Views from the Classroom: Teachers on Food in a Low-Income Urban School District

Abstract

Schools have long been important sites for food justice work. However, rarely are formal educators (e.g. teachers, school administrators, school counselors) brought into the design of school-related food justice projects. This chapter argues that school-based food justice projects should substantively include formal educators because of the important insights that formal educators possess as insiders to schools. As evidence for this, this chapter reflects on a participatory action research project between an education researcher and four veteran teachers. The teachers in this collaboration teach in a low-income school district that serves a population that is approximately 80% free and reduced lunch eligible. Therefore, obtaining any food—and particularly healthy food—is of concern to the vast majority of students whom they serve. This chapter highlights the types of questions and explorations that can be done when food justice activists partner with formal educators as collaborators, making a case for why formal educators should be included in any school-based food justice work.