re: #72 Pepper Fox

When I was in high school we had required community service hours we had to meet, and most of the students were rich kids too. It was a great experience in the long run and I think it should be implemented in all schools.

Hi Pepper. I don’t doubt that you benefited from the experience of volunteering. It is the requirement to do so that is troubling. If a school said to the students, “volunteering is a wonderful way to give back to our community. We encourage all of you to spend a bit of your time in a volunteer project of your own choosing, and we’re sure you’ll be glad you did. To that end, we will provide extra credit to any student who chooses to volunteer, and will work with you to set up your scholastic schedule to make sure you have the time to participate.”

As opposed to: “Volunteering is a wonderful way to give back to our community. If you want to graduate, you’d better get your asses in gear.”