Why schools in Virginia suck…

Because they don’t teach this stuff called “reading, writing, and arithmetic”.

AP via Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Fishel’s recent presentation at James River High School was one of many being held in classrooms this school year across Virginia, the first state to mandate that public schools offer Internet safety classes for all grade levels. It’s one of many measures being taken nationally to protect young Web users.

Virginia’s requirement initially stemmed from concerns about sex offenders preying on children online and a general increase in Internet-based crime, including spamming and phishing. More than half of the world’s Internet traffic flows through Virginia, as America Online and MCI have major operations in northern Virginia, according to Attorney General Bob McDonnell.

Texas and Illinois are among states that subsequently passed Internet safety education laws, but unlike Virginia, they don’t make the courses mandatory. And others are considering similar legislation, said Judi Westberg Warren, president of Web Wise Kids, a nonprofit group funded by corporations such as Verizon and Symantec and the federal government to provide schools with no-cost Internet safety lessons for 11- to 16-year-olds.

Can someone explain to me why schools are supposed to be a substitute for parents nowadays?

Case in point: In 2006, a local Delegate, whose a school teacher, decided to introduce a bill that would require school administrators and teachers to measure students’ BMI (body mass index) and send the information home to parents. Because, you know, teachers don’t have anything more important to do (and parents can’t tell if their kids are fat [or skinny]).

If it isn’t their own safety teachers and administrators have to worry about, it’s SOL testing, school accreditation, No Child Left Behind, etc., etc.

Now they’re expected to teach “internet safety classes” and if a certain Delegate had his way they would be checking their students’ BMI.

Priorities, priorities, priorities…

One thought on “Why schools in Virginia suck…”

  1. I agree with you Timothy that schools’ priorities are pretty skewed.. but I think that internet safety classes these days are a decent use of time & money. Kids are accessing these web sites and technologies that put them at risk from numerous places other than home (cell phones, libraries, schools, etc.)… Good parenting is important, but a outside education while situated among their peers can’t hurt either.

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