I still have friends and family in PS and I still worry about the insanity that goes on in their walls. Please read. A woman needs your prayers. I have uploaded a tape I recorded last night from our 10 o'clock news to YOU TUBE. It won't be up for long, so watch it if you can. The link is at the bottom of this post. (It is 7 minutes long so high speed is reccomended.) Here is the gist of the tape: Our local PS system has decided to "Dumb-down" the food safety rules for the food they serve the public school kids. WHY? In their words... In an effort to minimize city of Houston Health Department Violations." (ie: To save our collective a**es!) They no longer check for food temperature when inspecting the kitchens and children are ending up in the hospital with food poisoning. A local woman has sacrificed her job to whistle blow a problem that she believes will save some childrens lives. What is on the tape: Today, in Houston, if a Health Inspector (Term Used Loosely) finds that a school kitchen has food off temperature, the inspector does NOT fine the school. Instead, they simply CHANGE the rules for that school by saying that they only need to follow a "4 Hour Rule". Question: "So if they cannot pass muster (Maintain food at the SAFE temperature) then you lower the bar?" Answer: "That's right!" This essentially means that food may be allowed to set out at dangerous temperatures for 4 hours. Even though the local restauraunts may only leave out foods at incorrect temperatures . ..for... . Uh... never! And who is to say that the Chicken had only been out for four hours? They had chicken wings at a local highschool that were 97 degrees. Any food service place that is under the Houston Health Inspectors turf would have been fined. But, there is no way to prove how long the food has been out, because it is the kitchen workers word against the Inspector, who honestly doesn't feel like going through the trouble of writing up a report. It is just the company ARAMARK's way of cost cutting. One child, in a elementary school where this "Rule" has been implimented, has had food poisoning three times this school year. But they are unable to prove it is from the school. And this seems to be consistant with the kids who are getting sick. The city Health Inspector says he can't do anything about the schools because it is not his business what ARAMARK does.... Yea.. The Health Inspector for the city will do nothing. Apparently a Private Business has decided for the parents what level of health is right for thier children, even though they would not accept the same treatment from where they eat lunch. Can you imagine? Oh! And here is the REAL reason why they are doing this... When they dumbed down the inspection rules, the essentially cut off the inspectors way of checking the actual safety of a kitchen. This means they get less violations. Well, it also means that the district gets BONUSES in the form of CASH! Please pray for the children of Houston ISD. Please pray for the worker who came forward! She is the sole income of her household and just sat shaking, and in tears on this interview of how she had to come forward. Please pray that someone with the means sees this and snatches this brave and honest woman for an even better job! Pray that God takes care of her and her family. Because she took care of all the children in the nations 4rth largest school district. Thank you for listening, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejh9uiFAauk
My usband immediately called around to the different city offices looking to see what openings they had for her. She is the kind of person we want working for us, because you know that if something is about to break, she will let you know! You don't want a brown-noser when safety or your job is on the line. He did not find anything, but I just wanted people to see her and well, knowledge can't hurt, I guess.
What this school district is doing is downright criminal! And my heart goes out for the woman who dared to speak the truth. I know how she feels, but that's another thread topic.
I agree, which is why I posted this. I know that more lurkers read these posts than just the members and if just one person sees this that can help this lady, then it was worth it. I may have mentioned it before but, Morgan Spurlock, the man behind the "Super-Size me" Anti McDonalds movie, had a very good point when he noted that in "Rich Kid" schools, children were fed high quality meals whereas the inner city schools were feeding their kids carp. And that it HAD to have some effect on the growth of these children's brains. I have to agree... And then they add this on top of it? Geeesh~
