Tonight I used the Internet to see if I could find out how many restaurants there are in the United States. I learned that there are approximately 750,000 in total and that of these, more than 50,000 are classified as “Fast Food.” McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, and KFC all operate on pretty much the same premise – people walk in to the restaurant, wait in line for a relatively brief amount of time, then they get their food and leave, or they sit down and eat it pretty quickly.
It is likely that there is tremendous research on the eating habits of fast food lovers. For instance, it would be interesting to know the average number of minutes a person stays in one of these establishments. I would be curious to know how much money the average person spends and how many people can be served in one hour. The caloric content of fast food meals has been under intense scrutiny in recent years along with fat content and sodium levels – yet these establishments continue to flourish with hungry customers.
If I were to offer fast food franchise owners the opportunity to have more than 500 customers a day for 180 days a year, most would likely jump at the opportunity. This proposition would provide a chance to serve more than 90,000 meals a year. Let’s say I was to tell the fast food owners that the 500 meals per day would be served in less than 90 minutes? I think that would make the offer even better. Imagine the profits that could be made!
Now imagine that any meal served must meet Dietary Guidelines, which recommend that no more than 30 percent of an individual's calories come from fat, and less than 10 percent from saturated fat. These regulations also establish a standard for meals to provide one-third of the Recommended Daily Allowances of protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, calcium, and calories. And one more thing….the maximum that can be charged for a meal is $2.50 (and it must include milk).
Mahar parents were recently notified of a twenty-five cent increase in an individual student lunch. The current fiscal situation both locally and nationally made this a very difficult decision to make. Mahar’s commitment to providing nutritious meals for its students remains – but it is becoming increasingly expensive to maintain.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Racing to the Top - We Have to Wait and See
Lately the Race to the Top has been the topic of conversation in our schools and in the media. The Race to the Top is a competitive $4.35 billion dollar education reform program that could award Massachusetts up to $250 million dollars in additional funding for education. In order to obtain these funds the Massachusetts Department of Education has had to work collaboratively with State Legislators and stakeholders in drafting its proposal to the Federal Government.
On December 11, 2009 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Commissioner, Mitchell Chester sent a letter to School District Leaders asking that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) be signed by School Committee Chairpersons, Massachusetts Teachers Association (Union) Presidents, and District Superintendents stating that their districts would commit to implement the initiatives named in the state’s proposal to the Federal Government. The Commissioner states very clearly in his letter that if Massachusetts were to be awarded the aforementioned funding, at least half of the grant award will be distributed to those districts who submit MOU’s that are signed by all three parties.
The MOU has been the topic of discussion since the release of the Commissioner’s letter, and for many more reasons that there is time to write about. First, in order for an MTA President to sign the MOU he/she needed the consent of the larger MTA as an organization and the support of his/her local Teachers Union. The School Committee Chairs needed to have the authorization from their School Committees to sign and finally, the Superintendent would have to sign as well.
Here is a link that will take you to both the letter from the Commissioner and to the MOU:
http://www.doe.mass.edu/arra/rttt/mou.doc
If Massachusetts is awarded the Federal funds associated with this agreement, the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District would stand to gain approximately $27,000.00 in additional funding. The amount of funding for each district is based on how much Title I funding each district receives – which is an additional 15% of each district’s Title I funds….but these funds come with requirements……
What requirements???
Since the Teacher’s Unions, Superintendents, and School Committees were unsure of what the requirements would be many of these groups opted not to sign and/or submit the MOU. As of 9:00 PM last night, approximately 50% of the districts in the state had signed the MOU, and this is reflective of about 67% of the state’s K – 12 population. At Mahar the MTA President, School Committee Chair, and Superintendent (me) signed the MOU. With this we also signed a Memorandum of Agreement stating that any party could back out of the Race to the Top process at a later time – should the requirements of the grant be perceived to be prohibitive, remove collective bargaining rights, or be viewed as not a good option for Mahar’s students.
The state’s application to the Federal Government is due in Washington DC on January 19. I am not clear on what happens after that, but I will be sure to keep you posted. All that I know for sure is that with the Massachusetts application for the Federal funds are 245 signed Memorandums – and one of them bears our district’s name and required signatures.
On December 11, 2009 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Commissioner, Mitchell Chester sent a letter to School District Leaders asking that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) be signed by School Committee Chairpersons, Massachusetts Teachers Association (Union) Presidents, and District Superintendents stating that their districts would commit to implement the initiatives named in the state’s proposal to the Federal Government. The Commissioner states very clearly in his letter that if Massachusetts were to be awarded the aforementioned funding, at least half of the grant award will be distributed to those districts who submit MOU’s that are signed by all three parties.
The MOU has been the topic of discussion since the release of the Commissioner’s letter, and for many more reasons that there is time to write about. First, in order for an MTA President to sign the MOU he/she needed the consent of the larger MTA as an organization and the support of his/her local Teachers Union. The School Committee Chairs needed to have the authorization from their School Committees to sign and finally, the Superintendent would have to sign as well.
Here is a link that will take you to both the letter from the Commissioner and to the MOU:
http://www.doe.mass.edu/arra/rttt/mou.doc
If Massachusetts is awarded the Federal funds associated with this agreement, the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District would stand to gain approximately $27,000.00 in additional funding. The amount of funding for each district is based on how much Title I funding each district receives – which is an additional 15% of each district’s Title I funds….but these funds come with requirements……
What requirements???
Since the Teacher’s Unions, Superintendents, and School Committees were unsure of what the requirements would be many of these groups opted not to sign and/or submit the MOU. As of 9:00 PM last night, approximately 50% of the districts in the state had signed the MOU, and this is reflective of about 67% of the state’s K – 12 population. At Mahar the MTA President, School Committee Chair, and Superintendent (me) signed the MOU. With this we also signed a Memorandum of Agreement stating that any party could back out of the Race to the Top process at a later time – should the requirements of the grant be perceived to be prohibitive, remove collective bargaining rights, or be viewed as not a good option for Mahar’s students.
The state’s application to the Federal Government is due in Washington DC on January 19. I am not clear on what happens after that, but I will be sure to keep you posted. All that I know for sure is that with the Massachusetts application for the Federal funds are 245 signed Memorandums – and one of them bears our district’s name and required signatures.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Regional Assistance Centers
This morning I attended a workshop that was sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Today’s workshop focused on another DESE initiative which is aside from the new computer data collection program for Special Education compliance reporting, the Readiness Project, or the new MCAS data reports that show student growth (DESE meetings of late). The DESE initiative du jour was creation of the District and School Assistance Centers (DSACs) across the state.
Essentially, schools and districts are now being ranked in a level system that places them anywhere from Level 1 to Level 5. I should specify that the level system relates directly to school performance under the No Child Left Behind Act…which means how our students perform on state assessments and meet other criteria such as timely graduation. The new level system works like this:
Level 1 – Meets Regulation – DESE provides voluntary access to online tools
Level 2 – At Risk – DESE suggests assistance for student groups and teachers
Level 3 – Needs Technical Assistance – ESE provides priority assistance and guides self-assessment
Level 4 – Needs Intervention – DESE requires intervention
Level 5 – Needs Substantial Intervention – DESE co-governs district
So where does Mahar stand in all of this?
Here is a breakdown of the 1766 schools in Massachusetts:
Level 1 – 464
Level 2 – 82
Level 3 – 1177
Level 4 – 43
We are in a group with 1176 other schools. Today our administrative team affirmed yet again our commitment to improve. Before the announcement of the District and School Assistance Centers, we were committed to reaching the benchmarks for student performance that is set by the state. Now we are also committed to moving Mahar to Level 2, and then to Level 1 in the new system unveiled by the DESE today. Only now, we know that we will have the assistance of some highly qualified folks at the DESE – one of which I have come to know as an outstanding person and consummate professional.
I am looking forward to working with our newly appointed DSAC Regional Assistance Director, Ken Rocke.
One more thing – for those of you who read yesterday’s blog, I went with the Quarter Pounder with Cheese & a Large Fries. I skipped the soda though and had a cup of coffee.
Essentially, schools and districts are now being ranked in a level system that places them anywhere from Level 1 to Level 5. I should specify that the level system relates directly to school performance under the No Child Left Behind Act…which means how our students perform on state assessments and meet other criteria such as timely graduation. The new level system works like this:
Level 1 – Meets Regulation – DESE provides voluntary access to online tools
Level 2 – At Risk – DESE suggests assistance for student groups and teachers
Level 3 – Needs Technical Assistance – ESE provides priority assistance and guides self-assessment
Level 4 – Needs Intervention – DESE requires intervention
Level 5 – Needs Substantial Intervention – DESE co-governs district
So where does Mahar stand in all of this?
Here is a breakdown of the 1766 schools in Massachusetts:
Level 1 – 464
Level 2 – 82
Level 3 – 1177
Level 4 – 43
We are in a group with 1176 other schools. Today our administrative team affirmed yet again our commitment to improve. Before the announcement of the District and School Assistance Centers, we were committed to reaching the benchmarks for student performance that is set by the state. Now we are also committed to moving Mahar to Level 2, and then to Level 1 in the new system unveiled by the DESE today. Only now, we know that we will have the assistance of some highly qualified folks at the DESE – one of which I have come to know as an outstanding person and consummate professional.
I am looking forward to working with our newly appointed DSAC Regional Assistance Director, Ken Rocke.
One more thing – for those of you who read yesterday’s blog, I went with the Quarter Pounder with Cheese & a Large Fries. I skipped the soda though and had a cup of coffee.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Super Size Me?
Last week I drove to Western New York to visit my family. I did not pack any food for my seven hour drive, and when I got hungry enough I decided to pull off the highway to get a bite to eat. Sadly, one of the foods available to me at that moment was McDonald’s. I could have gone to the convenience store and grabbed a yogurt, or perhaps a granola bar – but the smell of the burgers and fries took over my senses and I had to give in. And while I stood at the counter debating over the Quarter Pounder or the Big Mac I realized that I had not been to the “Golden Arches” in more than five years.
It was around 2004 that I first encountered the movie, “Supersize Me.” This documentary was about a man who ate nothing but McDonald’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for one month. By the end of the thirty days he had gained considerable weight and was becoming very sick according to his physician. The doctor actually asked the man to give up on his month long project in the interest of good health. The constant flow of fast food was starting to affect his liver, mood, and cardiovascular fitness.
This morning irony struck when I read the topic of this month’s Educational Leadership as, “Health and Learning.” Each month this publication focuses on one topic in the American Public School System, providing those in educational leadership with information and insight to potentially improve schools large and small. The December 2009 issue covers students’ diets, sleep habits, emotional wellness, and exposure to drugs and alcohol.
As a school community we have focused in school eating habits with our district wellness policy as well as our policy to allow bottled water in the classrooms. One of the points made in Ed. Leadership’s article about healthy eating is that children who are continually exposed to fat, sugar, and salt will find these foods to be their friends. These children will then turn to these foods for comfort in times of stress, or just as a better tasting alternative to healthy foods. Once this cycle begins, it can be a hard one to break, and the repercussions can bring agony later in life.
You can see the first four minutes of the movie, Super Size Me by clicking the link below. I give this film two thumbs up!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V168xofxgu0
It was around 2004 that I first encountered the movie, “Supersize Me.” This documentary was about a man who ate nothing but McDonald’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for one month. By the end of the thirty days he had gained considerable weight and was becoming very sick according to his physician. The doctor actually asked the man to give up on his month long project in the interest of good health. The constant flow of fast food was starting to affect his liver, mood, and cardiovascular fitness.
This morning irony struck when I read the topic of this month’s Educational Leadership as, “Health and Learning.” Each month this publication focuses on one topic in the American Public School System, providing those in educational leadership with information and insight to potentially improve schools large and small. The December 2009 issue covers students’ diets, sleep habits, emotional wellness, and exposure to drugs and alcohol.
As a school community we have focused in school eating habits with our district wellness policy as well as our policy to allow bottled water in the classrooms. One of the points made in Ed. Leadership’s article about healthy eating is that children who are continually exposed to fat, sugar, and salt will find these foods to be their friends. These children will then turn to these foods for comfort in times of stress, or just as a better tasting alternative to healthy foods. Once this cycle begins, it can be a hard one to break, and the repercussions can bring agony later in life.
You can see the first four minutes of the movie, Super Size Me by clicking the link below. I give this film two thumbs up!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V168xofxgu0
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
A Thanksgiving Blog
Much has changed in the American School System since I was a child. I can recall decorating trees, decorating eggs in art classes, making cards for family members and sharing gifts with my classmates. Many of these activities are no more in public schools, or they are implemented with surgical political correctness, so not to offend any member of the community. Clearly the holidays of which I speak can have a religious connotation to them.
Ahhh, but then there is Thanksgiving. I am sure that there are some out there who treat Thanksgiving as a religious holiday – but for the most part it is a day when we get together with our families and friends to share in a celebration. This primarily secular holiday first occurred nearly 400 years ago and the typical celebration that is held in homes across America emulates what happened way back in the 1600’s.
Tomorrow the Ralph C. Mahar Thanksgiving celebration begins at 10:00 AM on our football field where our Senators host the Athol Red Raiders. There is tremendous excitement in both communities about this game. We are 9 – 0 and Athol is 9 – 1. Two excellent football teams meeting on a turf field on a 50 degree day, without a chance of rain. While those of us are here watching our teams and coaches battle it out, we will have in the backs of our minds the delicious food, and fine company that awaits us later in the afternoon.
Anytime I have been asked which holiday is my favorite, I am quick to point out that it is Thanksgiving. I enjoy the camaraderie found in excellent athletic programs such as ours and Athol’s. So before the NFL games begin, before the turkey or the stuffing with the family – I would like to say good luck to both teams in tomorrow’s game. Play hard and of course play safe!
Please allow me to say Thanks in advance to the Senators and the Red Raiders for a great game, and Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.
Ahhh, but then there is Thanksgiving. I am sure that there are some out there who treat Thanksgiving as a religious holiday – but for the most part it is a day when we get together with our families and friends to share in a celebration. This primarily secular holiday first occurred nearly 400 years ago and the typical celebration that is held in homes across America emulates what happened way back in the 1600’s.
Tomorrow the Ralph C. Mahar Thanksgiving celebration begins at 10:00 AM on our football field where our Senators host the Athol Red Raiders. There is tremendous excitement in both communities about this game. We are 9 – 0 and Athol is 9 – 1. Two excellent football teams meeting on a turf field on a 50 degree day, without a chance of rain. While those of us are here watching our teams and coaches battle it out, we will have in the backs of our minds the delicious food, and fine company that awaits us later in the afternoon.
Anytime I have been asked which holiday is my favorite, I am quick to point out that it is Thanksgiving. I enjoy the camaraderie found in excellent athletic programs such as ours and Athol’s. So before the NFL games begin, before the turkey or the stuffing with the family – I would like to say good luck to both teams in tomorrow’s game. Play hard and of course play safe!
Please allow me to say Thanks in advance to the Senators and the Red Raiders for a great game, and Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
H1N1 Clinic to be held December 11 at Mahar
Sometime back in August, I posted the first blog that referenced H1N1. At about that time I was working with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to secure influenza vaccinations for students in the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District, and for our sending schools whose administrations expressed an interest. Today, I am happy to report that our H1N1 clinic will be held in our gymnasium on December 11, 2009!
Very soon, I will sit with the Orange Department of Public Health Director, Roger Mallet to craft a press release. We currently have about 250 students scheduled to be vaccinated, and want to make a push to get the vaccination to more of our students. I must also specify that the December 11 clinic is for H1N1 only and that we are continuing in our efforts to provide the seasonal vaccinations for our students. Once we get through the H1N1 clinic, it will be much easier, and more widely accepted that we are providing students with vaccinations in school.
I am also happy to report that elementary students from the Petersham Center School will be able to participate in the December 11 clinic. Any student from Petersham Center School can get theH1N1 vaccination if the proper paperwork is competed and he or she is accompanied by a parent. I have a suspicion that the students in high school will take the vaccination injection much easier than the children who will come from Petersham – so for the Center School students a Mom, Dad, or other Guardian must attend!
The H1N1 clinic has opened a door for our district and for our students. The idea of providing services like influenza vaccinations in the school setting creates a convenient way for parents to have their students undergo routine wellness activities. By having the vaccinations in schools, parents do not have to make doctor appointments (which can take some time) or take time off of work to sit in waiting rooms. I have added the link to the H1N1 cover letter and permission form for parents at the bottom of this blog.
Next on the Horizon:
Last night I made the acquaintance of the Vice President of Family Health Centers. I am going to coordinate with her in an attempt to have Dental Screenings and Dental Clinics for our students. Just like the influenza vaccinations, the dental clinics will be optional if we are able to get them in our school. I will also ask our elementary school partners if they are interested in taking part.
http://www.rcmahar.org/Flu/flu%20shot%20cover%20letter%202009.pdf
http://www.rcmahar.org/Flu/2009%20H1N1%20Influenza%20Vaccine%20Consent%20Form.pdf
Very soon, I will sit with the Orange Department of Public Health Director, Roger Mallet to craft a press release. We currently have about 250 students scheduled to be vaccinated, and want to make a push to get the vaccination to more of our students. I must also specify that the December 11 clinic is for H1N1 only and that we are continuing in our efforts to provide the seasonal vaccinations for our students. Once we get through the H1N1 clinic, it will be much easier, and more widely accepted that we are providing students with vaccinations in school.
I am also happy to report that elementary students from the Petersham Center School will be able to participate in the December 11 clinic. Any student from Petersham Center School can get theH1N1 vaccination if the proper paperwork is competed and he or she is accompanied by a parent. I have a suspicion that the students in high school will take the vaccination injection much easier than the children who will come from Petersham – so for the Center School students a Mom, Dad, or other Guardian must attend!
The H1N1 clinic has opened a door for our district and for our students. The idea of providing services like influenza vaccinations in the school setting creates a convenient way for parents to have their students undergo routine wellness activities. By having the vaccinations in schools, parents do not have to make doctor appointments (which can take some time) or take time off of work to sit in waiting rooms. I have added the link to the H1N1 cover letter and permission form for parents at the bottom of this blog.
Next on the Horizon:
Last night I made the acquaintance of the Vice President of Family Health Centers. I am going to coordinate with her in an attempt to have Dental Screenings and Dental Clinics for our students. Just like the influenza vaccinations, the dental clinics will be optional if we are able to get them in our school. I will also ask our elementary school partners if they are interested in taking part.
http://www.rcmahar.org/Flu/flu%20shot%20cover%20letter%202009.pdf
http://www.rcmahar.org/Flu/2009%20H1N1%20Influenza%20Vaccine%20Consent%20Form.pdf
Monday, November 9, 2009
Thanking Ted Sizer
Each year the University of Massachusetts (UMASS) at Lowell asks doctoral students to take part in the annual colloquium. A colloquium is an event in which scholars get together to engage in discussion about a particular topic. Over the last couple of years I have had the opportunity to make the acquaintance of Boston Public Pilot Schools expert Dan French and renowned author, Jonathon Kozol. I have been provided with memorable moments at these events, my favorite of which was having Kozol’s book, Letters to a First Year Teacher signed by John. He wrote on the first page, To Michael. For all our children.
At one of these events I sat next to an older man and a woman who I assumed was his wife. While he sat and seemed to listen to every word that Dr. French was saying about the Boston Pilot Schools, his wife just sat and knitted. At some point the gentleman was introduced to everyone as Theodore “Ted” Sizer. I remember thinking to myself how fantastic it was to be sitting next to such a famous author. One of Ted’s books, The Red Pencil: Convictions From Experience in Education is among my favorites when it comes to ideas about improving the education system as a whole.
Among my favorite of Dr. Sizer’s assertions is the one that he draws about educational equality. He made a pretty compelling case for why things in schools are the way they are when he wrote, “Over the course of a year, most children spend more than twice their waking hours outside of school. This time, not surprisingly, carries far more influence than the amount of time spent in the classroom, if not for some, surely for most.” He goes on to say, “If we want a powerfully educated population we must attend to all aspects of each child’s situation, in deliberate, sustained combination.”
Now I don’t mean to bore you with quotes from books, but what Sizer says is very important. The fact that the percentage of students achieving proficiency on MCAS examinations goes up as the socioeconomics of the school community is not merely a function of happenstance. There is legitimate research to support that student achievement increases with socioeconomic status. If those who authored the No Child Left Behind Act would just realize this, our summer and weekend programming would be just as powerful as that which happens in our 180 day school year.
On the topic of socioeconomic status and its direct relationship on student achievement I could write for hours. In actuality, I have written for hours about this – but I really don’t want to bore you with research. The real reason that I wrote this blog tonight is that I want to say thank you to Ted Sizer, a forward thinker, a wonderful author, and a pioneer in the American Education System. On October 22, 2009 Ted passed away at the age of 77 after a lengthy battle with cancer. Ted not only left us with inspirational and promising ideas about how to improve education for our children – he left us with work that simply must be done.
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