FROM THE NEWSROOM: As numerous parents and students continue speaking out against a controversial electronics ban on Woodstock school buses, one of the most outspoken and leading opponents of the policy, 8th grader Orion Newall-Vuillemont, claims he has a new, high profile supporter who has recently taken his side: Governor Dannel Malloy. According to Newall-Vuillemont, during the recent Great Pumpkin Festival in Putnam, Malloy expressed support for the middle school students opposition to the policy, which the young protester, who said he encourages other students to boycott the buses by riding their bikes to school, said prevents students from completing homework on their electronic devices during long, hour-long bus rides. But school officials such as Superintendent Dr. Frank Baran insist the most important thing is student safety, saying bus drivers had become distracted trying to monitor what bus riders were doing with electronics; Baran acknowledged that bus drivers were sometimes paying more attention to their rear view mirrors than the road in front them. But Newall-Vuillemont, who says the number of petition signers has grown to more than 150, argued that rowdy behavior caused by frustrated, electronic-deprived students is actually more distracting to bus drivers; it also bothers him that some drivers have begun encouraging students to hide from the bus cameras and use their devices inconspicuously, which he said teaches young children to disrespect authority.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 11:49:07 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015