Local School Topics

Weight issues among children have become such a problem in this country that some experts are mulling over whether to deem obesity an actual epidemic. According to a report at Explorer News, the number of overweight children in the United States has doubled over the past three decades. Nearly 25 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 11 are considered obese by current standards. When children gain too much weight during their younger years, they are at much higher risk for conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer. Schools have recognized the obesity problem in this country, and many are taking steps to address it right in their school lunchrooms.

Bringing Nutrition to the Classroom

From coast to coast, schools across the country have taken the necessary steps to ensure their students are treated to nutritious foods throughout the school day. From removing sugar-laden drinks and snacks from vending machines to stocking school cafeterias with an array of healthy fare, these learning institutions are taking the obesity scare to heart. Some even provide their students with home-grown produce, thanks to agreements with local farmers or gardens on school property.

Students are learning to make healthier food choices and discovering that nutrition-packed fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can make for a tasty meal. Some schools are incorporating taste tests or time in the garden with their classrooms to encourage students to try new foods and

It is a high school student's worst nightmare: to have the secondary school he or she attends lose accreditation, directly impacting the student's ability to obtain scholarships or even get admitted to the college of his choice. However, that is exactly the situation facing students and parents in Atlanta Public Schools, where an educational standards agency has placed the entire school district on probation and in danger of losing its accreditation before the end of 2011. We will take a look at just how Atlanta ended up in this situation, and what the school board plans to do to survive the probationary period and come out of it with their accreditation still intact.

Reason for Investigation

The accrediting agency AdvancED was notified of potential problems in the Atlanta school district last year, when bickering among school board members became a matter of public concern. AdvancED scheduled an onsite visit in December to review board documents and make necessary recommendations. At that visit, the accrediting agency found the Atlanta school system's board has failed to meet standards on governance and leadership, according to a report by the Associated Press at Google News.

CEO of AdvancED, Mark Elgart, said at a news conference, "The reason for probation is the issues are serious. They not only affect the effective governance of the board but they affect the future direction of the school system and its ability to provide a quality education for all students." A report in

Children who read textbooks in school usually make an assumption that the "facts" presented in those books are accurate and verified. However, a recent flap over a particular textbook used in Virginia schools demonstrates that even reading materials in classrooms can be seriously flawed. The inaccurate textbook has since been pulled from Virginia classrooms, but questions still remain over how the textbooks entered the schools in the first place, and why they were widely used before the errors were reported and the books were removed.

Teachable Moments?

"Our Virginia: Past and Present" is a textbook published by Five Ponds Press and used by fourth-grade classrooms across the state of Virginia. In October of last year, it was discovered that this book contained some erroneous errors. Loudoun County was one of the first to find a mistake – the description of non-existent battalions of Black confederate soldiers – according to a report in the Washington Post by Robert McCartney. County staff studied the book further and found as many as 12 errors. However, the county placed the books back on classroom shelves and instructed teachers to use the errors to demonstrate to students that they should be skeptical of what they read.

"It's a teachable moment," Loudoun school district spokesman Wayne Byard told the Post. He said by keeping textbooks in the classrooms, kids learn that "everybody tries their best but sometimes they don't research enough. You can't rely on a single source. You can't

Washington, D.C., is home to some of the poorest areas of the country, and the problem has been exacerbated in recent months due to rising unemployment and poverty levels. Unfortunately, some of the most tragic victims of poverty are children who are left without three stable meals a day because their parents simply don't have the necessary income to put food on the table. To help combat some of those dire results of poverty, public schools in Washington D.C. are now offering dinner to needy children, bringing the total number of square meals these children receive from the public school district to three a day.

Prevalence of Poverty

According to a recent report in the Huffington Post, over 6,000 D.C. residents fell below the poverty line between 2008 and 2009. A Washington Post report adds that the poverty rate for African American children in the city is about 43%, which is up from 31% in 2007 and much higher than the national average. These children often go without meals, leaving them ill-equipped for the rigors of school and greatly hindering their ability to learn.

This video describes the free lunch program in schools nationwide. Today, more than 30 million schoolchildren benefit from the National School Lunch Act, which was signed by President Truman in 1946. For many students, it may be the only nutritional meal they get - and some kids are still being denied a hot meal because their parents can't afford it.

School districts across the country have been forced to slash budgets, cut programs and even fire teachers during the recent economic slowdown. However, that reality hasn't stopped one lavish Los Angeles school from opening its doors this fall. According to a report at Yahoo News, the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools will open to students for the first time this school year. The final price tag on the mega-complex? More than one-half billion dollars!

With this monumental price tag, the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools campus enjoys the distinction of being the most expensive public school in the country. While some are excited about the opportunities the school will offer, others are furious about such lavish spending at a time when state governments and individuals are being forced to tighten their belts.

An article in The National Ledger reports that California residents, as well as citizens across the country, are angry about the opening of the school in the midst of teachers being cut from payrolls and public services ending in the Los Angeles area.

This video reports on the opening of the Los Angeles School District's Robert F. Kennedy School.

A Brief History into the Pricey School

The Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools are located on the precise site where the Ambassador Hotel once stood. This hotel was the scene where presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy's assassination