In May, 2019 CNN reported that 75% of school districts in the United States reported student lunch debt. Children in Alabama who have almost depleted their lunch accounts or are without money to pay their lunch debt have had, “I need lunch money” stamped on their arms. In Pennsylvania, one district sent a letter to 1,000 parents warning them that if they did not pay their child’s lunch debt they would have them charged with negligence and would recommend their child be placed in foster care.

What is happening? Why is this happening? Is shame and blame a viable option for school districts to recoup loses when children and their families are unable to pay off their lunch debt. And how can this be happening if we are trying to create more socially and emotionally aware, trauma informed schools? Join us as we begin our second season with a deep dive into this very pressing and disturbing issue-an issue that is being considered in our Congress today with new legislation that could outlaw on a national scale the practice of “lunch shaming”. The United States Department of Agriculture tells us that almost half of America’s schools practice some form of “lunch shaming” to deal with lunch debt.

Visit AttentiveTeaching.com for more resources and to read the transcript of this episode on our blog. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to connect with us and learn more!

Music:

Clear Waters by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3516-clear-waters

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Windswept by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4629-windswept

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Easy Lemon by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3697-easy-lemon

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Continue Life by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3545-continue-life

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

White by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4626-white

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Montauk Point by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4074-montauk-point

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license