File Under- "What the hell are they thinking"

[Bigscot]

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Blind Students Forced To Pass Driver's Ed Written Exam

POSTED: 1:16 pm EST March 10, 2006
UPDATED: 1:27 pm EST March 10, 2006

CHICAGO -- Mayra Ramirez thinks driver's ed is a waste of time.

And in her case, it is. She's blind.

But the 16-year-old and dozens of other visually-impaired sophomores are required to pass a written rules-of-the-road exam to graduate from Chicago schools.

Ramirez said she does the same work that the sighted students do in other classes. But driver's ed -- in her words -- "brought me down, because it reminds me of something I can't do."

Hundreds of Illinois school districts require students to pass the class, although the state only requires districts to offer it.

A spokeswoman for the state Board of Education tells the Chicago Tribune, "It defies logic to require blind students to take this course."

A Chicago Public Schools spokesman said he "can't explain why up to this point no one has raised the issue." He said parents of disabled children can legally ask to change the student's curriculum.
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Buckshot]

................I heard that on the radio yesterday AM on the way home. One school factotem said it was a required course for graduation. I guess that's why they have the brail pads at the drive through ATMS and all those concrete filled steel posts around it?

It is a wonder why it is just now coming up? Are blind students new, or is driver's ED new? Possibly blind students have been taking and passing the driver's ED course to date?

What is an amazement to me is that here in the state of Kalifusion we now spend about 2.5 times as much money per student as when I was in the system, from elementary through high school. At that time if you didn't make the grade, you stayed back. I learned the basic 3 R's and have functioned darn well IMHO.

If you acted up you got swats from the principle, or detention, or suspension and ALL were a black letter so far as society was concerned.

You can't perform corporal punishment and detention or suspension are both accomplishments which elevate you in the eyes of your peers.

Also here in Kalifornication they passed a law that if you didn't pass the final tests to graduate high school, you didn't graduate. Simple? Yet the heavyweight edjumakators had a bit of a problem trying to figure out if the underachievers should still be allowed to go with cap and gown across the stage with their peers (just not getting a diploma) or what?

It would seem to me that if you didn't graduate, then why would you be going across the stage with those that did?

.................Buckshot

[carpetman]

I wonder if they have sex education classes in convents?

[Jetwrench]

A little sadness during the learning process is ok, if they are in fact learning something. Are they? Structure, is the only thing I can see, and even that is a reach...... My son learned about being a muslim, can I tell you all just how happy that made me? School is lucky I work out of state most of the time. Speaking of which it is off to Las Vegas on Tuesday, AGAIN. Hate that place!!!!!! Jetwrench