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Dyslexia is the reason why most people cannot read, and these  illiterate adults were the victim of the  Whole-Language hijack that happened more than 30 years ago.  When schools nationwide, switched from phonics based teaching in the elementary schools to Whole-language, they automatically could not reach 20% of the student population.  Twenty percent of people cannot learn to read through whole-language. 

Whole-language learning is memorizing or guessing at the words that are associated with pictures.  Phonics is learning the sounds associated with each letter and then learning to blend those sounds together.

Many states are converting back to phonics-based elementary education EXCEPT for Oregon.  Oregon has their head in the sand when it comes to Dyslexia.  States like Texas, WA, Kentucky, Hawaii, all have state laws regarding dyslexia. 

Parents like me have been battleing the schools on this issue for years, only to be turned a deaf ear.

Thanks for having this on Thin OUt Loud.

Jennifer M. Pultz

971-409-0233

Portland Oregon

posted 3 years, 11 months ago
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I am a parent at Atkinson school who helped get the food gardens growing and the harvested produce into the cafeteria.  It is critical that we get healthy local food into the schools again.  It is a tragedy that corporate america reached into our school kitchens in the 80s and 90s and replaced home-cooked meals with processed microwavelable items that passed for food.  The  school lunches are an abomination, and PPS Nutrition Services will talk circles around you quoting fat, protein and carbohydrate grams, etc...but the truth of the matter is that our kids are eating substandard food(i.e the fact that the school does not sell whole milk which is critical for growing brains).  What I find extremely unfair is that the poor kids are fed this unhealthy food twice daily!  This is not only unhealthy, but to me is a form of elitism!  If the white wealthy and middle class children were eating this EVERDAY, the parents would raise a huge stink about it and the school lunches would be changed, but since poor children's families cannot stand up and fight with the ease that the middle class can, NOTHING CHANGES!  The head of PPS Nutrition Services actually showed up at a PTA meeting with a sheet of paper documenting the healthy choice of offering chocolate milk every day!!!!!!!!!!   

As a serious nutritionist, who eats like my great grandparents did, (SOAKED whole grains, good fats, fresh fruit and veggies, raw milk and other whole foods), I have been appalled with PPS and their corporate stance on feeding our children.  It is time to plant Victory Gardens again, teach children where food comes from, order from LOCAL farmers and get rid of the corporate influence in our schools!

Thanks for FINALLY talking about this seriously.  Many of us moms have been working on this issue for years!

Jennifer M. Pultz

posted 4 years, 2 months ago
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I want to bring up the farm to school connection that is being made in Oregon. We are the only state with a Dept. of Agriculture Farm to School Coordinator. He is working closely with the Dept. of Education Director of Child Nutrition Programs, and Ecotrust's Farm to School Program. These folks are helping the schools in Oregon to not only grow their own food, but to utilize the wonderful local farmers we have. I am curious that if schools bought only local food, would that boost us from the 2 to 30% that Larry Lev of OSU Extension Service is shooting for? Let's support school gardens and more importantly, LET'S MANDATE THAT LOCAL FARMERS SUPPLY OREGON"S SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM. Thanks

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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