Thanks to all of you who weighed in against the exclusive
Pepsi contract for Toronto high schools.
We were really impressed by the wonderful little burst of activism that
was generated by parents, students and citizens concerned about issues of
health and advertising in our schools.
Disappointingly, as you probably have already heard, we lost the vote in
the end. We are very unhappy both
about the outcome and the process.
Still, to use that tired old military metaphor, it was just
one battle-- the war we have not yet
begun to fight! We refuse to give up on
the principle that schools must be funded by public money, and that kids ought
to have the option of eating healthy, delicious food in their schools. The moment is right to take advantage of a
political environment that is apparently becoming more positive for education
funding and of a social climate that is characterized by a growing concern
about nutrition and health—especially as it relates to youth. If you’re concerned about this issue, we’re
going to offer you some ways to stay involved—if you’ll bear with us, after we
give you a few details of what transpired up to this point.
WHAT HAPPENED
AT THE MEETING
Early in the meeting, the trustees voted narrowly to scrap
the deal. The Pepsi advocates then
rallied the troops, and after a five hour session behind closed doors, the
issue was re-opened, another vote taken, and the Pepsi deal adopted. Particularly
disappointing was the key role played by trustees who changed their votes (see below)—especially
when there were still eight other trustees who believed that an alternative was
possible. No really substantive
revisions had been made to the deal to justify the turnaround (removing
branding from the exterior of the machines and placing nutrition information on
the machines were the only changes).
Some trustees appear to have been frightened by the way
information was framed for them by TDSB staff promoting the deal. In particular, they were told that student
nutrition programs would be at risk without this money. Of the 1 million per year received from the
Pepsi deal, $400,000 is allocated to the Foundation for Student Success to
administer the city and provincial money that funds the city’s 400
programs. As supporters of student
nutrition programs, we feel that this it is particularly sad and ironic to tie
their functioning to money from a pop monopoly in schools. The $400,000 is a relatively small amount
(especially in light of the total value of student nutrition programs in
Toronto: $10 million ($3 million from
government, $5 million from parents and $2 million from other sources).
The eight trustees who held firm against the deal were
proposing an alternative funding formula that would have seen the student
nutrition money covered by their core budget, as well as the remaining annual
amount of $600,000 that is divided amongst Toronto schools for discretionary
spending. The fact is that the board
currently has an $8 million surplus.
One’s initial response may be that this sounds like money that is sorely
needed to re-build all the things that have been lost by schools in recent
years, but given the vast needs created by years of underfunding, once divided
it would not be enough to do much. It
would be more than enough, however, to make a world of difference on this important
matter of precedent and principle—i.e. that schools must be funded by public
money, not sold to the highest corporate bidder.
At the moment, despite the fact that the Pepsi deal is being
signed, the alternative funding proposal is being studied by the budget
committee, perhaps to be voted on in late summer or early fall.
Here’s how the trustees voted:
|
Voted for Pepsi Deal |
Voted Against |
|
Atkinson * 416.397.3091 |
Bolton 416.397.3100 |
|
Campbell 416.397.3106 |
Cary-Meagher 416.395.8413 |
|
Coteau * 416.397.3086 |
Hill 416.397.3098 |
|
Crawford 416.393.8815 |
Mankovsky 416.397.2431 |
|
Gershon 416.397.2428 |
Nemiroff Stan.Nemiroff@tdsb.on.ca
416.397.3077 |
|
Goodman 416.395.8403 |
Payne 416.397.2441 |
|
Harrison 416.397.3104 |
Rodrigues 416.397.3069 |
|
Matlow * 416.397.3094 |
Telfer 416.397.3118 |
|
Ng 416.397.3096 |
|
|
Rutledge 416.397.3071 |
|
|
Shory 416.397.3066 |
|
*Changed vote
Didn’t vote: Ward (chair);
Davis (possible conflict of interest)
CALL AND SEND MORE EMAILS
1. Let trustees
know that you are not happy with this process.
What was going on during the 5 hours behind closed doors? What was happening there that the public
could not witness? Why have they not
truly opened this issue up for public consultation—before, not after the fact?
2. Tell the
trustees who voted for the deal – especially those who jumped ship at the last
minute-- how disappointed you are, and why this is both a bad precedent for
corporate funding of schools and for kids’ health.
3. Ask trustees
to vote in favour of the funding proposal currently under review to allocate
core money to cover the $400,000 that goes to the Foundation for Student
Success to administer school nutrition money.
As well, encourage them to set aside enough funds to allow schools to
reject the vending machines, if they choose, and still be funded at the same
levels as they were last year.
4. If you know
your local high school principal, start talking to him/her about why s/he
should reject the vending machines.
STAY INVOLVED AND
HELP BUILD A MOVEMENT FOR HEALTHY FOOD IN SCHOOLS THIS FALL
This fall we will be organizing a campaign to encourage every middle and high school individually to reject the vending machines for their school and to ask the Board for the same dollar amount they would have received from the pop deal.
Furthermore, food and nutrition education in high schools are in a sorry state—as they are in our society as a whole. It’s time we start looking more closely at what is being served in schools, and trying to work toward trading fish sticks, glop and French fries for fresh, healthy and delicious food choices. High schools are a great place to demonstrate that healthy food doesn’t have to be unappealing. So we will be working toward establishing school-by-school food committees to work on increasing healthy food choices in each high school and middle school.
Please continue to copy us on your correspondence with
trustees (info@foodshare.net), and drop
us a line if you see a way that you would like to be involved in these issues
in the fall. If you know of a
principal who is likely to be sympathetic, drop us a line and let us know that
too.
Dear Trustee,
I would like to let you know how unhappy I was to hear that the Board voted to offer Pepsi the exclusive right to operate vending machines in Toronto high schools. How disappointing, when the Board initially voted to scrap the deal! I have heard nothing about revisions to the deal that put my concerns about corporate funding of public education to rest. Nor am I any more convinced that promoting unhealthy beverages to kids in yet another venue is a good idea.
I understand that an alternative way to fund the Foundation for Student Success through core budget money is currently being examined by the budget committee and that a motion is likely to come before you to cover this $400,000 with TDSB money. I would like to encourage you to take a principled stand on this important precedent. It is not right that any part of our student nutrition program should be funded with money gained by compromising kids’ health. Furthermore, I would like you to vote to set aside enough core TDSB funds to allow any school that rejects a Pepsi vending machine to be funded at the same level as they are currently.
It is time we start looking at the issue of food in our
schools more closely. Pop in the
vending machines, greasy unhealthy food in the cafeterias—it doesn’t have to be
this way! If we begin to aim higher,
and provide kids with delicious healthy options (and it is possible!), perhaps they will once again start buying their lunch
at school. Everyone will benefit when
youth are well-nourished and ready to learn.
I hope to hear that you will be taking a pro-active and creative
approach to this issue in the coming months.
Yours truly,