Bills in Congress for FACS credit in high school

It has been said that we can make a difference with what we teach. Let's make a difference with letters to our senators and representatives supporting the bills for a FACS credit in high school. Please site evidence for your local representatives as to why FACS education is important in school.

Many FACS teachers feel like they are fight for their lives to keep their programs in their schools but together we can make a strong voice. Take the time to write a special story about the changes you've made in your students lives.

The following is a letter to a senator asking for support.


I am writing about the Senate Bill 3059 to require a Family and Consumer Sciences (formerly known as Home Economics) graduation credit in high schools.

This bill is not requiring a specific course and I believe that this is a wise choice, as it gives school districts the option to choose one of the many important areas that Family and Consumer Sciences focuses on in education. It is through my personal experience teaching at North High School, North St. Paul, and living in Cottage Grove that passing this bill would have a positive impact on many youths. I can attest to my statement many ways.

There are three fantastic areas that stand out and will help students achieve understanding in everyday life to help them be productive citizens in society.

The first is foods and nutrition; as you know our first lady has made it her personal project to change the look of our families and help turn their eating habits back to healthy eating with proper portions and nutrition. When Family and Consumer Sciences began 101 years ago proper water conditions and healthy food preservation was the organizations main focus. Nutrition and Food has been one of the mainstays of our profession and FACS teachers are the correct group of people to help coach our youth back into personal proper food intake.

The second area that we stand alone, in the field of quality education, is teaching young people about parenting and child development. In a world where many children have been left as “latch key kids” raising them selves it is time that we further our opportunities to spread knowledge about quality child rearing for all people in society. What better way to reach the masses than through high school education.

The last area that FACS teachers are knowledgeable in is the area of Consumer Education. In a time where our credit system has gone “amuck”, our population is in desperate need of teaching young people how to budget and manage their spending. As our title states, FACS teachers specialize in consumerism and therefore would be the logical choice to teach students how to systematically manage their financial lives.

There are many other areas that FACS teachers have the opportunity to teach but these three areas stand out very obviously with-out much deep thought. As a teacher I see young people struggle from day to day and much of it stems from lack of family guidance, financial security and lack of proper daily food.

What better way do you have to help the lives of many and make a positive impact on these children than by talking amongst your colleagues and encouraging them to pass this bill.

North Students Interviewed by AP for Prom Sewing Story

It pays to be an AAFCS member. An e-mail was sent out for teachers that have students sewing prom dresses from the AAFCS headquarters. I responded and two of my students were interviewed. The story was distributed March 12, 13 and 14 and has been in 8-10 papers that I know of, it was great fun for my students.

below is a link to the Baltimore Sun. You may have to paste it to your computer header at the top of your computer.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/parenting/bal-diy-prom-0311,0,1415506.story

Consumer Skills Story

Kara Mullen Teachers Consumer Skills at North High School. As part of our curriculum we have adopted assembling a personal file for adult years that Max Peterson perfected with her Senior Strategies course at Centennial High School.



Last week at the end of the tri, students proudly took their file boxes home after school and as they did I announced to them "you're officially an adult."



Monday, March 8, 2010, Kara reported to me that one of her students had her purse "taken". She reported it to the police. Before she went to the station she went home grabbed her file box and had all of her documents needed to find her purse. The police officer said to the student, "Young lady, you tell your teacher everyone needs to have one of these file boxes. I'll get right on this because you have all of the information we need."

Taking it to the Streets

I am on the national committee called taking it to the streets. We called it that so that we could work on topics that were important and changing so that AAFCS could be part of national efforts with out starting new programs everytime something "new" came up in the news that needed FACS attention.

The H1N1 virus was our first focus.

As a team member of the committee I would like to report some of the things that you did in your work or classroom to combat the virus. It does not have to be something new. It can be the good old safety and sanitation hand washing video. If you have something to share or pictures to share with it please post it here or contact me personally.

Jane Hinrichsen

Obesity Issue

Since our first lady has taken on the Obesity Issue the national committee "Taking it to the Streets" (which has been focusing on the the H1N1 issue) is planning on adding Obesity one of their major issues and causes.

February 16th I attended a meeting with a local representative from Woodbury and addressed nutrition and obesity is support of physical and nutrition education. Cherry Cramer and Wendy Ambrose were also in attendance.

After telling stories from my classroom the representative asked me to write her about these stories so that she could share them with her committee members. The following is the letter that I sent. Jane Hinrichsen



It has come to my attention that there are bills being written to add standards to physical education to address the obesity issue that seems to be increasing in society.

I am pro physical education but I find that there should also be education on healthy eating in nutrition.

I am a Family and Consumer Sciences (formerly know as Home Ec) teacher at North High School in North St. Paul. (Grades 9-12) I live on the northern edge of Cottage Grove.

As a Family and Consumer Sciences Educator it has been well known that the image of what we do is "just cook and sew", it was often assumed that we just re-enforce what children learn at home and should know how to do these things because of the examples they see.

I can honestly say that this is no longer true.

I have countless examples of students growing up in environments where healthy food is not the norm and supplies that many take for granted are not available.

When a students misses a cooking lab they often have to make them up at home. I have had students tell me, "We don't have measuring cups and spoons and we can't afford to buy them what should I do?", "I can't make up a lab unless it's pre-made and goes in a microwave that's the only food we buy at my house." "I can't make that recipe we don't have sugar or flour at our house."

I could once assume many things in a classroom but I can no longer assume that a students knows basic things like, before you put hamburger into soup or chili it should be browned. Yes, I have had students put it in raw.

I can't assume that students know you should cook in a sauce pan or frying pan, I've found them cooking in metal bowls with the bowl on the burner.

Do I go through instruction before cooking? Yes. Do I require they read and write the recipe before cooking? Yes.

These are basic things that we once assumed that children and would know and learn in their lifetime from home. We can no longer assume that that is true. Students need Basic food and nutrition courses because society either does not have the means to cook at home or they choose not to cook at home and use convenience to make life simpler.

I hope that when congress works on budgets and education standards that we look at basic needs along with the test scores that seem to drive what is important in education today. We need to teach to the masses and requiring more difficult courses is not going to make our students smarter mostly just more frustrated.

Very sincerely,

Jane Hall Hinrichsen

Get "Fired Up!"

After attending the MAFCS State Conference, I have been inspired to get "Fired Up" and be proactive. I have made a list of parents and students (along with their address, phone numbers, and e-mails) who are supportive of Family and Consumer Sciences. I am also making a list of companies and organizations who I believe would be supportive of our area, and I have set a goal of writing at least one letter each week to a company or organization asking for their support. I challenge each of you to do the same. It is time for all of us in the profession to promote what we do. Given the economy and budget cuts facing our schools, it is to our advantage to be ready to have our statistics and supporters waiting in the wings if we need to call on them. I love interior design and textiles so my first letters will be to those industries. I will report back in a couple of weeks to let you know of any progress I have made. My challenge to other educators reading this blog is to do the same and report back in a couple of weeks.