today's teens not morons

I often think that most people do NOT give teens enough credit.

Take today for example. With the $30 million dollar shortfall, Jordan School District is proposing to lay off 500 employees (250 of which are teachers), increase class sizes, and cut programs. Students at various high schools staged a walkout today in protest.

KSL has a news story on the walkout. The comments are mostly negative towards the teens. Everyone seems to think they are doing it just to get out of school. The comments are quite mean-spirited and call for being ticketed, having to attend truancy school, suspension, etc.

I tend to believe that most of those students truly are concerned about the funding issue. My 14-year-old daughter has expressed her concern to me and we have discussed it at length. These students are not morons. They are understandably worried about losing their favorite teachers, having class sizes increase even more, and having their athletic/band/theater/etc programs cut.

Now, a walkout may not be the "correct" way to handle it but I believe the students are doing their best to be heard on an issue that directly affects them, their lives, and their education.

Let's not be so quick to dismiss them.