[gridlock]

My comment: Any school assembly (in fact, anything a school does at all) should be open to full public scrutiny.

Your Reply: You're right. But they're not.

At least we agree on the principle that there should be full and open public scrutiny. While I agree with you that there in many cases the schools will try to do things in the dark, away from public observation, this is completely inappropriate. Now, we can discuss the way things are endlessly. It is better discuss the way they should be, and to try to get to that point. At least we agree that schools should be completely open to observation.

Parents and taxpayers hold the power over the schools. They should assert their rights and perogatives aggressively, or else the schools will not respond. Any person who complains about the schools and has not run for school board should have some explaining to do.

[JoshGray]

Things should not be hidden, and this wasn't. There are practical limits for how much access can be allowed. I'm sure you've seen how packed gymnasiums and auditoriums can be with students -- now add in every "concerned citizen" who wishes to attend to check things out, to spy on their kids, to deal dope during the intermissions, to check out what their money is going for, whatever their real reason for being there is. The school may as well lease the local sports arena just in case all the taxpayers get a wild hair to attend the latest production of "Up With People".

It's just not practical.

If her daughter had attended against her express wishes. If she had not been given the opportunity to keep her daughter out. If her daughter had been forced to attend. If there were any consquences whatsoever to her daughter not attending.

If...

Then I would agree that Ms. Loveless has a valid beef. She doesn't. She knew what the material was. She kept her daughter away from it. End of story.