Through an unanimous decision made by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), its newest public school was named after Michelle Obama.
Panorama City’s newest public school is named the “Michelle Obama Elementary School” after our FLOTUS and the initiative she has taken toward leading a more healthy lifestyle.
In 2010, Michelle Obama launched the “Let’s Move” campaign, which promotes a healthy lifestyle in an effort to fight childhood obesity. President Barack Obama signed a “Presidential Memorandum” creating a task force that directly works toward reducing national childhood obesity.
According to the Let’s Move website, there are five pillars toward success: creating a healthy start for children, empowering parents and caregivers, providing healthy food in schools, improving access to healthy, affordable foods, and increasing physical activity.
The elementary school was opened due to overcrowding in surrounding schools and aims toward creating healthy lifestyles at a young age. Nury Martinez, a LAUSD board member said, “This name was selected by the school-site council because Michelle Obama supports active living and eating healthy, and the school models itself on that.”
Although there was a unanimous vote that made the decision, there were opposers, as well. A LAUSD board member, Tamar Galatzan said, “We do have rules about naming schools. Over the summer I will be looking at that policy.” Fox news anchor, Kristin Tate who wrote an opinion article about the matter in 2013 says, “As for me, I think this decision is sickening.”
