A Short Note on the Robertson H.S. Hazing Incident

I have received several hundred emails asking me about my opinions on the Robertson High School football camp hazing incident. This horrifying event has now made the national news, and people interested in moving to Las Vegas are terrified about their own children's potential eduation.

Last year, I taught 8th grade at Rio Gallinas Public Charter School. My eighth graders were terrified of moving into High School, terrified of the hazing they may endure as new High School freshman. When I asked Robertson officials about the truth of my students' stories, I was told that it was all local "urban legend," untrue, that hazing simply did not occur. Obviously that is not the case, and my guess is that the stories I have heard about hazing in recent years are based on some fact.

I elected to keep my own new Freshman, my 13 year-old son, out of the local High Schools, and am homeschooling him because of my concerns about Las Vegas' secondary school systems. I made this decision last year, months prior to the hazing incident. I know that there are some wonderful, incredibly dedicated and creative teachers in the High Schools here, and many of those teachers are good friends of mine. But overall, changes need to happen to make our schools safe, exciting, and academically challenging for all students.

I don't have anything else to say. It is a sad and unfortunate situation, one that did not have to happen.  Maybe this event will spur some needed changes.

You are welcome to discuss the hazing incident or any other Las Vegas issue in the My Tiny Vegas Forum - the link is on the right sidebar of my blog. I love Las Vegas, can't imagine living anywhere else in this entire world. I know that together we can make the changes that need to happen.