[pflats]

These aren't just school policies, they're usually state laws. Education policy is a huge political topic, and one that the general public often feel qualified to provide input on, regardless of their actual expertise.

That said, why should a hacker be exempt from English requirements? How does programming show that they know English? Many schools are willing to count AP Computer Science for math credits, but that's a different story.

What makes programming a higher-level elective than art, Spanish, or geography? Bear in mind that they all have AP courses, so you're definitely stepping on someone's feet here.