A Shout Out to the Public School System

...and not necessarily a good shout out....


So yesterday Meghan came home with a 1$ charge from the school lunch program. Now I pride myself on the healthy well balanced lunches that I pack for her every single day. Not to mention the nutritious and filling breakfast of pancakes and syrup (well ok, maybe not nutritious but filling -yes) every single morning before school. Ok. SO this morning I sent in the 1$ and a note saying "Meghan is not authorized to charge lunch at all. I will not be paying for any further charges. Thank you, " signed me. Fine. Then I get a call from the school lunch lady. She informs me that she received the note. I politely explained that I pack Meghan a lunch every day and that she has a nice healthy breakfast at home every morning. She then told me that Meghan had once again charged food today. I told her that Meghan was not allowed to do so, but she often forgets the rules and follows the crowd. THEN she ever so condescendingly told me that BY LAW SHE WAS UNABLE TO REFUSE FOOD TO ANY CHILD THAT ASKED FOR IT. I explained to her that Meghan did not understand a lot of what people say to her and that if many of the kids are going to sit down for hot lunch or breakfast then Meghan would just follow along. Then this lovely lady said that BY LAW SHE WAS UNABLE TO REFUSE FOOD TO ANY CHILD THAT ASKED FOR IT. I further explained to this woman that Meghan was diagnosed with an auditory processing disorder and that often she would say yes to a question without any idea what she was saying yes to. Like at church on Sunday when the teacher asked if any of the kids had ever run a 5k, half raised their hands and so did Meghan. Then this lady went on to state that Meghan was so hungry she was coming for breakfast too and that BY LAW SHE WAS UNABLE TO REFUSE FOOD TO ANY CHILD THAT ASKED FOR IT. She was inferring that I was not providing proper meals for my child. She kept going on about the law and so on. So I started to get mad. I said that Meghan was a minor child who I as her parent made decisions for. I was sending her to school with the lunch I had made for her and that I would not be paying for any more charges. I already pay taxes which pays for the free lunches for many (who am I kidding, MOST) of the students at her school, plus I am paying for the groceries to make her sack lunch and breakfast and thus I refuse to pay a third fee! Finally I threatened to call my own attorney and hung up on her.

I think I bashed the public school system in there somewhere too. I was so mad that I got in my car to drive right over there and see exactly for myself that the inmates have taken over the asylum so to speak. But then it was time to pick up the other kids so I let my jets cool. Good thing too, or who knows I might have yanked her out of there leaving me to home school her. Unless I get the therapies we need for her provided by that school soon then I might just pull her because I no longer see any benefit of attending that school.

Has all logic and reasoning gone out the window? She was like a pharisee that was so caught up in the law she was missing the whole point of the law. The law was made to protect and serve the children who did not have any food. It was to provide meals to children who had no breakfast or lunch and might not get any dinner. How can that crazy lady justify giving Meghan a second lunch when her lunch box is full (and of healthier options than the school lunch no doubt). What is she a Hobbit? Just how many lunches does Meghan need a day? Now I know in this obese culture that Meghan might look under nourished but according to the Asian scales she is in the 50%.

Ok. I need to calm down now and go finish making my healthy home cooked dinner (that Meghan gets every night- and we even make her finish all the food on her plate). I don't know who that lady thought she was talking too but she has not heard the last from me. I think I am going to go look up that law.