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

DATE: THURSDAY, July 12, 1990                   TAG: 9007120410
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-14   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ALL SHARE BLAME FOR SCHOOLING'S FAILURES

Davis thinks the Buena Vista editor was right to expose the "illiteracy" that is "so close at hand" by printing unedited student letters. He suggests that Harwood has shown his community how incompetent and near-illiterate educators have shortchanged students and the general public. Davis feels public humiliation and placing blame are "the cold-water therapy" that people need to keep them from living a lie.

I agree that literacy is very important to the lives of individuals and to society, and that we need to be concerned with the growing problems of illiteracy in this country. But by holding educators solely responsible, Davis reveals a narrow-mindedness that perhaps is even a bigger part of the problem. Harwood may have been right to show his community the quality of its student's writing, but for Davis to blame the principal and teachers was wrong and illustrates a fundamental flaw in human nature that prevents us finding solutions to many of society's problems.

Davis represents the majority of people who would rather blame and embarrass others than ever admit to themselves that they too are accountable. If education is as important to our country as Davis says - and I agree it is - then I think the time has come for people to recognize that every citizen must take the responsibility to see that our children are properly educated.

Instead of ridiculing and blaming educators, Davis and Harwood should be channeling their energies toward creating solutions. I'm sure if Davis were to volunteer to hold writing workshops in the schools, he would not be turned away; and if Harwood were to use his newspaper to encourage student writing, instead of creating a forum where mastery of grammar and spelling is more valuable than ideas, then students and the community would be better served.

Davis says that Parry McCluer High School's principal should hang his head in shame "at what his teachers have failed to do," but I say that we are all to be blamed. Davis should hang his head for failing to recognize it.

JACK SPRAKER\ ROANOKE