It's Not The Teacher's Fault

            The teacher’s strike in Chicago is over.  The kids are back to school and the teachers are back to work.  One thing that has stuck in mind since the strike began is the complaint from the teachers that test scores are artificially low because most of the kids are taking the tests hungry.  The teachers claimed that most of their students get the majority of their nutrition from school lunches.  I don’t doubt that.  But, this is not something for the teacher’s union or the school board to address.  This is a community problem. 

            In North Ridgeville Ohio, the Community Care Center noticed that by the last week of the month, families were running out of food stamps.  They contacted churches throughout the area and asked if they would host a community dinner one day during the last week of the month.  Everyone in the community is welcome to partake in a free meal at those churches.  Those in need are no longer faceless.  Conversations are struck between people that wouldn’t normally meet.  The hungry are fed both physically and emotionally, because they finally have a chance to feel a part of the community.  The teachers in Chicago are correct.  They cannot resolve the nutritional deficiencies of the students, but the community can.