
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, July 1, 1990                   TAG: 9007020263
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: C-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

PLATO PROGRAM A PRIVATE SCHOOL PAID FOR BY TAXES

MOVING to Roanoke City in early October exposed me to a system in which the administrators were more concerned with the politics of special programs than with meeting the needs of the children.

My child was extremely qualified to be placed in the PLATO program. Because it was full of children whose parents knew whom to talk to get them placed in this class for gifted children, there was not room to place one child who was not a discipline problem. Two children had been taken out the week before we moved here, but they still would not place him.

Begining in January, they were supplementing him with three extra teachers in addition to special reading instruction from the classroom teacher. This took the system three months to accomplish. Only when I made an appointment to speak with the School Board in January did they decide that there was no way to justify keeping him out. He was placed in the PLATO class in second semester.

My experience has been that PLATO is a private school at taxpayer's expense. Who are the overachievers in the regular classroom competing with? We are moving out of the area, but feel this inadequacy needs to be brought to the parents' attention and maybe save another child the difficulties my son had to face.

As an educator, up until now I have felt that most educators cared about the child. I now know those in Roanoke City schools are very good at being nice to parents, but do not look out for the best for the child if it is not politically safe! PAM JOHNSON ROANOKE

by CNB