The peanut ban declared by two elementary schools in North Andover, Massachusetts, received a lot of media attention last year, and school principals throughout the country were besieged by angry parents on both sides of the issue. Some parents declared that peanut butter was all their children would eat, and that they would starve without it. Others protested that their children could die if exposed to peanut butter. In fact, several parents whose children have peanut allergies requested that this information be removed from school health forms to ensure that they would not be singled out. What Principals Can Do As a principal, you must assure parents of children with food allergies that you and your staff will work with them to protect their children.
Education is the key.
Learn everything you can about food allergies and take the lead in implementing a schoolwide policy that provides protection for affected students while preserving their confidence and self-esteem. Keep in mind that schools are required by law to make accommodations to ensure the safety of allstudents. Further, parents cannot be required to come to the school to provide medical treatment or take their children home if a school nurse is not present. Use the guidelines set forth by your district's Section 504 coordinators to write a clear plan for managing food allergies in school, with input from staff, parents of allergic children, and physicians. A formal plan provides assurance that everyone will know what to do for students with food allergies.