HOUSTON, TX – Last week, dozens of children at Uintah elementary school
had their lunch trays snatched away from them before they could take a
bite. Workers at the Elementary School removed the already-served food
because some students had negative balances in the accounts used to pay
for lunches.

Kenny Thompson didn’t want to see that repeated at Houston’s Valley Oaks
Elementary School. KPRC reports that on Monday, the longtime mentor and
tutor paid off the negative lunch account balances of more than 60 students.

Thompson told KPRC, “I know that’s probably a situation at my school,
and the school my son goes to, and the other schools I mentor at. So I
came in and inquired about it.”

He didn’t just inquire. He handed over $465 of his own money to zero out
the accounts of the children who were potentially affected – many of
whom were already on reduced lunch that cost just 40 cents a day.

On Fri, 07 Feb 2014 15:30:38 -0500, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

HOUSTON, TX – Last week, dozens of children at Uintah elementary school
had their lunch trays snatched away from them before they could take a
bite. Workers at the Elementary School removed the already-served food
because some students had negative balances in the accounts used to pay
for lunches.

Kenny Thompson didn’t want to see that repeated at Houston’s Valley Oaks
Elementary School. KPRC reports that on Monday, the longtime mentor and
tutor paid off the negative lunch account balances of more than 60 students.

Thompson told KPRC, “I know that’s probably a situation at my school,
and the school my son goes to, and the other schools I mentor at. So I
came in and inquired about it.”

He didn’t just inquire. He handed over $465 of his own money to zero out
the accounts of the children who were potentially affected – many of
whom were already on reduced lunch that cost just 40 cents a day.

I'm surprised the teachers, especially the union teachers, let such a thing happen.

Here the unions don't run the schools...the school board and the principal do.

On Fri, 7 Feb 2014 14:28:43 -0800 (PST), True North wrote:

Here the unions don't run the schools...the school board and the principal do.

Same here, but the teachers could jump in and pay for the kids to eat. I'd damn sure have done so,
and I know many others who'd do the same thing.

Maybe teachers aren't allowed in the cafeteria there. Where I taught we were assigned 'cafeteria
duty' for a week every six weeks or so. Many of us just went there to shoot the **** with the kids
anyway.

True North wrote:
Here the unions don't run the schools...the school board and the principal do.

Not here. The unions control the school boards. Local district a few
years ago, had the union candidates elected. Took two years to bankrupt
the district. Promptly voted big raises, etc. union selected and financed
the candidates.

On 2/7/14, 5:50 PM, Poco Loco wrote:
On Fri, 7 Feb 2014 14:28:43 -0800 (PST), True North wrote:

Here the unions don't run the schools...the school board and the principal do.

Same here, but the teachers could jump in and pay for the kids to eat. I'd damn sure have done so,
and I know many others who'd do the same thing.

Maybe teachers aren't allowed in the cafeteria there. Where I taught we were assigned 'cafeteria
duty' for a week every six weeks or so. Many of us just went there to shoot the **** with the kids
anyway.


Maybe the teachers are paying for school supplies the schools won't supply.

On Fri, 07 Feb 2014 18:17:39 -0500, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

On 2/7/14, 5:50 PM, Poco Loco wrote:
On Fri, 7 Feb 2014 14:28:43 -0800 (PST), True North wrote:

Here the unions don't run the schools...the school board and the principal do.

Same here, but the teachers could jump in and pay for the kids to eat. I'd damn sure have done so,
and I know many others who'd do the same thing.

Maybe teachers aren't allowed in the cafeteria there. Where I taught we were assigned 'cafeteria
duty' for a week every six weeks or so. Many of us just went there to shoot the **** with the kids
anyway.


Maybe the teachers are paying for school supplies the schools won't supply.

I've never known a teacher who didn't buy things the school won't supply. At the beginning of the
year the teachers are hitting the stores to decorate their classrooms. So what?

On Sat, 08 Feb 2014 01:46:53 -0500, wrote:

On Fri, 07 Feb 2014 15:30:38 -0500, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

HOUSTON, TX – Last week, dozens of children at Uintah elementary school
had their lunch trays snatched away from them before they could take a
bite. Workers at the Elementary School removed the already-served food
because some students had negative balances in the accounts used to pay
for lunches.

Kenny Thompson didn’t want to see that repeated at Houston’s Valley Oaks
Elementary School. KPRC reports that on Monday, the longtime mentor and
tutor paid off the negative lunch account balances of more than 60 students.

Thompson told KPRC, “I know that’s probably a situation at my school,
and the school my son goes to, and the other schools I mentor at. So I
came in and inquired about it.”

He didn’t just inquire. He handed over $465 of his own money to zero out
the accounts of the children who were potentially affected – many of
whom were already on reduced lunch that cost just 40 cents a day.

Did anyone contact the parents?
In the other case, CNN asked some of the parents and they said they
simply did not know the balance was low and came up with the money.

It's kind of confusing. The original incident happened in Utah, although Harry's post makes it seem
like it happened in Texas. The Texas guy apparently checked with the school in Texas and paid off
the balances. I can't imagine the school providing him the names of the students in arrears, so he
must have just asked for the amount, gotten it, and paid it.

On 2/8/14, 1:46 AM, wrote:
On Fri, 07 Feb 2014 15:30:38 -0500, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

HOUSTON, TX – Last week, dozens of children at Uintah elementary school
had their lunch trays snatched away from them before they could take a
bite. Workers at the Elementary School removed the already-served food
because some students had negative balances in the accounts used to pay
for lunches.

Kenny Thompson didn’t want to see that repeated at Houston’s Valley Oaks
Elementary School. KPRC reports that on Monday, the longtime mentor and
tutor paid off the negative lunch account balances of more than 60 students.

Thompson told KPRC, “I know that’s probably a situation at my school,
and the school my son goes to, and the other schools I mentor at. So I
came in and inquired about it.�

He didn’t just inquire. He handed over $465 of his own money to zero out
the accounts of the children who were potentially affected – many of
whom were already on reduced lunch that cost just 40 cents a day.

Did anyone contact the parents?
In the other case, CNN asked some of the parents and they said they
simply did not know the balance was low and came up with the money.



The real issue is that a school administrator thought it appropriate to
take a lunch away from a kid.

On 2/8/2014 9:14 AM, F.O.A.D. wrote:
The real issue is that a school administrator thought it appropriate to
take a lunch away from a kid.

Are you going to handle it or just mouth it?