Cafeteria worker fired over free lunch

[laurenpetro]

I.... am suspicious.

[zelda25]

Dec 23, 2015 16:45:43 GMT -5 laurenpetro said:

I.... am suspicious.

It's SE Idaho. There might be more to the story, but I certainly wouldn't be shocked if this is true.

[emisi]

Dec 23, 2015 16:48:08 GMT -5 @ello said:

Yeah I am too.

This though seems excessive to me: But Bowden said if a child exceeds the $11 credit limit, workers are instructed to take their tray away and throw out the food.

That just seems like a waste? 

Yes, but I believe it's also true.  It's not the first time or the first school district I've heard about that policy from.  We all got upset over it a couple of months ago.

[orangeblossom]

Perhaps she'd had other infractions, and this wasn't the first time, but being disciplined for doing this or something similar like this, is, unfortunately, not new. We talked about a similar case a few months ago.

I guess, I'd have to lose my job too, because, damn, if I'm going to see a child go hungry and I can do something about it.

Yes, I know it's easy to say that, but may not be in theory, as this may be this woman's only job prospect, livelihood, etc.

[ijack]

Didn't this happen at a school here in CO too? I've heard rumors that it's something the koch brothers do to start upheaval in districts.

[CallingAllAngels]

Dec 23, 2015 16:57:09 GMT -5 poundcake said:

Dec 23, 2015 16:48:08 GMT -5 @ello said:

Yeah I am too.

This though seems excessive to me: But Bowden said if a child exceeds the $11 credit limit, workers are instructed to take their tray away and throw out the food.

That just seems like a waste? 

I just volunteered for my kids breakfast with Santa. The breakfast included cartons of milk and bananas along with the breakfast. We were told when cleaning up that you had to throw away the milk and banana if they were unopened per health dept regulations.

A number of teachers just took some stuff back to the teachers lounge but a lot got thrown away so I would think this is true.

However at my kids school, they have to feed them, but you get peanut butter and jelly sandwiches unless you have an allergy. (public school).

Another article I read about this situation said the girl could get a PB&J bagged lunch with the balance owed. She just couldn't get hot lunch. So, it really wasn't between the girl getting hot lunch or being hungry. It was between hot lunch or bagged lunch.

ETA: this article says the same; I just skimmed past it the first time. She could get an alternate lunch.

[5thofjuly]

Dec 23, 2015 16:59:50 GMT -5 CallingAllAngels said:

Dec 23, 2015 16:57:09 GMT -5 poundcake said:

I just volunteered for my kids breakfast with Santa. The breakfast included cartons of milk and bananas along with the breakfast. We were told when cleaning up that you had to throw away the milk and banana if they were unopened per health dept regulations.

A number of teachers just took some stuff back to the teachers lounge but a lot got thrown away so I would think this is true.

However at my kids school, they have to feed them, but you get peanut butter and jelly sandwiches unless you have an allergy. (public school).

Another article I read about this situation said the girl could get a PB&J bagged lunch with the balance owed. She just couldn't get hot lunch. So, it really wasn't between the girl getting hot lunch or being hungry. It was between hot lunch or bagged lunch.

ETA: this article says the same; I just skimmed past it the first time. She could get an alternate lunch.

How much more in taxes do I need to pay so all kids can get a hot lunch? Whatever that is, it's worth it.

[jeaniebueller]

Why can't the worker pay the 1.70 if she so desires?

[winecat]

Dec 23, 2015 16:53:14 GMT -5 ijack said:

Didn't this happen at a school here in CO too? I've heard rumors that it's something the koch brothers do to start upheaval in districts.

Yes- last school year, I think.  

[cville]

I just want to shake a bunch of people.

[cookiemdough]

So compassion doesn't belong in schools, got it.

[orangeblossom]

She got her job back.

[cookiemdough]

Dec 24, 2015 9:49:16 GMT -5 tillie said:

Honestly, I don't think anything is wrong with a peanut butter sandwich and milk if the would have been provided to the kid regardless.

Except maybe the embarrassment of everyone knowing that you got the "unpaid bill lunch". It is a $1.70. We should want to do better.

[orangeblossom]

cookiemdough I deleted my "seriously" post. I meant to quote tillie.

[orangeblossom]

Dec 24, 2015 9:49:16 GMT -5 tillie said:

Honestly, I don't think anything is wrong with a peanut butter sandwich and milk if the would have been provided to the kid regardless.

Seriously?

Beggars can't be choosy, right?

[jeaniebueller]

Dec 24, 2015 9:49:16 GMT -5 tillie said:

Honestly, I don't think anything is wrong with a peanut butter sandwich and milk if the would have been provided to the kid regardless.

Okay but the worker paid for the hot meal. So what's the prob?

[Deleted]

This is the policy in my school district except they're allowed to charge up to $15. They send home letters daily if you go into the red.

[cookiemdough]

Dec 24, 2015 10:18:25 GMT -5 @absinthe said:

This is the policy in my school district except they're allowed to charge up to $15. They send home letters daily if you go into the red.

I kind of find it appalling. Bill collecting through kids? Why do they need to deal with this shit?

[jillboston]

I'm going to start throwing some things now. For FUCK's SAKE WE ARE THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!!!

[UMaineTeach]

The PB&J lunch has never made sense to me, beyond a tool to shame. It's going to cost the school about the same as the other lunch and someone has to make it special.

I'm pretty sure my school has no change limit. And there is always food left over, some workers take it home. It's worth the 'fraud and abuse' just to feed the children. It's not like every family who doesn't qualify for F&R is going to see Jane who also doesn't qualify being fed all year without paying and decide to do the same.

We already offer free universal breakfast and more and more schools are offering free universal lunch.

[LoveTrains]

Dec 24, 2015 10:50:18 GMT -5 tillie said:

Dec 24, 2015 9:54:28 GMT -5 cookiemdough said:

Except maybe the embarrassment of everyone knowing that you got the "unpaid bill lunch". It is a $1.70. We should want to do better.

Would other kids know (serious question, I really don't know)?  Wouldn't it be the same for the hot lunch? 

I'm assuming that they only give the pb&j to kids that don't have money. Thus it's obvious to everyone.

[orangeblossom]

Dec 24, 2015 10:50:18 GMT -5 tillie said:

Dec 24, 2015 9:54:28 GMT -5 cookiemdough said:

Except maybe the embarrassment of everyone knowing that you got the "unpaid bill lunch". It is a $1.70. We should want to do better.

Would other kids know (serious question, I really don't know)?  Wouldn't it be the same for the hot lunch? 

Yes, kids would know, just by the looks of it.  Sure, some kids may bring pb&j sandwiches on the regular, but it's not going to look like what the school provides. At the bare minimum, the kids in line with the child who hasn't paid up would know, and kids talk, and it wouldn't be long, before kids made fun of them.

[Deleted]

Dec 24, 2015 10:42:45 GMT -5 cookiemdough said:

Dec 24, 2015 10:18:25 GMT -5 @absinthe said:

This is the policy in my school district except they're allowed to charge up to $15. They send home letters daily if you go into the red.

I kind of find it appalling. Bill collecting through kids? Why do they need to deal with this shit?

I do as well. The vast majority of kids in our district are on free or reduced lunches. My own child was on reduced lunch while I was a single mom but I still got a letter home via my child the moment she was $.01 in the negative in her meal acct. We have backpack food programs in 8 of our public elementary schools that send food home for these kids over the weekend and holidays but then we still have policies like these on the books. It doesn't make sense to me.