Schools that Get it Right

It's hard not to be discouraged about the prospect of sending a severely allergic child to school. Just consider some of the anecdotes parents shared with with Pamela Kruger in her Child Magazine article "Allergy Nation" (the most chilling, to me, was the parent who circumvented the school peanut ban by sending his child with a "disguised" peanut butter sandwich). Or consider the heated comments About.com's Parenting Special Needs guide Terri Mauro received when she solicited reactions to school peanut bans and then revisited the subject later. To me, this seems clear-cut --- it's the basic ethical principle of someone's right to swing their arm ending where someone else's nose begins --- but obviously not everyone sees it that way.

Regardless, it's a pleasure to point out a few schools with innovative programs to educate children about food allergies and help keep everyone safe. Cedar Lane Elementary School in Middletown, Delaware is this year's recipient of the Mariel C. Furlong Award for Making a Difference from the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. Among the unique innovations for allergic students are a system that allows cafeteria cashiers to keep track of allergic students and ensure they don't sell them any allergenic items. Interestingly, Cedar Lane is the second Middletown school to be so honored in the last four years, perhaps showing how powerful a well-organized group of parents can be.

Focusing more on the social and emotional side of allergies is C. L. Smith Elementary School in San Luis Obispo, California. Their parent-run education program focuses not only on kids with allergies but also on their classmates, teaching them how to keep their friends safe.

If you have children in school, how would you rate your school's responsiveness to your concerns as a parent? Vote in our poll, and please feel free to share any specific experience you've had --- good or bad! --- in the forums or in the comments.

UPDATE (5/18/2007): If you have questions or comments about "Allergy Nation" (the article linked and mentioned above), author Pamela Kruger invites you to share them with her directly on her blog.