An online newsletter produced by EdSourcewith support from The California Endowment
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Nov. 14, 2014 Issue 22
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 At long last, some school food service departments in California are going shopping, under orders from the California Department of Education to spend millions of dollars in federal and state school lunch funds that districts have failed for years to use for student meals, according to the department. Read more at EdSource Today. |
 The vast majority of school kitchens in California need equipment - from a $5 student meal tray to a $297,000 steam kettle capable of cooking and chilling 5,000 meals a day - to be more successful at serving lunches that meet federal nutrition standards, according to a report released this week. Read more at EdSource Today. |
 Absenteeism is a reflection of a student's physical and emotional wellbeing, and the health of the student's family as well. For many years, some students from Hayward's Mt. Eden High School would cut class to go to a nearby convenience store. They would climb a chain-link fence surrounding the school and cross the street to the Rotten Robbie gas station's store, where they would buy soda, chips and candy. No more. This year, local police and Hayward Unified school officials went door to door and asked businesses to refuse to serve school-aged youths during school hours. Read more at EdSource Today. |
Prop. 47 could bring millions to school anti-truancy programs
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With the passage of Proposition 47 in California last week, certain drug and property offenses will now require a misdemeanor sentence, instead of a felony sentence. The savings in incarceration and other criminal justice costs could be "in the low hundreds of millions of dollars each year," according to a summary from the state Attorney General's office. The new law could be a boon to anti-truancy programs for public school students. According to the law, 25 percent of the savings will be given to the California Department of Education by July 1, 2016 to administer grants aimed at "reducing truancy and supporting students who are at risk of dropping out of school or are victims of crime." Check out this Sacramento Bee opinion piece that addresses the school-to-prison pipeline, Prop. 47 will keep youths on right path, co-authored by Chet P. Hewitt, president of the Sierra Health Foundation, Tim Silard, president of the Rosenberg Foundation, and heads of several other California foundations. |
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Thousands of kids in California go to school each day in buses that don't let them buckle up. State law requiring seat belts on buses doesn't apply to buses built before July 1, 2005.
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A new initiative from UC San Francisco is spelling out the health dangers of sugar including its link to heart disease Type 2 diabetes and liver disease, based on research from 8,000 studies.
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Overall student fitness has improved in California schools over the past two years, according to test results released by state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.
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School Climate: Students feeling safe and connected
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Following a report by KPCC documenting broken plumbing in bathrooms and rats in the gym at Inglewood High School, and facilities in disrepair at other campuses, the state trustee in charge of the district announced the beginning of clean-up efforts.
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Oakland Unified School District's office of African American Male Achievement is collecting data and best practices about its model for changing the self-image and academic status of young black men. The model is beginning to show signs of success.
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The National Center for Homeless Education, an information center funded by the U.S. Department of Education, is hosting an overview of concepts outlined in the McKinney-Vento Act and related federal laws. Specifically, the webinar will explore support for school success available to homeless children and youth through federal programs other than the McKinney-Vento Act, including:
- Title I, Part A
- Special Education under IDEA
- School meals under the Child Nutrition Act
Webinar: McKinney-Vento 102: Support for School Success and Special Populations, Tuesday, November 18, 11 a.m. to 12 noon PT. Register here.
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Other Student Health and Wellness News
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