I am a fan of public schools. I know that they have become the red-headed stepchildren of American politics. I know that depending on your philosophical bent, they are either government-funded brainwashing centers or they are places where every student is taught the bible, and the freedoms guaranteed by our constitution are only suggestions.
Neither of these extremes has been my experience over the five decades I spent in…let’s see here…10 different public institutions of learning, from kindergarten through advanced degrees. As a student, the schools I attended were filled with teachers of varying levels of talent who all impacted me enormously because of their willingness to give of themselves. As a teacher, I loved teaching my students about our shared language, and I hope some of them have continued to grow in their use and love of that language. As an administrator, I loved the teachers and students who filled the schools I helped to lead, and I always worked to have a sense of the community, the parents, and the school board with whom I worked.
A big part of my time in these schools was spent in cafeterias. I enjoy food, and I love the role it plays in helping us participate socially with one another. We all need food. We all have favorites, and we all have less-than-favorites (VegAll, anyone?). School lunchrooms serve as the very best kind of microcosm of life for children, and I want to see every student have an opportunity to glean the very best from them.
This essay is written out of great respect for all of the men and women who kept me well-fed for my years spent in school
. Mac and cheese for everyone!
Free Lunch for Everyone!