Updates from Michael
Breakfast at Place Bridge Academy
This morning, I had breakfast with students at Place Bridge Academy in Denver. Sitting at my table were mathematicians, scientists, kids who play in the band, drama students, one future architectural engineer, one future entrepreneur and one future fighter pilot. These are really bright kids, but they will have a harder time learning if they come to school hungry. This is why child nutrition is so important, and why so many came together today to help launch the Campaign to End Childhood Hunger in Colorado, a comprehensive 5-year plan to ensure that all kids have access to nutritious food at home, at school and in their communities.
To read about the Hunger-Free Schools Act, which I introduced in the Senate, CLICK HERE.
Too many kids in Colorado are going hungry
Tuesday, I urged federal lawmakers to revisit the role we play in fighting child hunger. New studies from the USDA and the Colorado Children's Campaign (CCC) released shocking statistics about the health of kids in Colorado: One in eight households in our state is going hungry, and in the last 8 years the number of Colorado kids living in poverty has grown by 72 percent. These numbers illustrate the unfortunate situation that many Colorado kids are living in--one that could be helped by proper nutrition programs in schools.
Nutrition has a significant impact on learning. Hungry students have shorter attention spans and have a more difficult time concentrating on their school work. At a minimum, we must provide adequate nutrition to our kids to give them every opportunity to succeed.
Earlier this year, I joined Senators Brown and Casey in introducing the Hunger Free Schools Act, which would help ensure that every child has adequate access to healthy and nutritious meals at school during the school year and during the summer months. The legislation would increase the number of kids who can eat school meals by enabling schools and districts to serve free meals to all students in very low-income areas without having to jump through needless administrative hurdles.
Visit to Pueblo and Fort Carson
This past weekend, I traveled to Pueblo and Fort Carson for two great events.
On Friday, I joined local leaders and U.S. Representatives John Salazar and Betsy Markey in a celebration of the start of the Arkansas Valley Conduit project-something Southeastern Coloradans have been waiting almost 50 years for.
Later that day, Mountainside Elementary School at Fort Carson celebrated its Gold Star Award for honoring our troops through Operation Caring Classroom. On any given day, two-thirds of the kids at Mountainside have at least one parent deployed. When I arrived, the kids were in the school's foyer, lining the stairwell up to the second floor, singing songs. They showed me a chain with 720 links, representing military parents who have been deployed, past and present. After the celebration, I stopped by several classrooms. It was a great day.
Visit to Altura Elementary
This morning I stopped by Altura Elementary School in Aurora, where I met Dave Olsen, an assistant teacher, and his kindergarten class. Dave spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy and is now continuing his service to our country with help from the Troops to Teachers program. As you can see from the photo, Dave is used to jumping into the thick of things.
Earlier this month, Sen. John McCain and I introduced legislation to expand the program and make it easier for military men and women with an interest in teaching to make the transition into education. Tapping their skills and their dedication to service is a common sense way to address the shortage of good teachers that districts across the country are facing. Dave is a perfect example. He is doing great work with the kids at Altura. Principal Mary Ann Maddy told me how much she and the rest of the staff appreciate his work ethic and commitment.
As Troops to Teachers grows, I look forward to seeing the positive impact our veterans can have on our classrooms.
You can read more about Dave and Altura Elementary in this Aurora Sentinel story.
Coloradans’ Stories of Insurance Coverage Denials Unbelievable
This morning I joined my colleagues on the Senate floor to continue our push for health care reform that provides stability for working families and makes policies like preexisting conditions a thing of the past. I shared the story of a Colorado man, Matt Temme of Castle Rock, who was denied health care coverage because his wife was pregnant - even though she already had her own insurance. His story is unbelievable and these unfair practices need to end. If you want to learn a little more about Matt's story, please watch the video below.
