Hungry to learn

Latest

Detroit teachers have been in the forefront of the nationwide fight to save public education and to guarantee an equal, quality education for every child.” Photo/daymonjhartley.com

Contributed to the People’s Tribune by educators

Homelessness and food insecurity now affects every level of public education, from pre-school to K-12 through higher education.
At the University of Hawaii 21% of students are food insecure. For City University of New York, it’s 39%. More recent reports indicate that over half of the students attending certain colleges in Oregon, Maryland, and Alaska are food insecure. In one of the few studies on the topic, 20% of students reported being hungry and 13% were homeless.
Massachusetts has 29 public college campuses; 25 have food assistance programs. UCLA is opening a food bank. At California’s 23 Cal State level campuses, 20% of students are food insecure. At the state’s community college level, 33% of students go without adequate food during each month. The United Teachers of Los Angeles has made one of their contract demands that all schools become community schools with a 360 wrap-around of necessary services. (Data from Wisconsin Hope Lab, “Hungry to Learn” 2015.)
In the 2012-13 school year, 51% of students from pre-k-12 were eligible for the federal program that provides free and reduced-price lunches. The lunch program is a rough proxy for poverty, but the explosion in the number of needy children in the nation’s public classrooms is a recent phenomenon that has been gaining attention among educators, public officials and researchers.
Hunger is increasing in an era when an abundance of food is being produced. How can students learn if they are hungry? What is wrong with this picture?

PT Logo collage
+ Articles by this author

Free to republish but please credit the People's Tribune. Visit us at www.peoplestribune.org, email peoplestribune@gmail.com, or call 773-486-3551.

The People’s Tribune brings you articles written by individuals or organizations, along with our own reporting. Bylined articles reflect the views of the authors. Unsigned articles reflect the views of the editorial board. Please credit the source when sharing: ©2024 peoplestribune.org. Please donate to help us keep bringing you voices of the movement. Click here. We’re all volunteer, no paid staff.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Featured

‘I Am a Political Prisoner’ Says Jailed Immigrant Rights Activist

In this interview with Democracy Now, Journalist Maria Hinojosa describes her recent interview in an ICE detention center in Colorado with jailed immigration activist Jeanette Vizguerra.

War No More – Veterans Reflect on the Meaning of Memorial Day

Veterans for Peace say wars will not end, – and nuclear war will not be averted – unless there is a sea-change in the thinking of the U.S. people and our political leaders.

Harvard University Stands Up to Illegal Federal Government Actions

Read letter by Harvard President Alan M. Garner, about the University's stance on the Federal government's illegal actions to force Harvard to give up the school's academic independence and academic freedom.

Trump’s Big Cruel, Deadly Policy Bill is a Healthcare Heist

Outrage is rising against Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” that would give massive tax breaks to the rich while slashing Medicaid, nutrition, and clean energy. Some say 14 million people could lose health coverage.

Is FREE Electricity in our Future?

Electricity should be a right, free to all.  Yet, for-profit energy companies set prices to maximize profits to shareholders, even when users can’t afford the prices and suffer shutoffs.

More from the People's Tribune