Teachers, parents making sure kids won't be hurt in other ways during walkout

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - While schools and learning will be disrupted during the walkout, teachers and parents say they're making plans to make sure students aren't hurt in other ways, wanting to make sure that none of the students go hungry because school is closed.

In Arizona schools, there are more than 500,000 students on the free or reduced lunch program. meanwhile, tens of thousands also get free or reduced breakfast. For these kids, a closed school is more than a disruption to learning, as the meal at school may be the only good meal they get all day. So, for some, if Arizona schools are closed due to the teacher walkout, there is no meal at school, and students on free or reduced lunch programs could go hungry.

"Very concerned," said Julie Read. "Parents and teachers have been contacting me all weekend making sure their kids at their school will be given food, and right now the need is overwhelming. It's not just up here in Deer Valley. It's across the state."

Read is helping to organize a food collection effort though the Block Watch North Phoenix Facebook page. They are collecting non-perishable items in the North Valley and the Deer Valley School District

"We're asking for things easy to prepare, that kids could make themselves," said Read.

Natalie's & Co. dance shop in North Phoenix is one of several drop off spots for those who want to donate in the area.

"If there's somebody that lives in Mesa or Gilbert or Surprise that wants to do something, you can go and buy granola bars or EasyMac and take it to your local school. They will use it," said Read.

Read says the AEU liaison has been working with the school districts, to make sure the students who need it receive food boxes on Wednesday. Everyone is rallying to put politics inside.

"It isn't a Republican or Democrat issue," said Read. "It's not a right or wrong issue. It's about taking care of our kids of our community."

The Deer Valley District is collecting food until Tuesday night, and will be delivering food to the different schools on Wednesday. They encourage people to look up your school district, and see how and where they are collecting food.