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NEA ESPs Want Healthy Schools

Last week the NEA Health Information Network’s Lisa Creighton represented NEA HIN at the 2012 NEA Education Support Professionals (ESP) Conference.  I sat down with Lisa upon her return to find out more about her experience. 

Lisa, tell us about the session you presented at the ESP Conference.

The session was called Healthy Kids Learn Better: How and Why to Improve School Food.  I started by talking about the obesity epidemic which is really a big part of the impetus for healthier school food.  Then we looked at the Federal guidelines for school meal programs and some of the changes coming because of the  Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act .  ESPs need to know this information, but it does not tell them what they can do, so we covered local strategies. These included  Farm to School , the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program , school gardens, and Breakfast in the Classroom. This last one is really about increasing participation in the program as well as improving quality.

Your focus was on healthy eating. Can you share some of our member’s experiences?

Sure. One custodian really stood out.  He was a “food service custodian” working just in the food service area.  His school has breakfast in the classroom and he was really positive about it.  He said it did not add to his work, just changed it.  So instead of cleaning the cafeteria after breakfast, he goes around the building collecting the trash from each classroom.  Other participants were really interested in what he was saying.

Another member from New Jersey talked about how her district was trying to make healthier food available, particularly through the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

You were also exhibiting.  What NEA HIN resource did the attendees get most excited about?

People had lots to say about our shingles book.  Many members knew someone who had experienced shingles so they wanted to know how they could reduce their risk.  Other popular resources were Start School with Breakfast , Healthy Steps for Healthy Lives , and Tools for Schools.  Our lip balm was also very popular because the air in the hotel was so dry.

Were you able to attend any other workshops?

I went to the session on Farm to School Programs presented by the National Farm to School Network and the Massachusetts Teachers Association. People were really excited.  A few of the attendees talked about the farmer’s markets at their schools.  Others were interested in starting up new programs and school gardens.

Did you meet any celebrities?

Yes, I met the Lorax who was there to promote Read Across America.  He was quiet, but friendly. And much shorter in person.

Is there anything you want to add?

Thank you to NEA’s ESP Quality Department for the invitation to present and exhibit.  There were so may first time attendees who were all so excited.  It’s a great conference. 

This interview has been condensed and edited.

The Lorax and Healthy Schools

Read Across America Day 2012 is showcasing The Lorax and while there may be many a Truffula tree planted, it’s also a great time to think about the indoor environment of your school.

NEA HIN has a host of resources that can help you improve the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of your school. Superior IEQ is one of the many components of a green, high-performance school. Our partners at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offer the IAQ Tools for Schools program to reduce exposures to IEQ contaminants in schools
through the voluntary adoption of sound and effective IAQ management plans. You can also learn more about “greening” your school by visiting the U.S. Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools.

So after you enjoy the book or the movie and have decided whether or not you need a sneed, think about how you can help create safer and healthier schools for all!

CNN’s Sanjay Gupta Investigates Indoor Air Quality with NEA VP Eskelsen

NEA Vice
President Lily Eskelsen worked with CNN on a special news piece that reveals
just how hazardous crumbling schools are to student learning and health.

CNN will shine the national spotlight on indoor air
quality (IAQ) in schools across America with a segment airing on Saturday,
January 14 (8 p.m. and 11 p.m.) and Sunday, January 15 (2 a.m., 8 p.m. and 11
p.m.) 

The
segment highlights CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta as he
visits schools in Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut and examines the
impact of poor IAQ on students and school employees.  During his travels,
Dr. Gupta spoke to NEA members and leaders, including NEA Vice President Lily
Eskelsen (read Lily’s
blog), who emphasized the dire need to fix our schools, making clear the impact that
IAQ has on student health, safety, and performance.

An
estimated 14 million American children attend public schools that are in urgent
need of extensive repair or replacement and have unhealthy environmental
conditions, including poor air quality, unsafe drinking water and inadequate
safety systems. NEA and its members are urging Congress to pass President Obama’s Fix
America’s Schools Today Act, which would provide $25
billion for modernizing and repairing public schools, with half of the funds
funneled to schools that need it most.

To get a sneak peek at a behind the scenes video of the
segment, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBxGwLCkN4s.

During the week following the segment, we’ll continue to discuss the modernization of schools, IAQ, and their effect on performance.

Stop Radon Before it Stops You!

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, these five ways can
help raise awareness of radon and save lives in your school and
community.
 

1. Set a bold goal for your
   community to reduce radon risk.  Whether you are conducting a
   single National Radon Action Month event, or developing an entire radon
   risk reduction program for your community, it is important to set goals to
   define what you will achieve. See the Event Planning Kit
   for more information.

2. Collaborate with local
   radon partners.  Coordinate with your state radon program
   and local
   radon professionals to hold events and measure results. 

3. Plan a National Radon
   Action Month activity or event to kick off your campaign. 
   Conduct activities and events designed to raise awareness, recognize
   successful efforts, and share best practices. Set goals and establish ways
   to measure results from your activities and events. See the Event Planning Kit
   for tips and tools.

   An excellent way to get your entire community involved is the National
   Radon Poster Contest. Students ages 9-14 are encouraged to create posters
   that raise radon awareness. Entries will be accepted from March through
   October from students in all U.S.
   states, tribal nations and U.S.
   territories. Visit http://sosradon.org/2011-poster-contest
   for more information about this year’s contest and how you can get
   involved. 

4. Promote your activity or
   event on EPA’s Web site and elsewhere. Use tools such as blogs and the
   Share Your Story feature on www.radonleaders.org
   to promote your activities and share outreach ideas with the broader radon
   community. 

5. Work with the media to
   spread your message.  Work with your local media outlets to run
   Public Service Announcements (PSAs) and generate media coverage of radon
   topics, events, and activities in your community. View and order customizable radon PSAs. See
   the Event Planning
   Kit for tips on preparing press releases and Op-Eds.

Tell us about your planned activities to promote Radon
awareness at your school by tweeting us at @NEAHIN
or posting on our Facebook wall at NEA
HIN.

The Future of Crumbling Schools

Recently, I took a trip back in time.  I drove 3 hours (my DeLorean was up to task)
to Reading, Pennsylvania where I, along with
NEA Vice President Lily Eskelsen, visited Southern Middle School.

Southern Middle, like so many other schools across the country, is falling apart….literally. 
Over 90 years old, Southern Middle School is feeling its age.  Crumbling
paint falling from its walls, floors that have buckled under the swell of water
damage, a heating system that leaves 6^th floor classrooms at 80
degrees in the middle of winter WITH THE
WINDOWS WIDE OPEN, and broken water fountains
preventing students from rehydrating after sitting
in these extreme conditions.

Lily and I spoke with one of the most dedicated group of
teachers and support staff that I have met.  They are totally committed to
the children of the Reading community and their one wish is that their school,
built as a beautiful model in the 1920s, could be retrofitted to support great
teaching and learning.

“The message these kids get when they look up and see their
classroom ceiling leaking and falling in is, ‘I don’t matter,’” says
Eskelsen.  “How can we expect students to achieve in this environment? Given
that 35% of America’s schools have similar conditions, this is a
national crisis. We need to repair our public schools to keep our children
healthy and allow them to learn.”

Stepping into Southern
Middle School was like taking a trip back in time.  I recognized
everything from the type of construction to the refreshing resolve of the
faculty, staff, and students. We need  your help
in re-writing the future!

Here are 3 things you
can do:

1. Urge your member of Congress to pass the Fix America’s Schools
   Today Act which will provide $25 billion to modernize and repair public
   schools nationwide.  Visit NEA’s Legislative Action Center for details.
2. Take NEA’s online course, “What’s Your IEQ? A
   Roadmap to School Indoor Environmental Quality” to learn about mold, asbestos,
   and other pollutants and how you can organize around IEQ as a local
   association. To take the course visit www.neaacademy.org.
3. Let us know how crumbling schools are affecting you.  Tell us your story about crumbling schools,comment on this blog,  post to our Facebook page or our Twitter account.