This is our readership...*sigh*

There are stories out there of parents doing just that -- or browbeating college administrators for not taking good enough care of their kids.

 

I apologize for repeating, having just read Buck's post on the exact same thing, only better.

 

I'd love to know the record of the team in question.

 

I'd also like to know if this woman got trashed by reader comments when this letter appeared. Because that's what would have happened on pretty much any newspaper Web site in my area.

 

First, I thought you only sent your kids to the schools with the hottest teachers.

Of course there are parents who send their kids to private schools for religious reasons, curriculum reasons or because they feel they can get services their kids may need (like LD programs). I didn't say there weren't.

I said, to quote myself, "In my corner of the world there is a pretty sizeable group" of parents who enroll their kids in private school for racist reasons. I didn't say "all" or even "most." And I was speaking specifically about the group that would be likely to ask for their tax dollars back on their "unused services."

So let's assume that 1) because I live in my corner of the world, I understand it pretty well and 2) because I am a journalist, I'm more observant regarding trends and motivations than most people and 3) again, because I am a journalist, I interact with the public in said corner of the world.

For example: I live just off a street in Town A that borders Town B, but my geographic area is in the same school district. That street separates an older, mostly townhome subdivision in Town A and a sparkling new, HOA governed subdivision of million-dollar homes in Town B.

So two years ago, Town B put up a gate on their half of the public street, cutting off direct access for cars to get to the nearby elementary school unless you live in one of the big houses. It's the only municipal gate on a public street in the area, and it's also the only place where the mostly white residents of Town B live within a stone's throw of the diverse residents of Town A. They say they "did it for the children" to decrease traffic to the school, but traffic wasn't that bad before and when you drive down the street it's obvious the unstated motivations for the gate.

Here's the part I love the best: The two towns have a mutual aid agreement for emergency services. The closest fire department to the million-dollar homes is in Town A. So when they built the gate, it came with a remote opening feature, allowing it to slide back to let a vehicle pass. And they gave the remotes to the fire department in Town A, so their homes can be saved in the event of a fire.

 

My favorite HS sports memories were in the sports I was bad at.
My senior year, I decided to play volleyball. I knew I wasn't good, but I worked my ass off and started on senior night - over three seniors who had been with the team for three years. I didn't play a huge role most of the season and saw little action, I knew if I worked my ass off and played well, I'd get a chance. No better feeling in the world than sitting on the bench and hearing the coach call your name.