GothamSchools — daily independent reporting on NYC public schools

When we joined the wellness committee at our schools, we were concerned parents with the simple agenda of wanting to improve the food in our school cafeteria. We never dreamed we’d become ardent food activists meeting with PTA presidents, community boards, nonprofit organizations, and other impassioned food mamas about how to change the food system in our public schools. But thanks to Chancellor’s Regulation A-812 banning the sale of home-cooked foods in our schools while allowing highly-processed foods, like Doritos and Pop-Tarts, to be sold instead, that is what we’ve quickly become.

Since our bake-in rally protesting the regulation in March, NYC Green Schools has been on the ground advocating for a repeal of the ban on the sale of home-cooked food in our schools at meetings of PTA presidents councils, community boards, and community education councils. We are happy to report that a resolution urging the Department of Education to repeal the ban  has been passed by several community boards in Manhattan and will be voted on by all Manhattan community boards at their Borough Board Meeting in July. Community Board 6 in Brooklyn has also passed a resolution asking the city to repeal the ban, and we are working on having the resolution introduced at Brooklyn’s borough meeting as well.

What is the role of community boards in the political process? That was our question when Community Board 2 in Manhattan invited us to speak about Regulation A-812. (more…)

• A report finds that spending on art supplies is down by two-thirds in recent years. (Daily News)
• The pool of teachers without positions is set to rise. (GothamSchools, Wall Street Journal)
• A mother who says her son’s mouth was duct-taped as punishment is suing the city. (Post)
• The outgoing principal at Muscota New School gave out a flood of “U” ratings. (Times, WSJ)
• Valedictorians attended a barbecue in their honor at Gracie Mansion last night. (S.I. Advance)
• Some say Chelsea High, which will get new help next year, is already improving. (The Villager)
• The Times says the new small schools report should embolden the city to open more small schools.
• Among Stuyvesant’s valedictorian’s achievements: Starting a Harry Potter club. (Downtown Express)
• Students at JFK HS, where officials stole money, said the school is “always broke.” (Riverdale Press)
• Detroit’s money manager fired the schools chief, over the school board’s objections. (Free Press)
• D.C schools chief Michelle Rhee says she’ll leave if D.C.’s mayor isn’t reelected. (Washington Post)