Normal Green: Greening Your School -- Have a plan and stick with it

Having worked many job in my adult life from marketing manager to blog editor, I can honestly say that the most frustratingly political and bureaucratic job I've ever held was that of Third Grade Teacher.

Adding insult to injury was the fact that I taught in a low-income, inner city school environment (which I loved, that wasn't the problem) with very little in the way of supplies. My classroom had no books, no paper, no pencils. If I wanted art supplies beyond the basics (crayons and watercolors) I had to either buy them myself or write grants for them.

I watched day in and day out as unhealthy lunches were served to the kids already in need of good nutrition, and the entire time, I felt there was little I could do about any of it. Changing any program required the buy-in of my grade level, fellow teachers, the principal, and, of course, the daunting school board. Our school district had no money for "extras," so we had to get creative when looking for support. To the credit of my visionary principal, our kids had PE. They had wonderful assemblies featuring drama, music, and dance. We had a recycling program run by the kids themselves. We had an amazing school garden—every room with its own raised bed planter box. The kids had plenty of opportunity to be expressive and creative because she hired teachers who were truly dedicated to enriching the lives of students. But we could have done so much more.

Now, as the parent of an elementary school student, I look at my daughter's school and see the same potential. Her school is worlds away from the school where I taught, but in terms of taking steps to make her school a greener place, there is much work to do. But how to start? I've chatted with other parents at the school about making lunches healthier and greener. We do pretty well with offerings like hummus, pita, and veggies; Caesar salads; yogurt and bagels; turkey and veggie stackers; and lots of fruit, but there is still plenty of junk on the menu. Living in California, I know our veggies and fruits are local(ish), but it would be nice to see organic choices as well. I don't know if you've looked at the prices of school lunches lately, but they are expensive (IMHO). At our school, lunch runs around $3-$4 including milk. I know I can provide a much healthier lunch if I pack it myself for less than that. At the beginning of school year, our stack of paperwork included a form asking parents if they wanted to be notified when pesticides are sprayed.

This got me to thinking about the other harmful chemicals that are used around the school. Could those be less harmful? Could cleaning supplies be greener? Art supplies more sustainable? And beyond that, could a green curriculum be incorporated across all subject areas so that kids could learn more about ecology? Knowing what I know having been a teacher, it wouldn't be prudent of me to start rabble-rousing at my daughter's school demanding changes. According to sites like Green Schools , you start with a team of stakeholder in a school environment, everyone from students to janitors. Then you create a plan . Do you want a toxic-free environment? More recycling? A school-wide mandate to reduce waste in school lunches ? Change in any school environment is slow going. It requires baby steps, dedication, and perserverence. You and I might not see any benefits while our children at their schools, but we could be fomenting change for future students. And that benefits us all. Other posts in the Back-to-School series: Greening School Lunches Greening Your School Supplies Eco-Friendly Back-to-School Fashion That's Really Fashionable