First things first, be a customer! Eat breakfast and lunch at the school cafeteria (talk to the principal to arrange a visit). 

Connect with others who care about food. 

• Finding your allies is an important starting point. You can start small, speaking with families, students, and teachers to see who else shares your interest in creating change. You can also go bigger by presenting at school committee and PTA meetings with a more formal call to action. 

Put together a priority list. 

• Change takes time, and it can be overwhelming. Start by writing down a list of all the changes you’d like to see, and ranking them by most important and easiest to achieve. This can focus your energy and attention around the easy wins and longer term changes. 

Drop the critical attitude and instead think good-better-best. 

• Food is personal and emotional. You will get a lot further with a good-better-best attitude towards school food than a good - bad point of view. We have found we get a lot further by emphasizing ways to improve and grow, rather than criticizing the current operations. A negative or attacking attitude will end conversations before they’re even started. 

Come up with a list of questions to ask district leaders. Some of our favorites: 

• What kind of improvements does the district want to make, but has struggled to achieve?

• What contracts does the school currently have for food services? When do these expire?

• How many kids participate in the school meal program? How many are paid vs. free/reduced customers?

• What is the district’s school meals budget, including food, labor, equipment, and overhead? Can they break out these categories for you?

• What are the best ways for me to get involved?

Ask for a tour of the school kitchens to see what kind of equipment they have. Get to know the cafeteria workers at your child’s school(s) and ask their opinions about the food service program.