Student Voice: Fighting the bake sale ban
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UPDATE: The City Hall protest on Nov. 13 will now begin at 3 p.m., not 2 p.m. as previously noted.
Please join students from around the city to protest the new regulation on bake sales on Friday, Nov. 13 from 2-6 p.m. in front of City Hall. The protest is being organized by seniors from LaGuardia High School, and we invite anyone and everyone to come.
Department of Education regulation A-812 states that only approved foods can be sold in schools until 6 p.m., and no outside food can be sold during mealtimes. The regulation is so restrictive it is commonly referred to as a ban on bake sales. As Jennifer Medina said in a recent New York Times article, “There will be no cupcakes. No chocolate cake and no carrot cake. According to According to New York City’s latest regulations, not even zucchini bread makes the cut.”
Since the bake sale ban applies to lunch periods, and LaGuardia has five lunch periods during the day, it is virtually impossible for students to buy something. In the past, LaGuardia clubs and teams, along with those of many other high schools, have relied on bake sales for close to 100% of their fundraising. Students were not forewarned about this ban so that bake sales could be phased out over time while other methods of fundraising were introduced. As reported in the Village Voice, two high school seniors are organizing a petition against the ban. There are also Facebook groups being created in protest.
It’s not just students who are protesting the regulation. The Village Voice quotes Beacon English teacher Sarah Fink: “There is no budget for after-school programs. Bake sales are pure profit. The ingredients are cheap, and the students can do it themselves.”
The Department of Education does not provide the necessary funding for the clubs, teams, and extracurriculars which enrich schools and students’ lives. Selective colleges and are asking for increasing involvement in these activities. If the DOE provided adequate funding, these regulations would be acceptable; as it stands, they are not.
I hope to see you on Friday, Nov. 13. The event can be found on Facebook (you must have a Facebook account to view it). You can also email me or post a comment with any questions.
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I completely support a reversal of the ban at the high school level and am proud of the LaG students for leading the charge. Just one question though: tomorrow kids will be in full regalia for Halloween which is a BIG deal at LaG… Anyone dressing as a banned cupcake and then going to the protest?
Comment by LaGuardia parent — October 29, 2009 @ 2:05 pm
I’ll have to make that suggestion to someone more artistically capable than me.. like an art major
Comment by Toni Bruno — October 29, 2009 @ 10:37 pm
Actually, we applaud the ban. We have all been consuming too much cake, chips, soda, etc. Let’s put our activist energies into improving school lunches and securing funding for clubs and teams.
At our school we have moved on to non-cake sales with great success. Let the teams and clubs think out of the box for other things to sell. Such creative minds will surely come up with great ideas. (pens with slogans, slogan buttons, magazines, books, theatre parties, dismissal sales, etc.)
Comment by Naomi Smith — November 4, 2009 @ 5:50 am
How about adequate funding for the schools? Plenty of money goes to the banks, wars, etc. Until then, we need the bake sales.
Comment by Sid Kivanoski — November 4, 2009 @ 9:05 am
*ATTENTION*
The time of the protest has been changed.
It is now from 3-6pm. Still this Friday. Still in front of City Hall.
Hope to see you there!
Comment by Toni Bruno — November 9, 2009 @ 11:40 pm
Huge LOVE goes out to NYC high school students taking action! I view the bake sale ban as another unacceptable, completely undemocratic policy imposed upon parents, teachers and students from the Mayor’s office via Tweed.
PTA sponsored bake sales have been a back-bone, national treasure to schools for a hundred years. It’s disheartening that Mayor Bloomberg has taken away the simple American pleasures associated with Baseball (who can afford a ticket?) and now, Apple Pie (either baked or bought) to support school fund-raising efforts.
Maybe some of the students could reach out to Pillsbury, Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker and solicit help in standing up to this bully! Couldn’t hurt, right?
Comment by Ambassador Mom — November 12, 2009 @ 1:07 pm