11,000 signatures! Oh what a night it's been, keep 'em coming!

My fellow supporters, I cannot thank you enough for supporting this petition, it means a lot to me and it may mean the world to the children of Texas. Today is significant for a couple of reasons: 1. Today marks exactly one month since I witnessed this heart wrenching incident at a Central Texas school; I’ll provide a bit more context about that day at the end of this update. 2. I just confirmed that Texas Governor Abbott and three select Texas legislators have received the petition packets that were mailed Monday. What’s so significant about that? Well when I mailed the packets I had included every signature and comment that I had at that time, which was 1,029. I provided each recipient a link to this petition and if either the governor or those legislators visits the Change.org site today, they will not see 1,029 signatures but it looks like they’ll see over 11,000!!!! I am anxiously waiting to hear from either the Governor or one of the legislators, my cell phone is charged :-) Yes, my petition is addressed to the Texas legislature, I had to choose a specific target in order to get the change that I was seeking; should this issue be solved on a national level? ABSOLUTELY!! My hope is that the national support generated by this petition will spur some form of national debate about how we provide for children in school vs what we provide prison inmates. That completes the update, thanks again for your support! Finally, a bit of clarification about that school day for anyone interested. I was scheduled to work as a computer aide that day, and then only for half a day. I had even commented to my wife that it would be an “easy day”, no lesson plans to contend with. Upon arrival at the school I was informed that there was a substitute scheduling error and that they actually needed someone to cover a pre-K room, I’m a certified teacher and flexibility goes with this job so I accepted the job. The first task after attendance was to escort the class to breakfast which is where this incident occurred, what a way for a 4 year-old to begin her day right? I carry about $4 in change in my lunchbox but intending to work only half a day I didn’t have my lunchbox with me that day. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any cash on me at the time of this incident or I would have paid for this child’s meal, I believe it costs $1.50, I’m sure there is a dollar and fifty cents in my car’s ashtray! Since that day I have begun to carry about $10 behind my school name tag just for such instances, it’s separated from my wallet so I don’t inadvertently spend it. I’ve stated several times that the cashier was just doing her job and following school, policy and district policy IAW Texas law. Do I feel that she was unnecessarily cold and heartless while she did her job, YES, without a doubt! My jaw literally dropped as this child’s tray went one way and the child, in tears, went the other, it was almost as if the child expected it but I was in disbelief. This was my first time working at this school and it literally took me a few seconds to figure out what had just happened, in America??? A few moments later I learned from a cafeteria aide that this child had attempted to steal a dollar from another student, he was supposed to add it to his meal account but had forgotten, he’s four, go figure. I recovered the dollar and added it to the boy’s account and whispered to the aide that she had probably stolen the money because her meal account in empty, the aide informed me that that student hadn’t had regular funds put on her account for TWO MONTHS! I am a substitute and do not know this family or their situation, the aide informed me that she and other aides and teachers had been placing money on the girl’s account but that support had apparently ceased. Again, I don’t know what kind of contact the school has had or attempted with this girl’s parents or guardians but clearly there are some issues going on at home; the point of this petition is not to fix everyone’s problems, it’s just to ensure that kids with depleted meal accounts get their school meals just like everyone else.