Luch room divison by race, what can we do about the problem?

Question

Lunch is seems to be segregated by race and income as I have experienced it myself when I came to visit for lunch. My son recieves free lunch due to income & he is made to sit down with other low income children who happen to also be african american called the hot luch table, while many of his friends who happen to be caucasion/indian sit at what is designated as the cold lunch table. My son is made to sit there b/c of the lunch he recieves and has questioned why he cannot sit next to his friends at the cold luch table. I want to bring attention to this to the principal, and work for some change, but I currently have no soloution and working on an educated answer, soloution, and facts before I say something about this problem. However , I so not want to come off a some overbering parent an I amsure i will not be percieved that way as I am single parent. However ,I have been to college and studied sociology so I do know a bit. How can I best approach this situation and get result

Answer 1

I heard about a school that was having problems with Cliques, and so at lunch they were placed at tables ramdomly to force them to interract with other, and be away from their comfort zone. if you are concerned you should definitely speak with the principle, even if you have no solution at this time. also, there is NO REASON to place all the free-lunch kids together. i find that awful that they would force them to sit with each other, making the seperation even more obvious, and now supported by elders. Go to the principle. Racism, segregation, and even teasing and bullying is a terrible problem in the schools of this country. Stand up for your son, and for us all!!

Answer 2

Be straight with the principal and tell her just what you said about class and race. (However, if you write a letter, use the spell check.) They aren't allowed to do anything that reveals who is taking free lunch. If she is not responsive, then be an overbearing parent. This is an important issue. If you have to enlist other parents and go over her head, do so. However, as always, use that as a last resort. Make an appointment to go in and talk in a friendly manner, assuming she shares your concerns and wants to solve this problem as much as you do. There is no reason in the world that hot lunch and cold lunch children must sit separately - I've taught at a number of schools where the kids sat wherever they wanted and it worked out just fine. I also taught at a school where we encouraged reformation of cliques by having "topic tables" once a week - the tables would say, "Sit here if you want to talk about dinosaurs/books/movies/sports/cats" or would have different books for discussion. We also had big sister/little sister day where students sat with the buddies they had been paired with from other grades. Good for you for being interested and concerned!

Answer 3

This is your chance! [ok if he is older it won't work if he is older, I'm talking 7 or 8 here...maybe 9 :P ]

Bring a big awesome lunch to school. Invite your son to eat it outside with his friends and you. Most of his friends might be sitting at the hot lunch table already and would think it was great. You can be the cool mom for once! And it will give you a chance to "feel out the crowd". Listen, don't ask questions.

Talk to his teacher and ask if she has noticed. Not "what are you going to do about it???] but if she has noticed. That kind of question will show you her attitude.

This will give you a bit of research and a place to start.

Honestly some schools are very set in their ways. If this does bother you, just send him lunch money or a lunch so he doesn't have to take the free one. Good luck - you're about to fight the system; even a little problem can seem big!

Answer 4

My son gets lunch at a public school...cos he likes it! the caf staff presume hes on free lunch.......Its nor cool to get a school lunch it seems....Hes not But he wants it. I understand its an easier sysem for seating if hot food is one side (preserved often) and the bring your own lunch has a seperate area. I also teach highschool and I often see kids of same race go to sit with each other even if they are not in class together. I myself want to sit with people i like or Im friewnds with sometimes that means people from my own country. ( Im not from the US) Is this part of the the seperation or is it blatant racial. Why dont you send your child 1 day a week with a sandwich and ask him where he sits.
Then if theres still a situation go to the principal. Otherwise write a nice note telling the principal that your sure its unintentional but by seperating hot & cold kids it appears as segregation......Are you sure all hot kids are free lunches or are they like my son. Do the kids talk about that?

Answer 5

Here is the best opportunity to empower your son. You, as the parent can influence him to be the change agent in what is blatantly a discriminatory practice.

Help him to write a letter to the principal of the school and also copy the superintendent of the school board. Have him describe:
** the problem - the students are segregated by lunch type and it is across ethnic groups
**how it makes he and his friends feel when they are segregated because of what they are eating for lunch.
**a solution, like Let us eat lunch with our friends regardless
what type of lunch we eat"

If you can get other students to sign the letter, that is even better.

If there is no change from this letter, then you have to kick it up a notch, and bring publicity to it through your local media, television, radio, newspaper.

I wish you and your son the best of luck.

Answer 6

That is the most insulting thing I have heard in a long time...It shouldn't matter what they have for lunch, hot, cold, free, pay, whatever, they should get their lunch and find a seat anywhere!!
I would make a class A stink if I were you!! Call the superintendent of the schools and discuss it with him. Tell him segregation went out a long time ago,!!

Answer 7

This is news to me! I would never permit it ! Here in Florida children sit down to lunch with their class, in New York too, where do you live? I would inmmediatly take it up with the school superintendant and school board, and I would definetly not keep my mouth shut! I would write down the problem ,make copies distribute to the parents at mornings and afternoons, and speak to them ,get them involved all this besides taking the on the board and superintendant. Is wrong to do this to children, contact your Senator too, write the white house ,get ALL you can involved . Good luck. Hugs. Let us know how it truns out, if you want we can write letters to the school condemning this very gross practice.

Answer 8

that may be illegal.They can have assigned tables for each classroom but to separate them because of the free or reduced lunch might be illegal !
Talk to the principal first,if nothing is done , then I'd go to the school board and demand an explanation.
If that fails call your local newspaper or tv station.
Schools hate negative publicity ! !

Answer 9

I would go first and talk to the school principal to address the issue. If you don't get anywhere with that go to the school board administration offices.That's not fair at all that your child be seperated from other kids due to whether or not he receives a reduced or free meal.

Answer 10

Be straight with the principal.Schoolsare about socialisation and learning to mix with all kinds of people.Point that fact out to him.If food is provided by the canteen then maybe sitting them at different tables makes it easier to serve. This issue needsresolving.