#2: 30 Day Challenge-Something You Feel Strongly About

Something I Feel Strongly About:

Hmmm...this is a tough one.  I feel strongly about a lot of things.  Our education system needs an overhaul.  I've seen glimpses of hope (service learning in college, brain-based strategies when I taught elementary school, and language application at the pre-school level), but I really think there needs to be some sort of comprehensive, multi-organizational panel that can compile every region's best practices to actually TEACH our children.  Also, parents have got to accept the reality that teachers can't do it all and need their support.  (A childhood friend is a PTA president at her kids' school and she and her husband are extremely active at their four kids' school and have developed positive relationships with all of the teachers at the school).

Bonus:  I think that childhood obesity should be considered child abuse (barring a medical diagnosis). When I taught 3rd grade, I had a student who was 8 years old and weighed 254 pounds!  He was about 5 feet tall, but he weighed more than 3 of his male classmates, combined.  His dream is to become an NFL player, but I worry that he won't be healthy enough or live long enough to play HIGH SCHOOL ball, much less make it through college and on to the NFL.  I want his dream true (and I want him to achieve academically, too), but unfortunately, his mother is sabotaging him by feeding him high calorie, preservative laden food (I've attended parent-teacher conferences with her and seen the lunches he brought to school).  His mother is obese as well, but I don't feel that's a good enough excuse for subjecting your child to a shortened life without the joys of childhood and the opportunity to fulfill his/her dreams.