Why do students prefer online classes?

To The Eagle:

I have been mulling this over for a while now and the more I think about the trouble at Wahkiakum High School, the more I feel like the administration is putting parents up against the wall.

Last week's paper talked about how Mr. Casler, at the last school board meeting, said that there was a problem with too many students taking online Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) classes. But if you put it up to the students, they feel like they would rather take English on a computer than from a teacher accused of striking a child or from a woman who cares more about organizing a binder than actually teaching our kids.

The administration needs to stop blaming ALE and look at the reasons that so many students are choosing online classes. The union is meant to protect teachers but it isn't meant to keep bad ones working. The problems at WHS can be chalked up to laziness.

Someone needs to step up and do the paperwork and get the kind of teachers at Wahkiakum who want to teach kids. The kids look at ALE like it's the best option. Maybe Wahkiakum should give them a better option. If there are 100 kids taking ALE classes, maybe it's time to look at the issues.

Kelli Martin

Puget Island