An unlikely hero

I suspect that when the full saga of Lauren Cootes is finally told two heroes will emerge.

One is the extraordinary Cox High School senior herself, of course.

The other will be the common-sense Virginia Beach school superintendent who shook off silly rules and inflexible regulations to do the right thing.

First, let's applaud Lauren. This 17-year-old has been fighting two wars recently. One against cancer. Another against heartless  bureaucrats who want to deprive her of a high school diploma because she hasn't taken one part of the SOLs. Never mind that she's an honor student. Or that she's already been accepted to a fine university for the fall.

Next, let's give a shout out to James Merrill.

When was the last time a school superintendent acted boldly and heroically?

Just this week, it seems.

After an exchange between Merrill and state officials on Monday - privacy regs prevent us from knowing what was said - the Cootes family was told that not only would Lauren get her diploma, but that the superintendent himself would be happy to bring it to her room in Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters.

Take that, Richmond!

Oddly enough, about that same time on Monday the state education honcho, Patricia Wright, fired off a memo to all Virginia school superintendents reminding them that there were to be no exceptions to the state standards.

Sheesh.

Someone needs to remind Tim Kaine's administration - heck, I'll do it - that they're running the Department of EDUCATION not the Department of Rigid  Rules and Ruthless Regulations.

Here's a thought: Next time a Virginia governor needs someone to head the department of education, he should take a trip to the  Beach where at least one person understands the purpose of a high school diploma.

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