About Public Schools

When President Obama accepted his presidency, he pledged to honor his promise to improve our country's public schools. As outlined on the Office of the President-Elect website, Obama and Biden have pledged to invest $10 billion per year to create and sustain early learning programs for lower income families.

In addition, both Obama and Biden hope to utilize stimulus funds to ensure that competent, quality teachers are motivated to serve the lower-income public school communities. Obama is planning to increase the support for teachers in training, allowing rising teachers to receive financial support (through grants and scholarships) by committing to work in poorer school areas.

Despite these positive goals, some critics argue that the stimulus will not actually benefit all of the nation's under-served public schools.

The Lower Income / Urban School Stimulus Incentive

According to Every Child Matters, Obama's proposed stimulus package will provide low income and deprived urban public schools with an incredible financial boost. Specifically, as Every Child Matters outlines, lower income schools may benefit from the following proposals:

• Tax reductions for lower income families (as a continuation of the Child Tax Credit)
• $1.1 billion to double the number of low income children enrolled in early education programs (specifically, Head Start)
• $1 billion to improve the services of Head Start
• Nursing visitation and support for new mothers that meet low-income qualifications, allowing new mothers to learn recommended childcare techniques,which can foster improved child learning habits and better parent-child relationships
• Expansion of Pell Grants for improved training

If your family is currently facing financial difficulties, your children may be eligible for free or reduced-cost meals at school. In today's soft economy, a rising number of students can qualify for food assistance - which is particularly important to providing nutrition that will promote optimal learning.

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted initiative in the United States that provides nutritious and affordable meals to school children. It was established in 1946 and is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The primary goal of the National School Lunch Program is to ensure that all students have access to healthy meals during the school day. The program aims to promote the overall well-being and academic performance of children by providing them with balanced and nutritious food options.

Under the NSLP, participating schools receive cash subsidies and food commodities from the USDA to offer free or reduced-price meals to eligible students. The program is available in public, nonprofit private, and residential child care institutions, including pre-kindergarten and afterschool programs.

The NSLP offers a variety of food choices that meet specific nutritional guidelines. These guidelines are designed to provide a balanced mix of protein, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. The meals served through the program are required to meet certain standards for calories, saturated fat, sodium, and other nutrients.

Parents play a crucial role in the National School Lunch Program. They are responsible for submitting an application for their child

Charter schools have become the modern rival of public schools, but does the reality of charter performance match the hype? According to Change.org, "Charter schools get overwhelmingly positive press and make a lot of claims about their success. But actually, numerous studies confirm that their achievement is indistinguishable from that of traditional public schools. Some are very successful, some are troubled and struggling, and the rest are somewhere in between just like traditional public schools."

In a closer examination, charter schools, as explained by US News and World Report, are publicly funded institutions that operate under their own standards of conduct and curriculum outside the realm of local public school districts. Although these institutions are funded by tax dollars, charter schools are ultimately given the freedom to establish their own methods of operation, similar to how many private schools are able to design their instructional and social practices. According to the National Education Association, although some state statutes, regulations and rules may still apply to charter schools, they are generally outside the bounds of traditional educational oversight by the state and instead are governed by a board of directors. The original impetus for the creation of charter schools was to increase competition for students, thus giving parents more choices in terms of where their children go to school. It was also theorized that increased competition between public and charter schools would lead to better educational programs for all students.

"Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success."

- Henry Ford

What is your vision for the school year? Is academic achievement at the top of the list or will this be the year your child breaks out of his social shell? Will your family grow closer or more distant as they face the challenges of another school year? Who will guide your child’s development?

A vision defines a direction towards a goal. Realizing a vision requires support from a motivated group of individuals; a team of people, who band together through adversity, acknowledge achievements and inspire motivation.

This video offers some tips for a successful school year.

Who’s on your team?

According to the United States Census Bureau, today’s generation of school-age children spends the majority of their waking hours in the care of someone other than their parents. Given the influence that teachers, coaches, mentors, and extended family members have on a child’s development the necessity for building a relationship with this group of people has never been greater. Creating a team of focused and motivated individuals who will continually support the ongoing growth of your child requires a new set of parenting skills.

5 Steps to Building Your Support Team

• Create a roster. Who will impact your child’s life this year? Begin by creating a list of the adults who

According to WebMD reports, the number of children who are allergic to peanuts has doubled in just the last several years! Specifically, in a nationwide survey, over 3 percent of American homes have family members with serious peanut allergies.

As the number of allergy cases continues to rise, many public schools have gradually implemented “peanut bans” in order to protect all of their students from these health threats. However, many parents and community members pose the question: are peanut-free public schools overreacting?

This video offers an overview of peanut allergies.

Peanut Allergies and Public School Students

As WebMD reveals, despite the increasing number of peanut allergies in the United States, many individuals are unaware of the serious implications of peanut exposure. Alarmingly, nearly 80 percent of children who are allergic to nuts experience symptoms such as:

• Throat tightness
• Shortness of breath
• Hives
• Difficulty breathing

Since allergic reactions to nuts can actually inhibit or halt breathing, many officials assert that public areas, especially schools, should regulate the consumption of these products. While schools are certainly hoping to protect their students who are known to be allergic, school officials are also striving to protect those who are unaware of their own allergies. In fact, only? of children have been reported to visit a doctor to investigate their own allergies.

Yet even when students are aware of their own allergies, sometimes the mere exposure to various forms of