To the Editor:
In regard to “virtual schools” (“Governors’ Group Issues School Choice Advice,” Aug. 18, 2005):
Where in virtual schools do socialization skills come into play? A student cannot be taught how to shake hands properly, look people in the eye when speaking to them, or, for that matter, show any interpersonal skills, which are already lacking in many of our students.
Human-to-human touch has been proven to be important for a person’s healthy mental and physical growth. Remember the experiments in which infant monkeys chose furry, cloth-covered wire “mothers” over bare metal ones? We should not be too quick to allow our humanity to slip away.
Darcy Davis
Thousand Oaks, Calif.
