Students must take personal responsibility
I've been teaching high-school English in Seattle for 20 years. Students are not expelled because they chewed gum in the library. Expellable offenses are serious decisions a student has made — weapons to school, cheating on exams, threatening emails to teachers, etc. But once again, we're looking for someone else to blame and take the responsibility for these students who have made poor decisions [“Are expelled kids more likely to drop out?” NWTuesday, Dec. 11].

Where is the student's responsibility for his/her education? For the privilege of an education, what does a student have to do? If s/he chooses not to follow some pretty basic rules regarding public safety and academic honesty, society owes him/her nothing.

Spend the money and time on those who want an education and take responsibility for themselves and their own lives. Politicians and pundits waste their words on those who couldn't care less whether they are in school or not. Meanwhile, our best and brightest are on their own.

—Patti Williams, Seattle