Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 25, 1995 TAG: 9507250093
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
Education is changing, and we should either change with it or get out of the way.
That was the message from the New Century Council's third and final visionary report, presented Monday to about 40 people assembled in a Radford University conference room. It addressed everything from curriculum and technology to school violence and parental instruction.
``We believe people are our most important assets, and education is the key to competing in a global economy,'' said Ron Chaffin, who headed the education section of the study.
The 1,000-member council spent almost two years developing a vision for the Roanoke and New River valleys and the Alleghany Highlands - a region with 450,000 residents who live in nine counties and five cities.
The council wants to encourage growth while maintaining the region's quality of life.
The first report emphasized economic development. Last week's installment focused on preserving the region's scenic beauty by protecting it from development.
This final report challenges every member of the community to share the task of raising better-educated children.
Chaffin, Industrial Technologies chairman at New River Community College, acknowledged that council-recommended changes could not be reached without some turmoil.
``We'll present it to [residents and educators] and they'll decide whether to implement it. If they say we're crazy, then so be it,'' he said.
One of the council's more unusual proposals is for year-round learning centers where students would schedule their own 180-day school year, posibbly attending school during the summer.
Students would begin each school year on their birthday, thereby staggering enrollment and reducing overcrowded classrooms.
It's not a new idea, Chaffin said. Schools in Richmond and Buena Vista have experimented with flexible scheduling.
``Again, this is a vision for the next 20 years. It's not something that could happen next year,'' he said, noting that some schools aren't even equipped with air conditioning.
Communicating the need for quality education - and community involvement - was the philosophical underpinning of many of the strategies.
Schools should invite retirees to tutor children, encourage students to create public service advertisements for their schools, and remove the doors from principals' offices.
Communities should establish an endowment - paid for by local businesses, PTAs and student organizations - to fund educational projects.
Parents who attend PTA meetings could catch a free ride to and from meetings in school buses.
Technology would be equally distributed among urban and rural school districts. Computer networks would connect every school through the Internet.
Universities could use the Hotel Roanoke Conference Center and its advanced telecommunications to talk with schools around the state, nation and world.
Education wouldn't apply to just children. A Regional Training Network would group the 20 or so agencies now helping adults complete high school or learn job skills.
Learning would extend to parents, too. The proposals include parenting workshops and in-school day care at high schools for students and teachers.
To market the new educational philosophy, the council suggests developing an academic ``letter,'' similar to the one earned by athletes, and painting new school buses ``Olympic gold.''
The council did not detail how to finance its proposals. Chaffin suggested seeking federal or state grants ``that look toward the future.''
The report also addressed regional government cooperation. One suggestion proposed formation of a single planning district, instead of the current three districts in the New Century region.
Joe Vipperman, president of Appalachian Power Co. and chairman of the governance committee, said cooperation, not consolidation, would be the focus of the planning district.
Now that all the reports have been presented, the council will go to school boards, businesses, local governments, and other groups to present its findings.
It will be up to the groups, Vipperman said, to decide whether they agree with the council's vision.
Short-term implementation could begin within the first six months, he said.
by CNB