GET ON THE BUS by Kathryn Merrifield

           October is Children’s Health Month, and the ability to give them clean air is our challenge and something attainable with the implementation of both bussing and clean diesel programs.

Clean air is uncontaminated with pollutants from emissions. Pollutants exacerbate conditions such as asthma, already triggered by allergens which increase with the change of seasons:  fall foliage, indoor dust, outdoor cold to dry, heated air - all asthma triggers.

            One would think bussing could solve this problem – I thought so, but emissions from diesel fuel are far more damaging than those emitted from a standard car.  While bussing mitigates other problems, it does not eliminate the problem of air pollution.

Bussing has never been an option in the Rye Neck School District, despite the congestion along Boston Post Road at both drop off and pick up times. Staggered patches of commuting cars could be much less stagnate with the implementation of bussing within a school district.  Fewer cars equal a smoother flow of traffic. 

            For Rye Neck, the qualifying standard to bus children is to live within a one and-a-half mile radius. The school district officials claim that because all children live in walking distance of the school, they can’t be bussed.

            Perhaps that justification was valid when dual incomes or rigorous schedules of children were not as commonplace, when emissions weren’t seen as an imminent threat to our planet and its inhabitants.  Of course, in order to address the emissions issue, you have to adopt a clean diesel program, like one offered by the EPA that offers rebates to participants.  It’s the only way to make it work the way it should work.

            What doesn’t work?  This:

            Instead of implementing a clean diesel bussing plan, school programs stress awareness of emission control.  Hence, the “No idling” signs at student pick-up spots.  During a “No Idling”-themed week, I found an e-mail like this in my inbox:

Why is it important to prevent your car from idling?  Fact #1 - Children are more vulnerable to health problems like asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Emissions from idling vehicles exacerbate these conditions  Fact #2 - Idling increases emissions by 13 percent.  Fact #3 - Every gallon of gas produces 20.4 pounds of carbon dioxide.  Fact #4 –Idling affects outdoor air quality at the local and community level.  What should you do?  Turn off your engine when waiting longer than 30 seconds.  Reduce vehicle warm-up idling to 30 seconds, even in cold weather.  Take public transportation, walk, jog, or ride a bike.  TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO DO THE SAME!

            Yet, still no bussing.   No real solution.

 “Take public transportation…” is not an option.  And a mile and a half is not a realistic walking distance.  Not everyone lives a stone’s throw from school, so not everyone can walk.  And, assuming that everyone could walk is an inherent violation of laws considering the American with Disabilities Act and could, under some circumstances, further require litigation to obtain bussing.  And, a twenty degree and below winter morning isn’t walking weather for anyone, which is why most parents that don’t live around the corner from their school, drive! 

            It’s noble to think it’s an option, but it is impossible not to idle.   Once you’ve been in a pick up line, you realize that cars move too slowly to keep moving forward and too quickly to turn the engine off at every stop.

“No idling” has good intentions, but it’s merely a prophylactic for a real solution.

            Furthermore, taking children to and from school is an acute source of stress for parents:  parents who need to work are hard-pressed to find childcare at 8 am and 3 pm every day.  For some, that’s all that is needed to fulfill work obligations.  For others, that means not having to secure childcare when one child is sick and paying out large sums of money to rig an otherwise logistical mess.

            When researching the topic, I don’t come up with much.  There are no estimated  costs publicly available that detail what would be required to implement a bussing program, and during environmental or health week, no one mentioned putting a clean diesel bussing program in place.  Not once.

            In the Glenville School District of Greenwich where I have since relocated, a bus arrives twice a day at my block’s end.  For me, that’s an extra hour and a half of work I get done from my home office, and an regular play date among the kids on the bus – kids that live next door to each other, develop a bond, and then play with each other - old-fashioned, maybe, but so much easier.  It’s a counter-intuitive argument to think that there are more opportunities for spontaneous activity and exercise because of bussing.  My kids live in a bussing district and thus, spend more time playing and running from house-to-house with their friends.

            In Greenwich, busses are contracted out by the district to Student Transportation of America (STA) which abides by a clean diesel.  Maribel Mantia, Terminal Manager of STA, explained to me that the buses follow clean diesel guidelines and welcomed information on the rebate program offered by the EPA.  He also spoke about the district-wide five-minute idling limit.

            Apart from environmental and health impact, think about the friendships that could be saved without the conflict of that illegal left turn into the parking lot, or that car that cut in line because someone either had to or didn’t know better.  By accident or not, minor errors create another “brick in the wall,” to effective human relationships.  I’d like everyone to have one less issue over which to fight.  I need to like my “mom” friends.  I don’t want to argue with them.

            There are still parents who opt to drive and that’s fine.  But if clean bussing is offered, we should set a good example for our kids.  When mine ask why bussing is better, I tell them that if I can focus on work when they’re at school, I do better at giving them my undivided attention when they’re not.  I tell them that public transportation keeps our planet safe for the future by helping to keep the air clean by reducing emissions.  It’s two-fold:  bussing and the EPA’s clean diesel program:  http://www2.epa.gov/cleandiesel

            The October 11^th, Sunday Review of The New York Times ran an article on taking care of our planet and teaching our children how to do so.  It states, “Children today stand to inherit a climate severely changed by the actions of previous generations. They need to understand how those changes came about, how to mitigate them and how to prevent more damage to the planet. “ 

            When I told my daughter that I finally wrote this piece on the topic, she said, “Oh… finally.”  Under her advice, I wrote it after living two months in a bussing district.

            I hope there are a few more “Oh, finallys” in my future.

            Children live what they learn.                                                                                           .           My daughter also knows that I miss that time with them but I don’t miss the chaos.  The implementation of clean diesel bussing is the right thing to do.

For more information on emissions, go to:

http://www.anr.state.vt.us/air/mobilesources/htm/Diesel.htm

View: Common Core hurting students outside mainstream (LoHud article, April 7, 2015) By: Kathryn Merrifield

     The Common Core State Standards have affected my life as a parent of both typically developing and a developmentally unique child as I witness a reckless attempt to rebrand education to meet a number of political and privately funded agendas.

     I am a mother of three children. My oldest son has an Individualized Education Plan, which requires programming and accommodations to his environment and curriculum so as to help him learn despite neurological obstacles. This year will be the third year of Common Core-based tests. Last year, my son's math and English language arts grades dropped one full point, from a 3 to a 2, on a scale of 1 to 4.

     The state's implementation is profoundly flawed, even in the mainstream classroom. Imagine a child with a learning disability trying to access the same material.

     To some this appears part of the plan. Our special education attorney expressed concerns about the extent to which the imposition of the Common Core guidelines can further marginalize students with special needs from the mainstream.

     Another special needs parent and advocate noted that when parents opt their special education child out of testing, the school district actually benefits: low scores bring down the district scores. As a parent advocating for my child with special needs, this grinds against my efforts toward his inclusion.

      The federal law for children with special needs grants a "free and appropriate education." How appropriate is it to force a child to be tested on matters that have not been directly taught, to be forced to sit in a chair when sensory integration issues make this child feel both physically and academically unprepared? Children in special education have goals suitable for them, yet difficult to achieve, and this testing both wastes their time and hinders their self-worth.

     The isolation caused by the testing environment is in and of itself a form of segregation to children, at least those on the autistic spectrum who share characteristic social difficulties associated with the disorder but are otherwise bright in other areas. These children need their strengths optimized, yet it's impossible given this focus on a one-size-fits-all education.

Students with an IEP are allotted testing accommodations specific to their needs – they are given more time to complete the exams. That means my son wastes six entire half days of school sitting for tests that are meaningless to him. That time could be devoted to direct instruction appropriate for him and mandated by his IEP.

     Since the implementation of the Common Core, the focus on standardization rather than acceleration or remediation has done more harm than good. Previously successful special education teachers are unable to keep apace with the standards: my son is receiving less homework, is unable to manage the projects he's assigned and is, for the first time since my active advocacy, falling behind his peers academically.

     Yet my son creates elaborate stories that entertain his friends – stories with planned futures of five or six comic books he creates that extend into an imaginary future, one that I'm keenly aware that the Common Core will crush.

     The trajectory of the Common Core is to cause special education and the individualization of education to crumble. The only path available to the Common Core is for education to regress back into the Dark Ages when such children were not considered teachable.

     As parents, our only recourse is to opt-out of the tests. It is the only way to send a clear message that all of our children are special enough to learn.

Kathryn Merrifield is an author and writer. She lives in Mamaroneck with her three children.

http://www.lohud.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/04/02/common-core-hurts-students-disabilities/70835746/

SPRING FORWARD DETOX by Rachel Feldman

Spring is here. Let's talk Spring Detox.

I am not going to bore you with a typical Spring Detox talk. No way. 

I am going to share with you some simple ways you can kick start your liver and gallbladder, which means weight loss, cellular regeneration and less fatigue for you.

Let's start simple. 

1. Drink lemon water upon waking. If you want to add some extra spring cleansing, then add a dash of cayenne and one tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar. I love using Bragg's Raw Apple Cider Vinegar.

2. Make a Green Smoothie loaded with antioxidants and bitter greens. The bitter greens support a healthy bile flow, and we need that for healthy liver detoxification.

Make this smoothie:

Liquid Energy

1 1⁄2 cups dairy-free milk 

1⁄2 cup frozen or fresh berries

1 cup kale

handful of parsley 

1⁄4-inch fresh ginger root

 1 lemon, juiced

3. Make a healthy raw salad with a clean source of protein for lunch. A healthy raw salad for the Spring should consist of cabbage, cucumber on tops of a bed of fresh spinach with fresh herbs such as cilantro, which is great for chelating the body of heavy metals. Add the juice of one lemon with two tablespoons of high quality olive oil and your choice of sea vegetables. I love to use dulse or kelp flakes for a healthy dose of minerals plus they are great for your thyroid. Why not detox and support your thyroid at the same time? Now add a clean source of protein. What does this mean? 

I like to consume protein that is free of nitrates, organic preferably, grass fed or a fish that is low in mercury such as flounder.

Feel free to add plant-based proteins such as lentils, mung beans or hemp seeds to your salad.

4. Finish your day with a simple meal. This should be your lightest meal of the day when it comes to a Simple Spring Detox. Enjoy steamed vegetables with a green salad or roasted root vegetables with a cup of miso soup, also great for the thyroid.

EASY MISO SOUP

(Makes 3-4 Servings)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 

2 large carrots, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

2 cups vegetable broth (organic, store-bought or homemade)

 Sea salt to taste

black pepper to taste

2 to 3 teaspoons miso

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the chopped carrots and sauté for 3 minutes. When the carrots start to look golden, add the celery and sauté for another 2 minutes. Allow the vegetables to soften.

Add the vegetable broth to the pot along with sea salt and black pepper. Cover and bring the soup to a boil. When the soup is boiling, remove from heat. Add miso and mix until it’s dissolved. Top with chopped scallion and serve.

Detox is not just about the food you consume. As you enter the Spring, you have the opportunity to release what does not serve you. Spring is about renewal, and the liver releases toxins both physically and emotionally. 

Take 5 minutes each night to set your intentions for the next day and release what does not serve you that day. What do you want for this Spring Season and how can you best serve your body? 

Spring Forward my friend. 

Rachel Feldman is a health coach, digestive wellness expert, and detox specialist. Based in Boca Raton, Florida, Rachel assists clients nationwide via phone, email and Skype. Rachel helps men and women struggling with weight gain, digestive issues and toxicity. Rachel graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City, Wild Rose Natural College of Healing, and International School of Detoxification Level 1 & 2 and certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. Her approach to health focuses on the foods you put into your mouth and incorporates the elements of body, mind and soul. She helps her clients to access the blueprint for their health by discovering what foods fuel the body. Her signature Detox & Cleanse is based on the elimination diet. It helps to uncover hidden food intolerances, restore gut health and teach people simple ways to detox the body daily. Visit www.rachelswellness.com.

PSA ABOUT A MARCH 5TH SNOW DAY By: Kathryn Merrifield

Snow is a cold burial for the soul.  Paralyzing for this California-born person who had the luxury of visiting the snow in Mammoth or Lake Tahoe with the purpose to ski and visit grandparents.  Then, had the luxury to LEAVE THE SNOW.

Venna Rose told me one day that the one good thing about not living in Calfornia is that there are no snow days.  I thought she would be a little putt-off if I told her that earthquakes cause school closure.  Smog days too.

There’s totally a reason that the wicked witch is from the east coast.  People who get more sun are happier.  People who deal with snow all day long are less happy.  It’s where SAD comes from.  I know this because it’s on the recoding when I’m on phone hold with the doctor:  Seasonal Affective Disorder.

You know those people who react to a bitterly cold January day with, “Well, we only have another month of this and then it’s spring?”

They are LIARS!

There are three seasons in this place, okay.? Spring is not a season as it applies to weather.  Stuff starts growing again but there’s little going on in terms of drastic weather changes.  While that may be a little bit of magic, it may also be still rainy and cold.  The other seasons are more legitimate in my opinon.

But to be honest, I never knew what a season was before July 17, 1998 when I moved to New York.  So, it’s an education, this Northeastern life.

There’s an opportunity to get closer with these conversations - there's always something to talk about.

So, go talk amongst yourselves.  Warm up.  Watch as the landscape is cloaked in Shabby Chic white.

THE COMMON WHORE (or other appropriate nicknames) by Kathryn Merrifield

My new thing?  Opting out of kid testing.  I've been thinking about it for the past year, embracing all arguments and social pathologies potentially attached to my kids, and they're NOT DOING IT.

Why?  It's a waste of time.  It benefits:

1)  government;

2)  (publishing) industry (Pearson);

BEFORE:  

I caved to administration and I caved to social pressure.  I caved to hoping for the best.  I caved to my children's inclusion and the threat of social alienation because children under ten years old would have to deny testing in the face of their peers.  I caved to an attempt not to alienate my childrens' passionate, caring and patient teachers.  I caved to an inordinate amount of government's attempt to control education at the expense of teaching and of teachers.  I caved to what I knew what was not right... and I felt like a fraud who linked sandbags to my kids and their educators and threw them into the Long Island Sound.

Surprisingly, up until now, government officials and Bill Gates (champion of Charter schools, hence champion of farming out kids from public schools) decided they knew better.

Bill Gates is a private education drop out.  So is Steve Jobs.  The private sector knows how to make money and drive semi-private charter schools.

Politicians trusted privately funded publishing companies to implement a core curriculum and fast and now and who cares about teachers.

My school district doesn't need it.  Our Superintendent (despite his misguided blockage of school bussing), fights against it.  At the core, he has fought for our teachers and students.  We pay this so we get that.  We are here and he is accountable.  Superintendent Peter Mustich knows that Rye Neck academic standards exceed the Common Core because of our demographics.  Politicians are looking for someone to blame for low education standards.  Don't blame economically fit school districts.  Look to yourself and leave us alone.  It makes local government accountable so they offset the blame to some of the lowest paid government workers:  teachers.

The best do their jobs privately.  When government intercedes either someone is politically or economically benefitting or off-setting accountability.  

Do your research. Opt-out.  It's a waste of time.

Diane Ravitch, passionate educator and compatriot of all teachers and student advocates for authentic education, said it best when (loosely quoted) she admitted to not needing to administer or comply with a corporate agenda, so she could say what was on her mind.  Ms. Ravitch also attributed it to her Seventies (so I can't wait to be in my Seventies!).

That said. I have some good friends.  One of my most respected friends is Gina Tampio, mother of four beautiful boys and wife to anti-Common Core Champion and Assistant Fordham Political Science Professor, Nicholas Tampio. 

So, here's the deal in a nutshell:

1.  Our kids took tests last year that teachers didn't teach to;

2.  Teachers were given materials mid-September and expected to anti-up so had not idea what to teach to;

3.  No one knows what happened yet everyone is stressed out.

AFTER:  

Since last year, my son, a child in a contained classroom who received a mid-thirty percentile grade on his tests, has dropped from a 3 to a 2 in all core (ELA and Math) curriculum.  He is in fourth grade.  My understanding is that fourth grade is a repetition of third.  Does this make sense?

No.

Children who are errantly tested miss out on up to 1000 minutes of direct instruction per day as per misguided government mandate.  

Every child needs a chance.  This is not one of them.

(I'm really hoping you're getting this unless it requires a language barrier translation).

OPT-OUT.

OPT-OUT.

OPT-OUT.

E-mail your teacher that you will not participate in spring testing. 

DO IT NOW.  I did it.  Twenty seconds, max.  No harm done...  Only good. 

And that is all.

Book a tutor, have coffee, go for a swim, shoot hoops... snuggle with your child and he or she will be far better off for time better spent.  

So will your teachers.  

So will your school.  

So will you.