Tampa-area middle school attempted a "front of lunch line" pass

[Young Drachma]

Polk middle school principal denounces 'front of the lunch line pass'

Some Lawton Chiles Middle Academy parents aren't too happy about this letter. Pay $100 and your child can skip the lunch line. @BN9 pic.twitter.com/AuPvwxK0xG

— Stephanie Claytor (@ClaytorReports) August 10, 2017

In a statement sent to reporters, President of the PTSA Jil Bevis said:

“We strive to look for new and innovative fundraising ideas to enhance the school experience for our students. We offer a variety of fundraising options for our students and families to choose from each year. This Family and Business Sponsorship program was explored, but we decided to not implement. Due to a clerical error, the form was inadvertently included in the orientation packets. Our families have been notified this program is not being offered. The intent of our PTSA is to always do the best for our students and families.”

As of 5 p.m. Thursday, the form was still on the group’s website.

After learning about the form, Andrews sent an email to parents, asking them to disregard the form. He also stated he disapproves of any donation tied to “any student advantage or privilege on campus.”

“We don’t want any kids feeling like second class citizens. We don’t," he said. "That’s on me as the principal so ultimately, it is my responsibility what goes out to the kids. Again mistakes are made, but I think how the mistakes are recovered are important. And we did recover.”

Andrews said he had a conversation with the organization’s new president to remind her everything must be approved by him before being sent out to parents.

[Kodos]

They called it the Bob Uecker pass.

[Kodos]

[JonInMiddleGA]

Gosh, those express lane passes on the roads are sure gonna be a shock for some snowflakes.

[miked]

My kid's school has the same thing (though not a lunch lane pass). Each year there is an auction for tons of different things like Principal's helper for a day, librarian for a week, coach's assistant for field day, etc. Sometimes money needs to be raised and things need to be offered.

[stevew]

I fail to see the issue here.

[CU Tiger]

I mean the poors get free lunch, why should they complain about waiting until last.

I mean why not auction off the front of the bus as well. We could have all the wealthy kids sit up front and the poors at the back.

[JPhillips]

100 bucks? At least make it a meaningful donation.

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Gosh, those express lane passes on the roads are sure gonna be a shock for some snowflakes.

Fair, but I do think there's a large difference between adults paying for express lanes and middle school kids being told they have to wait until last to get their lunch because their parents are poor.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Fair, but I do think there's a large difference between adults paying for express lanes and middle school kids being told they have to wait until last to get their lunch because their parents are poor.

I definitely wasn't anything approaching rich, and certainly (thankfully) wasn't anything approaching poor. I could imagine how much my parents would laugh at the idea of paying to get me to the front of a lunch line. My friends and I would have been right at the back with the rest of the poors aka 99% of the student body.

[rjolley]

Originally Posted by Logan

I definitely wasn't anything approaching rich, and certainly (thankfully) wasn't anything approaching poor. I could imagine how much my parents would laugh at the idea of paying to get me to the front of a lunch line. My friends and I would have been right at the back with the rest of the poors aka 99% of the student body.

Yeah, I think the assumption that kids would be at the back of the line because their family couldn't pay isn't 100% right. I can't say that we would pay for it for our kids. We would, however, make sure that the lunch that they got was the same one that the other kids were getting no matter where they were in the line.

[Warhammer]

Originally Posted by rjolley

Yeah, I think the assumption that kids would be at the back of the line because their family couldn't pay isn't 100% right. I can't say that we would pay for it for our kids. We would, however, make sure that the lunch that they got was the same one that the other kids were getting no matter where they were in the line.

Yeah, we're well off, but there is no way I am paying for my kids to skip the line. Back in my day, the line wrapped around the cafeteria twice!

[stevew]

BTW fuck everyone who used alphabetical order to determine who got to eat first.

[Grammaticus]

Better not let them go to an amusement or water park. Those express passes will make them feel poor while they hang out in line on their iPhones.

[Easy Mac]

surely people can differentiate between necessities and amenities.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

surely people can differentiate between necessities and amenities.

Would amenities qualify as food they want and necessity qualify as food they need?

[General Mike]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

I mean the poors get free lunch, why should they complain about waiting until last.

I mean why not auction off the front of the bus as well. We could have all the wealthy kids sit up front and the poors at the back.

Interesting. When I was in school, kids wanted to sit in the back of the bus, as opposed to the front.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by Warhammer

Yeah, we're well off, but there is no way I am paying for my kids to skip the line. Back in my day, the line wrapped around the cafeteria twice!

Right. If you are well off, kids know.
Nothing gets said to your kid either way.
If you are poor, the fact that you aren't in front will be pointed out by every kid, even those who aren't in the front either.

That's not even taking into account that the first in line are done and get social/play time while the back half finishes eating.

[tarcone]

I think you guys would be surprised by the empathy kids have today compared to when we were in school.

There is a whole lot more acceptance. I dont think kids really care who is where in line.

[MrBug708]

Our school implements recess before lunch and it did make a noticeable difference this past year. But like every year, the kids lineup to enter the cafeteria and the noon supervisors pick the quietest line to enter the cafeteria. This is after all the kids who brought lunch get to go sit down first, which is an equity issue as well but why make them wait with everyone else?

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by tarcone

I think you guys would be surprised by the empathy kids have today compared to when we were in school.

There is a whole lot more acceptance. I dont think kids really care who is where in line.

They do but only that group of kids who has to be first in everything, line finishing a test, to leave the classroom. But yes, kids don't seem to care that much, especially in elementary schools where they are all in similar life circumstances

[bob]

While I don't agree with this exact policy and I know nothing about the demographics of this particular school, I can't exactly say I'm surprised. Schools are going to try to raise money any way they can.

This year my wife has already spent easily over $500 on supplies for her classroom. And I'm not talking about anything fancy like bulletin board decorations (although they are required to have their classroom looking nice without any supplies there as well). I'm talking about things like pencil sharpeners. And we don't live in some super poor area. She teaches in Roswell, GA.

We may spend a ton of money on "education," but not enough is making it down to the classrooms.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by bob

While I don't agree with this exact policy and I know nothing about the demographics of this particular school, I can't exactly say I'm surprised. Schools are going to try to raise money any way they can.

This year my wife has already spent easily over $500 on supplies for her classroom. And I'm not talking about anything fancy like bulletin board decorations (although they are required to have their classroom looking nice without any supplies there as well). I'm talking about things like pencil sharpeners. And we don't live in some super poor area. She teaches in Roswell, GA.

We may spend a ton of money on "education," but not enough is making it down to the classrooms.

Yeah it's a total racket. My wife would spend a zillion dollars on hers if i wasn't a complete dickhead throughout the process. Any job is going to require some out of pocket outlay. But I'll be damned if we're buying hundreds lf dollars of staplers and shit.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by tarcone

I think you guys would be surprised by the empathy kids have today compared to when we were in school.

There is a whole lot more acceptance. I dont think kids really care who is where in line.

Yeah, that scene in 21 Jump Street wasnt too far off the mark tbh.

Language warning
https://youtu.be/QSa368X1Z2w

[bob]

Originally Posted by stevew

Yeah it's a total racket. My wife would spend a zillion dollars on hers if i wasn't a complete dickhead throughout the process. Any job is going to require some out of pocket outlay. But I'll be damned if we're buying hundreds lf dollars of staplers and shit.

Absolutely, I've had to become the same way. But at least you can deduct up to $250 on your taxes.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by bob

While I don't agree with this exact policy and I know nothing about the demographics of this particular school, I can't exactly say I'm surprised. Schools are going to try to raise money any way they can.

This year my wife has already spent easily over $500 on supplies for her classroom. And I'm not talking about anything fancy like bulletin board decorations (although they are required to have their classroom looking nice without any supplies there as well). I'm talking about things like pencil sharpeners. And we don't live in some super poor area. She teaches in Roswell, GA.

We may spend a ton of money on "education," but not enough is making it down to the classrooms.

What our schools do is a "team approach" so each student has 4 teachers. And for example there are 6 teams of teachers. So everyone who has Teacher A for math has Teacher B for "science" C for Social Studies and D for language arts. This way they minimize time between classes, have the 4 teachers side by side and you move class to class with your team mates.

You dont necessarily have the same classmates for all 4 classes, but say 100 students are split between the 4 and rotate exclusively between those 4.

What we have done for the last few years is since we are able and blessed and better capable of giving than the teachers themselves, I have given the team $500 at the beginning of the year to split and use as they see fit for their classrooms.

This summer it occurred to me, not sure why for the first time- I guess I am slow- that since my daughter is in the highest team I was creating a self fulfilling prophecy of sorts and giving more resources to the best students.

So this year I gave to her team as normal, and also asked the principal to give another donation to the "remedial" team- whichever one needed it the most. Just in case it could help one kid.

Its a tiny token, but I have a ton of respect for teachers and the shit they put up with.

I also told my kids I wont pay for college if they intend to teach, neither does, but that's another story.

[stevew]

Teachers should intermarry and save the rest of us the sorrows. Its like living with an unemployed person a quarter of the year.

[Young Drachma]

I knew this shit would play well here, lol.

[Young Drachma]

Dola:

All this seems like to me in certain school districts, is a way to determine who got beat up, especially in middle school.