Although school seems to have started throughout this favored land, there is no school yet here in Virginia because of a State law that prohibits public schools from starting until after Labor Day. Why in their infinite wisdom would our lawmakers do that? Its simple. They want to keep Virginia green, green with money, money specifically for big business associated with the tourism industry, especially Busch Gardens and Water Country USA and Colonial Williamsburg nearby and Kings Dominion near Richmond. Of course, providing customers and money for them is more important than providing schools with a way to squeeze in all their required days by the end of May. Thanks to these lawmakers, Virginias students start late and while their out-of-state friends and relatives wrap up school by the end of May, students here can look forward to school dragging out until around the middle of June when its hot although school attendance during that period is not. Perhaps I should note, to be accurate, that school systems in the western part of the state are usually able to weasel out of this this law with an exemption because they have to miss so many school days due to winter weather. At least thats the excuse given. The real reason is that since they dont support the tourism in the eastern part of the state, they dont matter. I wonder how much money these legislators continue to get paid under the table for this. You can bet they get more than season passes for their family and friends. Oh, somewhere in this favored land of Virginia, the sun is shining bright (although not on our former governor and his wife now on trial for corruption). The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light. And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout--or is that gunfire?-- but there is no joy in Virginia, school kids have struck out. As a retired teacher, Im no fool. Come June youre more likely to find kids at Busch or in a water park than at school. And todays lesson? Yes, Sonny: Virginia is for lovers, greedy lovers of your money.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 11:39:46 +0000
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