Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 20, 1995 TAG: 9505220017
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
Consider Paul Rodericks, the bearded and stocky principal of Powhatan Elementary School. Rodericks cut a deal with his school kids: If they would read for 186,000 minutes during April, he would put on a pink tutu and tights to entertain them - not by pirouetting around a stage, but by reading to them.
Then there was the acrophobic principal in Northern Virginia who promised to climb up on the school's roof and spend the day there if her pupils would give up watching television for a week to spend their time reading or doing something else more constructive.
In both cases, the schoolchildren kept their part of the bargain. So did the educators.
Now some may object to the principle of the thing: dignified school authorities having to make durn fools of themselves to engage school kids' commitment to pursuits that are good for them.
Aw, come off it. We say: Give credit to educators with a sense of humor and the ability to relate to children on their level. Youngsters at both these schools were all smiles on the day their principals acted goofy and out of character.
In fulfilling their end of the contract, the kids probably also learned a valuable lesson: Reading is its own reward.
by CNB