Are Teachers the First Line of Defense for Hungry Students?

In a country where food is so plentiful and easy to get, some school children are showing up for class hungry. Whether it's not enough food at home, a dysfunctional situation in the home, or simple neglect, teachers have been preparing for these hungry children over the years. One thing on which they all seem to agree, the problem is getting worse as the economy tightens. According to a new study sponsored by Share Our Strength, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger, teachers are standing in the gap for hungry children at school.

Teachers Know Students who Have Breakfast are Better Students

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, breakfast is available and served to nearly 11.6 million children in schools across the country. Just under 9% of those breakfast meals are offered at a reduced price, and about 74% are absolutely free. Even though wholesome food may be available to these kids, they are not getting it. Some of the reasons kids are missing this free breakfast include late running buses and a social stigma attached with getting a free breakfast.

Teachers have been taking up the slack by offering cold cereal or some sort of grab-and-go meal for these kids. These teachers know the research that shows kids who eat breakfast have better cognitive function, longer attention spans, improved memory, and score better on standardized tests. If these kids aren't taking advantage of the free breakfast programs in school, then teachers will make sure they get something to eat. Teachers know kids who eat breakfast are going to be better students.

Other Findings in the Share Our Strength Survey

The Share Our Strength researchers surveyed 638 teachers in kindergarten through 8th grade and found that teachers were the first line of defense in dealing with students who regularly come to school hungry. It's estimated that about 65% of America's teachers see students who come to school hungry on a daily basis. Some kids are hungry because they are not getting enough to eat at home. Eighty-percent of teachers see this frequently according to the study.

Three-quarters of teachers surveyed say that most of the kids coming to school hungry are from unstable home environments. About half of teachers surveyed say some of the kids come from homes where food is a luxury and parents simply do not have enough money to buy adequate food. Some kids report not having any food available at home for them to eat. So teachers are apparently stepping up and reaching into their own pockets to make sure these kids have something for breakfast each day.

Stacey Frakes, a teacher at County Central School in Madison, FL, told USA Today that "kids would sometimes come to her class, put their heads on their desks and almost cry." When Frakes asked the child what was wrong, the students would invariably tell her they were hungry. Hungry students would always ask her when it would be lunchtime and she would offer them a package of peanut butter crackers she always kept on hand.

Sources:

USA Today: Teachers say they often feed students who come to school hungry

Report: Teachers feed hungry students who are unable to focus

Georgia Department of Education: School Nutrition