More Gardens, Less Sugar, Says D.C. Schools Chief

By Ed Bruske, from his blog The Slow Cook, February 22, 2010: an interview with Anthony Tata, Chief Operating Officer for D.C. Public Schools. The introduction is excerpted here; the link to the full article follows.

Anthony Tata, a former brigadier general and career Army officer in charge of procurement in Afghanistan, is the chief operating officer for D.C. Public Schools, second in rank to chancellor Michelle Rhee. Tata was a close reader of our recent series of articles on the food served in D.C. schools–Tales from a D.C. School Kitchen–which questioned the highly processed and frequently sugary fare being served to children on a daily basis. Tata told The Washington Post that he is considering other options besides the school system’s current food provider, Chartwells. You won’t find him disparaging Chartwells in this interview with The Slow Cook, except to say that school officials “are working with Chartwells to address concerns.” Tata does say he is looking for ways to include more local produce in school meals and is considering a switch from highly-sweetened flavored milk. And there’s a new director of school food services on the scene who is particularly keen on school gardens.

http://www.theslowcook.com/2010/02/22/more-gardens-less-sugar-says-d-c-schools-chief/