NYCGREENSCHOOLS.ORG
Contact: Elizabeth Puccini
Tel: 212-674-7408 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cell Phone: 917-620-5577 MARCH 11, 2010
Email: ecini@yahoo.com
BAKE-IN RALLY AT CITY HALL THURSDAY, MARCH 18TH, 4-6PM
To Protest New Chancellor Regulation Banning Home-Baked Foods from School Fundraisers While Allowing Doritos and Pop-Tarts Instead
On February 24, 2010 the Panel for Educational Policy was scheduled to vote on revisions to the Chancellor Regulation A-812 banning home-made foods from school fundraisers while permitting Doritos and Pop-Tarts instead. One mother, Elizabeth Puccini, stayed until 11:35pm to voice her opposition to the Regulation. She warned Chancellor Joel Klein and the members of the Panel that should the revisions pass, they would “incur the anger of many parents.” The Panel voted unanimously in favor of the revisions.
Now Elizabeth Puccini, whose child attends The Children’s Workshop School in the East Village, is organizing with other parents a “Bake-In” down at City Hall in Park Row Plaza (1 Centre Street) on Thursday, March 18th from 4-6pm to let the Chancellor and the Panel members see for themselves parents’ outrage. The rally will have one table featuring the approved DOE food items and another table featuring home-made foods cooked by parents and their children. The ingredients of all the foods will be on display so that the public can decide for themselves which treats are healthier for children. Hundreds of parents from all over the city are expected to turn out.
Council Member Gale A. Brewer will be attending the rally. In 2009, Council Member Brewer introduced Resolution 2300, calling on the Department of Education to amend Chancellor’s Regulation A-812, in order to repeal the City’s ban on the sale of baked goods from schools. Council Member Brewer will be reintroducing this resolution at the March 25, 2010 Stated Council meeting and will be seeking a public hearing on this important issue.
At the bake-in, parents will be echoing Council Member Brewer’s call to repeal the Regulation and to allow home-made cookies and banana bread back in the schools. Parents will also be asking the Chancellor to make parents part of the discussion when it comes to their children’s health. Parents want the Department of Education to understand that they know what’s best for their children, not Pepsi Cola or Kellogg’s, which are the major beneficiaries of the new Regulation. Parents strongly feel that junk food has no place in our public schools and is certainly not the solution to fighting childhood obesity.
Press is invited to attend the rally at 4:30pm when parents and children will be speaking about the harmful consequences of the new Regulation, why bake sales with home-made foods are so critical to preserving music and arts programs during a time of severe budget cuts, and what the Department of Education can do to genuinely improve children’s health.
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If you’d like more information about the bake-in or to schedule an interview, please call Elizabeth Puccini at 212-674-7408 or email Elizabeth at ecini@yahoo.com. You can also obtain information about the rally and a copy of the regulation at nycgreenschools.org.