HS Culinary Class teaching cooking for BOXED Mac & Cheese

[marmalade]

my son takes a life skills class at his high school that includes cooking and he would have loved just learning stuff for the microwave (since all his favorite foods ONCE PREPARED can be reheated that way) but he came home very surprised to find out that the first portion of the class was on nutrition, then it moved on to food safety, then the safe/appropriate way to use kitchen tools before they ever got to prepare anything to eat (and then it was all from scratch stuff-with him complaining "mom don't the teachers know there are frozen and box mixes for this stuff")

I cook most meals from scratch, I am dumbfounded when we go to the grocery store and my kids 8 & 9 ask for those nasty frozen Kid Cuisines. How can they even like that when they are used to real cooking? I buy them 1-2x's per year for them as a treat, but I gag watching them eat them.

 

[luvsJack]

So you are all for having a teacher who is teaching students how to boil water, dump in a box of pasta, some powdered stuff that they call cheese make the same money as a teacher AP Calculus, History, Language Arts, Music, or Art. In our district a Culinary Arts Teacher with the same years of Service would make the same amount of money if they have the same years of service. I would much rather have a seasoned chef from a local restuarant teaching a course at a salary more in line with what they make there. This would free up funds for the core courses and ease the burden on tax payers. The kids are cooking in class and will most likely be eating what they make, thus providing their own supplies is warranted.

The national median for a top chef is $67,000. The national median for a high school teacher is $45,000. If they can't buy ingredients how on earth are they going to pay the additional salary?

 

[Patch'sD]

Some how I bet you are one of the parents of the "nothing should be paid for but academics" brigade that we have to fight every year to get funds for choir.

Those chef's that go to culinary schools have to start somewhere. Classes like this one spark an interest in some kids that they didn't even know they had and gets them motivated for what they want to do after high school or it begins a process for those that already have the interest but haven't had their talent cultivated. AP calculus is usually for the kid that already knows what they want. NEITHER is more important and NEITHER is a waste of resources.

No, but I don't like waste. I found that the teacher for Drivers Ed was making a nice six figure salary, he was teaching theory. Practical Driving expierence was provided by a contractor whose drivers were paid far less. Why not have the contractor due the whole boat. Saving Tax payer dollars. Paying more for something that can be done for less and most likely more effectively is a waste of resources.

 

[barkley]

I cook most meals from scratch, I am dumbfounded when we go to the grocery store and my kids 8 & 9 ask for those nasty frozen Kid Cuisines. How can they even like that when they are used to real cooking? I buy them 1-2x's per year for them as a treat, but I gag watching them eat them.

oooh-thankfully I haven't had a request for one of those nasty kid cuisines in years we're the same-primarily from scratch, and I was always surprised when the kids took something homemade for lunch that caused not only students but teachers and administrators to comment "your mom MADE THAT? I didn't know people could make that themselves, I thought you had to buy it at the store or a restaurant" (seriously???? stuff like simple pot pies or enchiladas?).

 

[sam_gordon]

No, but I don't like waste. I found that the teacher for Drivers Ed was making a nice six figure salary, he was teaching theory. Practical Driving expierence was provided by a contractor whose drivers were paid far less. Why not have the contractor due the whole boat. Saving Tax payer dollars. Paying more for something that can be done for less and most likely more effectively is a waste of resources.

I've got no problem with that. However, you're claiming a Culinary Skills class is a waste (or at least that's how it's reading). You have no idea what the teacher is being paid, whether the calculus teachers have their supplies paid for, etc.

 

[Happy Snowman]

So you are all for having a teacher who is teaching students how to boil water, dump in a box of pasta, some powdered stuff that they call cheese make the same money as a teacher AP Calculus, History, Language Arts, Music, or Art. In our district a Culinary Arts Teacher with the same years of Service would make the same amount of money if they have the same years of service. I would much rather have a seasoned chef from a local restuarant teaching a course at a salary more in line with what they make there. This would free up funds for the core courses and ease the burden on tax payers. The kids are cooking in class and will most likely be eating what they make, thus providing their own supplies is warranted.

Ok, you want to pay a Chef to teach in the school because the "Culinary" teacher makes too much..which is less then what the Chef makes. Not everyone goes into a STEM field and while I think the process of learning calculus is good for brain development, some kids do want to take Culinary classes because that is their area of interest, just like a kid in band that wants to go into the music field? Are you really suggesting that schools go back to only teaching reading, writing and arithmetic?

 

[barkley]

No, but I don't like waste. I found that the teacher for Drivers Ed was making a nice six figure salary, he was teaching theory. Practical Driving expierence was provided by a contractor whose drivers were paid far less. Why not have the contractor due the whole boat. Saving Tax payer dollars. Paying more for something that can be done for less and most likely more effectively is a waste of resources.

lord, we haven't had drivers ed teachers in forever-in fact if a kid wants to do drivers ed at the school they have to do it during zero period (I want to say that's at about 7 a.m.) but they still pay the same amount to the contracting company as they would if they went to the company's school (I think we paid about $350). the school basically just facilitates it as a courtesy to kids who can't get into the closest town that has a driving school (but the kids have to provide their own transportation to school for zero hour classes).

 

[TipsyTraveler]

So without High School Cooking class you would have starved.

Of course not, but I never made that claim, did I? However, had my school offered any type of cooking/life skills course I would've had a much more solid foundation when starting out on my own. As it was, I learned how to cook, manage my finances, prepare my taxes, write resumes, perform well in job interviews, etc. on the fly, teaching myself the skills at the same time I needed to use them, as I was completely on my own by age 18 without any support. Being a vegetarian at a time when it wasn't as common meant that I had no choice but to teach myself how to cook from scratch and educate myself about nutrition. Many people don't have that extra push to teach themselves these things so they never do. They go through life eating "minute meals" out of a box, cooked in a microwave, with little understanding of portion sizes, nutrition, or how to read labels. In turn, that's how their children are raised. Then we find ourselves with an obesity epidemic and a health crisis on our hands that's shortening lives and costing us millions of dollars every year. Teaching proper nutrition and healthy habits is good for the individual and society as a whole.

School is to prepare kids for "the real world." Properly caring for yourself, being able to manage your health, diet, finances, and work life is essential to everyday living. It doesn't get much more basic than that. How is it okay to send kids through twelve years of school without teaching them the basics?

I should also hope that somewhere along the way they are taught that straw man arguments never win debates.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

When my daughter signed up for this class she was excited as she wants to be a Chef. Yesterday I asked what was going on in Culinary and she told me they were cooking boxed mac & cheese. REALLY??? REALLY?? Seems the teacher doesn't get ANY budget for food and must pay out of her own pocket. How is this even possible??? The other classes get the books they need why not give the teacher the CORE items she would need to teach a good class?? I remember at least learning Chicken Cacciatore when I was in there. JEEZ...

I guess it is what it is unfortunately.

I took a HS cooking class back in 83 and we made things like omelettes and other simple stuff. I did take a class in college (Food Science, I think), and I learned a ton of stuff there as well. I told my dd that if it is available it really is a useful class to take for life, frankly.

If your dd is interested in cooking, I would certainly foster that interest at home. Maybe you can supplement her learning with additional cooking classes? Of course buying her the double volume of Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" is a must.

 

[luvsJack]

No, but I don't like waste. I found that the teacher for Drivers Ed was making a nice six figure salary, he was teaching theory. Practical Driving expierence was provided by a contractor whose drivers were paid far less. Why not have the contractor due the whole boat. Saving Tax payer dollars. Paying more for something that can be done for less and most likely more effectively is a waste of resources.

Our driver's ed course is taught by a coach. Depending on which coach, he may be the highest paid teacher at the school but he does more than teach driver's ed. Don't have an issue with it at all.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

Our drivers ed course was taught by the mayor of our city. Yes, it was a small town. Looking back, I don't think he possessed the proper skill set for that particular job.

 

[Oodalally13]

School I work at has good budget for "culinary" class but that teacher gets by doing can biscuits, frozen pizza and cookie chub cookies because the other 95% she is working a select few students on teams

 

[frndshpcptn]

We had life skills in middle school in the early 90's.

I remember Home Ec and Wood shop. And Metal Shop.

That was how I learned to sew a button on! That's still the only sewing I can do. We did cook as well, but I don't recall what we made.

 

[Minnesota!]

So you are all for having a teacher who is teaching students how to boil water, dump in a box of pasta, some powdered stuff that they call cheese make the same money as a teacher AP Calculus, History, Language Arts, Music, or Art. In our district a Culinary Arts Teacher with the same years of Service would make the same amount of money if they have the same years of service. I would much rather have a seasoned chef from a local restuarant teaching a course at a salary more in line with what they make there. This would free up funds for the core courses and ease the burden on tax payers. The kids are cooking in class and will most likely be eating what they make, thus providing their own supplies is warranted.

I think life sklls...like cooking, sewing, and budgeting, are far more important than Calculus (and, honestly, most other classes you take in high school) skills. So, yes, I am ok with the home-ec teacher getting paid the same/more for teaching those things...no matter how un-gourmet the meal is.

I remember learning about the different kinds of chocolate, how to wash veggies, and how to make beef stroganoff in my home-ec class. And, how to shop. I don't remember a damn thing from chemistry/calculus/verb conjugating...and I have done very well for myself.

 

[aristocatz]

I hate that many schools systems have cut life skills-related classes. When I was in jr. high & high school we had home-ec (cooking, budgeting, sewing), shop, etc. We also had a semester on accounting, which I thought was pretty useful. I know it was a while ago, but these are still essential skills in life. I'm not sure why they are not considered essential nowadays-? Makes me wonder how the lack of these classes will impact the current school-aged generation as they grow older, if it will impact them at all.....

 

[kamik86]

I hate that many schools systems have cut life skills-related classes. When I was in jr. high & high school we had home-ec (cooking, budgeting, sewing), shop, etc. We also had a semester on accounting, which I thought was pretty useful. I know it was a while ago, but these are still essential skills in life. I'm not sure why they are not considered essential nowadays-? Makes me wonder how the lack of these classes will impact the current school-aged generation as they grow older, if it will impact them at all.....

I wish I had these classes in schools. I remember in high school at one point realizing that in a few years I would move out and had no idea how to cook beyond some really basic things I would do in summers for lunch when my parents weren't around. I was lucky in that my mom was willing and able to teach me this stuff. I already knew a lot of the financial and budgeting stuff as my parents made me handle some of that stuff on my own for years.

Then I got to college and realized a few people on my floor had no idea how to do laundry and roommate had to call her Dad for help balancing her checkbook (made worse because she was a finance major).

 

[NHdisneylover]

I hate that many schools systems have cut life skills-related classes. When I was in jr. high & high school we had home-ec (cooking, budgeting, sewing), shop, etc. We also had a semester on accounting, which I thought was pretty useful. I know it was a while ago, but these are still essential skills in life. I'm not sure why they are not considered essential nowadays-? Makes me wonder how the lack of these classes will impact the current school-aged generation as they grow older, if it will impact them at all.....

Sadly, I think it is mostly because those things are not measured on standardized tests that we then compare to other nations--where we think we need to be "the best. " I really do not know why we feel we need to be the best at taking standardized tests of just certain skills.

 

[traviesojmt]

My son took a food nutrition class his junior year. It was an elective so they met every other day. They cooked every other week. Everything was from scratch and as healthy as possible. The class, along with their teacher, also did all of the food shopping. They went once every two weeks during the class period to the grocery. I know they made homemade pizzas and over Thanksgiving, they made a full thanksgiving meal. My son really enjoyed the class. At the beginning of the class, donations of items and money were requested to help offset the cost, but the teacher did not have to pay out-of-pocket for anything.

 

[Missy1961]

As much as I love a perfectly made from scratch macaroni and cheese, every once in a while, nothing beats the stuff in the blue box. Yes, powdery cheese and all.

 

[Happy Snowman]

We had home-ec/shop in junior high, so did our kids. The classes are very helpful and they do teach a lot of skills that are life-long skills. I still remember some of the food we made way back in 7th grade that I still make (cinnamon rolls). I also still have a couple of the projects I made back in junior high in metal shop--candle holders. Those were fun classes. We had driver's ed "in" school--it was after school. Our kids had drivers education as part of their PE requirement but we had to pay for that, $300 or whatever. One of their driver's ed teachers was probably one of the higher paid teachers in the school because he had been there forever, coached a couple sports, and supervised some clubs.