Rethinkers Speak Out on Childhood Obesity and the School-to-Prison Pipeline

From our Friends at ReThink:
Candy Bars, Prison Bars How Schools Can Reverse the Major Youth Epidemics of Our Times

The unstoppable Rethinkers - school reformers, aged 8-18 - want to interrupt what they call "the two biggest youth epidemics of our time," childhood obesity and the school-to-prison pipeline. They're related!

At a July 21 new conference, the Rethinkers will deliver twelve recommendations to their superintendents, principals, charter school operators, and fellow students. The recommendations detail concrete changes schools can adopt to make kids healthy and keep them out of the criminal justice system. Along the way, the Rethinkers will explain the connections they see between childhood obesity and the school-to-prison pipeline.

The new Recovery School District Superintendent, John White, will respond to the Rethinkers on behalf of the RSD.

Date: Thursday, July 21 at 11:00am
Location: New Orleans Charter Science & Mathematics High School (Cafeteria), 5625 Loyola Avenue

The Rethink summer news conference has become a post-Katrina tradition in New Orleans - packed with school officials and community members who listen closely to these education experts, many of them pint-sized middle schoolers. Rethink news conferences are highly creative and visually rich - this year will be no exception. Look out First Lady Obama and Beyoncé - the Rethinkers have a flash mob performance about childhood obesity that can't be beat! Look for some surprise dancers in the crowd...

Last month, the Rethinkers received a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Funders' Collaborative on Youth Organizing to conduct a youth-driven campaign to stem childhood obesity in the New Orleans schools. The July 21 news conference marks the official campaign launch.

"Because of the increasing rates of obesity, unhealthy eating habits and physical inactivity, we may see the first generation that will be less healthy and have a shorter life expectancy than their parents." - former Surgeon General Richard Carmona

"When kids don't eat right, they act out. When they act out, they get in trouble. When they get in trouble, they get suspended. So they need to eat right!" - Edgar P. Harney Elementary School Rethink Club

Background on Kids Rethink New Orleans Schools and School Food Reform:

In 2010, the Rethinkers published their first book, a graphic novel called Feet to the Fire: The Rethinkers' Guide to Changing Your School. It's based on Rethink school food campaigns and is available at TheRethinkers.com. That same year, MIT Press brought out Food Justice, the first major U.S. book on the subject. It featured an opening chapter on Rethink, one of dozens of occasions in which Rethink has drawn national and international notice.

Food-related Reports written by the Rethinkers:
Sowing Seeds for Better Health: Students Grade New Orleans Public School Cafeterias (2011)
Time To Rethink School Lunch: Students Grade New Orleans School Food and Cafeterias (2010)
Kids Will Eat It: Fresh, Local Food and New Orleans Public Schools (2009)

For a complete list of articles about Rethink from 2006 - 2011, visit: TheRethinkers.com.

New Orleans Public School Students Release Recommendations for Improved Schools

Last week, the young people of Kids ReThink New Orleans Schools released their recommendations for New Orleans' public schools. The ReThinkers are a group of more than 120 students that meet via school clubs and a citywide group that meets during the summer and on weekends - mostly Middle School students, with some older students, and some younger "PRe-Thinkers." The project began in June of 2006 from the principle that students deserve a voice in the changes happening in New Orleans' schools, and that youth participation in these decisions is also both a learning experience and empowering.

ReThink has held five major news conferences, and they take credit for several reforms, mostly related to school food policies. These changes include convincing school officials to repair 350 substandard bathrooms; eliminate "sporks" in favor of spoons, knives and forks; install hand washing sinks in all new school cafeterias; add garden plots to all future school designs; and serve significantly more fresh food.

School officials have been less receptive to some of their other suggestions, such as last year's proposals for alternatives to metal detectors.

At this year's press conference, which was held at Langston Hughes Academy, students made twelve policy recommendations that fell under three categories: peace in our schools; fresh, tasty, local food prepared in fully equipped kitchens; and oil-free schools.

The initiatives the students recommended for peace in the schools centered around a restorative justice program that has been used successfully in other states, most notably Colorado. The basic idea of restorative justice - where the solution is seen in repairing the harm done, rather than finding punishment or revenge - would be a radical and vital improvement to the system currently in place. Langston Hughes and Walter L Cohen have initiated restorative justice programs, making them first elementary school and high school in the state with these projects in place. ReThinkers also displayed a photo collage representing their vision for an outdoor reconciliation circle at Langston Hughes.

The students unveiled report cards they had prepared, rating the school lunches at six schools, with grades ranging from an "F" for Craig Elementary to a "B-" (the highest score given) for Arthur Ashe and Langston Hughes. The reports gave concrete advice for improvements, many of them centered around providing fresh, healthy, locally-grown food.

Recovery School District Schools Superintendent Paul Vallas was invited to respond to the recommendations, but arrived moments before he was invited to speak, and apparently had not heard the students' proposals. While he gave general praise to the the ReThink project, and offered to help their project expand to more schools, it remains to be seen what concrete steps he will take. Sarah Newell Usdin, the Americorps veteran who is CEO of New Schools For New Orleans, was in attendance for the presentation and also spoke in response. Usdin added to Vallas' promises of support, praising the student's specific proposals around Restorative Justice and oil-free schools.

Collaboration of Organizations Builds Youth Agenda For Equity

Congratulations to the folks from Fyre Youth Squad, Finding Our Folk, the Hot 8 Brass Band, and other grassroots organizations who brought together the Blowout Consciousness Youth Town Hall Event on Saturday.

With more than 150 people in attendance, the sponsoring organizations presented an amazing array of local talent and an enlightening living history lesson on the integration of New Orleans schools, presented by the real people who made it happen. The event also brought together tremendous participation on the part of young people and adults from around the city.

The assembled crowd broke into town hall discussion groups and produced reports that were then crafted by a policy panel into a solid document that will be used as the basis of the youth agenda for equity in New Orleans schools campaign.

This campaign will be kicked off in 2010 by the New Orleans Youth Collab, which is made up of Fyre Youth Squad, Rethink, the Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association (VAYLA) and Young Adults Striving for Success (YASS).

Below are the 15 recommendations/demands for New Orleans Schools that were made by the Town Hall Discussion groups:

We, the students demand...
Teachers
* Teachers should receive excellent pre-service and continuing education that allows them to develop better interactive relationships with students, excellent learning opportunities for the students, high expectations for all students, and appropriate classroom management strategies.
* Teachers should learn to be mentors of students inside and outside the classroom rather than just distribute information so that the students’ voices can be heard and valued.

School Climate
* Students believe that education should reflect a participatory democracy where students are involved in decision-making in the schools. Administrators and students should work together.
* The focus in schools should be on education.
* The large number of armed guards in schools and an over-emphasis on non-instructional issues such as dress codes create an environment that is not conducive to educational achievement and responsible decision-making
* Each school should increase activities in outdoor and open spaces.

Learning and Instructional Resources
* To ensure a smaller student: teacher ratio, implement a mandatory cap on class sizes.
* More technology and computer classes to learn current software, including but not limited to, web design and management.
* Expand the art and music programs to include diverse musical styles, increased and better quality instruments and supplies.
* More afterschool and extracurricular activities that are not just sports.
* More and better qualified school counselors
* Instruction in life skills

Curriculum and Assessment
* Rather than use standardized tests to punish students or hold them back, design tests to inform students and teachers about strengths and weaknesses
* Prepare students for the ACT and the SAT so they can compete nationally instead of state standardized tests that can hold kids back.
* Develop collective student/parent/ teacher assessment to set goals and make improvements for the year.