4 ms·

> Then this happens, when a kid can't actually find out what policies are or why, or who implemented them, or what rule was triggered to ban / block certain thi

by pionar 12y ago

> Then this happens, when a kid can't actually find out what policies are or why, or who implemented them, or what rule was triggered to ban / block certain things, that run counter to the established curriculum...again, read the article. I did read the article, and there's no mention of what the student did to find any of this out. Did he ask anyone? You seem to be jumping to conclusions based on a one-sided account. My reading of this piece is that it's petulance, a child who doesn't get it that school internet access is not a right (hell, when I was in high school, there was one computer in the library that had access at all). When you use a school's internet service, you're subject to the rules of such privileges, and the administrator (in this case the DoT) is the final rulemaker. Don't like it? Do what he's doing now, and get your own internet service.

maxerickson 12y ago
The voters that elect the school board are the final rule makers. Not the bureaucrats charged with carrying out the policies set by the school board. The actions of this student are easy to look at as activism designed to influence those voters.
- sosuke 12y ago
  We see that issue throughout this thread, voters don't get to make the final rules in most things. They elect the school board, or elect whomever chooses the school board, and they put their trust in the ideals which that candidate has sold so that they rules that end up being put in place are most like the ones the voter would have chosen themselves. If the voters candidate doesn't win, or their candidate does win but changes his or her tune, that voter has little to no recourse until the next voting cycle. Voters don't get to set the minutia. Furthermore, for smaller government bodies, voters outside of the residential area for that government body don't have a vote at all! You have to go even higher to put your faith in a state or county school board candidate.
  - maxerickson 12y ago
    Yeah, this idea that democracy is a good thing all on its own (which at least seems to have gained strength in my lifetime, maybe I've started paying more attention) is quite dangerous. It's an important part of our system, but I'm not sure we should celebrate when important and far reaching decisions are made on a 51/49 basis. I think we just are talking about slightly different things. Of course mechanistically, voters, as you say, have to put up with what they get. But philosophically, their agents (the board and those the board hires) are meant to act in their interests.

by pionar 12y ago

maxerickson 12y ago

The voters that elect the school board are the final rule makers. Not the bureaucrats charged with carrying out the policies set by the school board. The actions of this student are easy to look at as activism designed to influence those voters.

sosuke 12y ago
We see that issue throughout this thread, voters don't get to make the final rules in most things. They elect the school board, or elect whomever chooses the school board, and they put their trust in the ideals which that candidate has sold so that they rules that end up being put in place are most like the ones the voter would have chosen themselves. If the voters candidate doesn't win, or their candidate does win but changes his or her tune, that voter has little to no recourse until the next voting cycle. Voters don't get to set the minutia. Furthermore, for smaller government bodies, voters outside of the residential area for that government body don't have a vote at all! You have to go even higher to put your faith in a state or county school board candidate.
- maxerickson 12y ago
  Yeah, this idea that democracy is a good thing all on its own (which at least seems to have gained strength in my lifetime, maybe I've started paying more attention) is quite dangerous. It's an important part of our system, but I'm not sure we should celebrate when important and far reaching decisions are made on a 51/49 basis. I think we just are talking about slightly different things. Of course mechanistically, voters, as you say, have to put up with what they get. But philosophically, their agents (the board and those the board hires) are meant to act in their interests.