Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/882783
Section: In the Know, Articles: Public Schools Score High, Food for Thought, Named!, Yes! to Paid Maternity Leave - Page 10 Food for Thought E V E R Y Y E A R vast resources of water, land and energy are dedicated to growing the food we eat. Yet every year 1.3 billion tons of food — about a third of the world's food — is thrown away even before it reaches the plate. The new documentary Wasted! The Story of Food Waste, by chef-turned- T V-personality Anthony Bourdain, explores the major sources of food waste, from the farming and fishing industries to supermarket chains and, yes, school cafeterias. It also looks at solutions, such as reorienting our perspec- tives on food that is normally cast aside, and changes we can make to the food production chain to create a more sustainable food system. Watch the trailer at wastedfilm.com. Public Schools Score High S I X T Y - T W O P E R C E N T of public school parents, versus 49 percent of all Americans, give their local public schools an A or B grade, according to the 2017 PDK Poll. The disparity suggests that those who know public schools well (that is, parents) are much more positive about what's going on inside them. The poll, which has been capturing U.S. opinion about public education since 1969, also found that in addition to educating students in academic subjects, Americans want schools to prepare them for life after high school — meaning career preparation and development of interpersonal skills. As in years past, the 2017 poll found little public support for using public money to send children to private schools. As the executive summary states, " The more Americans know about how voucher programs work, the less likely they are to support them or to say they 'd participate in them." pdkpoll.org Named! C H A P M A N U N I V E R S I T Y in Orange has named its College of Educational Studies for retired CTA member Donna Ford Attallah. Attallah graduated from Chapman in 1961 with a bachelor's degree in education, and taught kindergarten and first grade in the Cypress School District for the next 40 years. Congratulations! A scene from the trailer of Wasted! The Story of Food Waste. to Paid Maternity Leave M A N Y C A L I F O R N I A E D U C A T O R S use vacation and sick days to take time off following the birth of a baby. But if Gov. Jerry Brown signs Assem- bly Bill 568, they would receive paid maternity leave for the first time. The bill requires school districts, charter schools and community col- leges to provide at least six weeks of paid leave to public school employ- ees before or after giving birth. CTA supports the measure because it helps address California's teacher shortage with a benefit that attracts employees and keeps them in the workforce. "Anything we can do to support women and family in the profession is a good thing," says CTA President Eric Heins. " This bill will be an incentive for young people to come into this profession." 10 cta.org In the Know N E W S & N O T E S Yes!