In a rather unfortunate incident, a school in Alabama decided to inform a third grader’s parents about his low lunch account in a public and shaming manner. Instead of sending a discreet note home, a cafeteria worker stamped the child’s arm with “I need lunch money.” Understandably, the boy’s parents were outraged upon discovering this method of communication.
Jon Smith, the child’s father, expressed his disbelief at the school’s approach, saying, “I can’t fathom why they would choose to stamp a note on a child’s arm. In this day and age, we have so many options to communicate discreetly.” To make matters worse, Jon noted that his son’s lunch account still had $1.38 in it, so it wasn’t even in a critical state.
Nez Harper, the communication director for Jefferson County Schools, defended the practice, stating, “We use stamps to notify parents when accounts reach zero dollars. This helps raise awareness.” However, many believe that raising awareness among classmates is hardly an effective or kind way to solve the issue.
It’s worth noting that in 2016, we have the technology to send emails, texts, or even call parents directly. There’s no need to resort to a visible stamp that could lead to teasing or embarrassment for the child, especially since they aren’t the ones responsible for managing their lunch accounts.
While it’s important for parents to keep their child’s lunch account funded, there are countless other ways to convey this information without resorting to such a public display. Simple verbal reminders to children can often suffice, and in many cases, the kids are eager to inform their parents when their account is low.
Harper seemed more concerned with the fact that the situation was brought to the media’s attention before the school was notified. “It’s unfortunate this happened, and we only learned about it through the news,” she remarked. However, one can’t help but think that the real misstep was the school’s choice to stamp a child in the first place, rather than finding a more respectful way to communicate.
This incident serves as a reminder that schools should prioritize the dignity of their students and look for ways to communicate that do not risk public shaming.
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Summary
An Alabama school sparked outrage after stamping a third grader’s arm with a message indicating his lunch account was low, leading to public embarrassment. Parents and advocates argue that there are more discreet and respectful ways to communicate such information.