also a federally funded program, as opposed to a public school that may receive some federal funds.

[Corraleno]

nm

 

 

 

Edited October 14, 2013 by Moderator
That was snotty.

[redsquirrel]

 

 

I didn't know this was a place that required facts to consider different opinions. 

We are all entitled to our own opinion. We are none of us entitled to our own facts.

 

And if someone does present me with an opinion that differs from my own I am going to want to know what they base that opinion on. If someone tells me the sky is green and grass is blue I am going to want to know why they think that. I might ask the same about opinions as well. If a friend didn't like a book, I might ask why not. I may not agree with their opinion, but there you have it. But, if a friend tells me that the public schools are inserting computer chips into students to track their movements, I am going to ask them for facts to back up their assertion. That is either true or not.

 

Very often it does come down to an interpretation of facts, but that means it is even important that those fact be correct and all the information be obtained. Just because someone has all the same information and facts as me does in no way mean that we will draw the same conclusions, but at least we know we are talking about the same thing.

 

Do people know that is how it works most of the time? Or do lots of you live in a world where you are allowed to make claims not based on fact and not be challenged? I mean, I get it, lots of us only associate with people who think like us and hold many of the same opinions. We can attend churches, read news and books and interact with media that only serves to shore up our worldview. But, it does get challenged every now and then. Sometimes the echo chamber gets it a little off. It isn't because we have done something wrong, we simply need to adjust.

[TranquilMind]

I thought I would share this.  I thought it was amazing when I read it.  I hadn't seen anyone share it here on the forum.   It is just one more reason to homeschool.   She got a note home that said no more packed lunches without a dr's note.  

 

Later in the comment section she said she was going to get a dr.'s note.  I was disappointed.  I don't think she should comply at all.  

 

I would have sent a box of poptarts and a soda the next day just to prove my point, but that is just me.  I like to be funny in a not so funny way.  But seriously I wouldn't comply.  I would show up everyday to watch my kid eat their packed lunch.

 

I have read in other places that some pre-k's do this for allergy reasons.  Is that a good enough reason?

 

here is the link:  http://www.my2crazycurls.com/2013/10/10/wait/

That is just insanity! 

 

Thank God we were able to avoid the ridiculous regulations.

[mom31257]

Read the note carefully. This is not a general public school, it's a federally funded preschol program. These schools are often for low-income and/or at-risk students, and part of the overall program is ensuring that the children have adequate nutrition.

 

This isn't an assualt on our freedoms, it's a comprehensive assistance program for a vulnerable segment of our population.

 

I agree. If people want to participate in government funded programs, the government is going to have rules and regulations that have to be followed. I don't see where she has a right to complain about something that is just part of the programs rules.  She can withdraw her child and put her somewhere that she pays tuition. She'll have more right to say something about the rules in that case.

 

Losing some personal freedoms and choices is the price we pay for relying on government help and intervention in so many areas.

[MomtoCandJ]

I'm on policy council for our local Headstart program, and dd was in the program for 2 years. Her program used the same food as the public school (they were all in the same building), I agree that most of it isn't really all that nutritious. Breakfast usually consist of cereal (usually something sugar loaded) with milk and juice. My dd isn't into sugary cereals but she had to eat breakfast at school (I usually fed her something different before school). They use breakfast and lunch for nutrition, social skills and self care. The only reason my dd was in the program was to recieve speech therapy (she aged our of early intervention and we were not able to afford private therapy).

[unsinkable]

local Head Start programs have to provide 20% of the funding themselves...it is the non-federal share.

[MomtoCandJ]

I'm on policy council for our local Headstart program, and dd was in the program for 2 years. Her program used the same food as the public school (they were all in the same building), I agree that most of it isn't really all that nutritious. Breakfast usually consist of cereal (usually something sugar loaded) with milk, a fruit and juice . My dd isn't into sugary cereals but she had to eat breakfast at school (I usually fed her something different before school). They use breakfast and lunch for nutrition, social skills and self care. The only reason my dd was in the program was to recieve speech therapy (she aged our of early intervention and we were not able to afford private therapy). In my dd's case they "allowed" her to eat just the fruit. For lunch the kids are served whatever hot lunch the school is providing for the older kids, there are a lot of kids who didn't eat anything for lunch because they won't eat whatever is served (I also fed dd lunch before she went to school).

Dd's program was a split program (a morning session and an afternoon session). Year one she was morning session and year two was afternoon.