ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, May 14, 1996 TAG: 9605140036
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DESPITE THE REPUTATION for fights, William Fleming High students said safety wasn't a big problem and blamed media coverage for the public's perception.
Some of the students complained about boring teachers, long classes, poor school spirit and a shortened spring break. Others were upset that the school doesn't have a lacrosse team and other sports don't get as much recognition as football and basketball.
One student was unhappy that the school day doesn't begin with the Pledge of Allegiance like in elementary school. And another said he's angry that some troublemakers aren't expelled.
Still, students at William Fleming High told Superintendent Wayne Harris on Monday that they're generally pleased with their school despite what they view as its shortcomings.
And they expressed frustration at what they see as an unfair news media portrayal of the Roanoke school as a place where there are frequent fights and disorders.
"You hear a lot of bad things about Fleming, but our school is not like that at all," said a senior. "All of that stuff is what we're mad about."
In the first-of-its-kind session at a Roanoke high school, Harris met with about 60 Fleming students for 90 minutes to get their candid views on the school, teachers, safety and any other issues they wanted to discuss.
Harris said the meeting was designed to elicit students' ideas and feelings without administrators or teachers being present. The students did not give their names when they spoke so they would feel free to be honest, Harris said, and he asked them not to identify specific administrators or teachers when they expressed complaints.
The superintendent plans to hold a similar meeting with Patrick Henry High students this month. He will make it an annual event at both schools.
"I know it is a risk, but I think it is important that I get their views," Harris said afterward. "I think the students were honest. They talked about some negative things, and I think they did that because they got an opportunity to say what they're thinking, but they said some positive things, too."
For the most part, the students concentrated on academics, teachers, sports and other extracurricular activities, and gave less attention to school safety and violence than some school officials expected.
Among the questions that Harris asked the students at the beginning of the session was how the school could improve the situation if the students felt safety was an issue.
One student said he was told before he came to Fleming to expect a lot of fights, but he hasn't found that to be true. No one complained about safety during the meeting, but some said the school does have a few students who cause discipline problems.
"I view that as a positive - the fact that safety didn't seem to be a concern," said Harris, who took off his coat and walked from one side of the student audience to the other like a television talk show host.
Several students said they don't like the school's block schedule with classes that last one hour and 45 minutes. They said they get bored in some classes and go to sleep. Some complained that teachers don't make classes interesting.
In the block schedule, classes in a course are held every other day. Some students said it's hard to keep up in courses when classes don't meet every day.
Some teachers don't seem to care about the students, won't help them with their studies or work with student clubs after the school day is over, one student told Harris. "They said they don't get paid to stay after school and they don't."
Still other students complained that some teachers penalize them unfairly because they are absent or tardy.
"Getting to class on time is your responsibility," Harris told the students.
"Sometimes, the teachers are so boring that you go to sleep. They ought to make it interesting," a student said.
But others praised their teachers, saying they are like mothers and fathers who show a genuine concern for them. "We are like family here," a student said.
"We wouldn't be arguing about bad teachers if there weren't some good teachers. There are a lot of good teachers here," another student said.
Some students complained about the lack of strong fan support for the school's athletic teams. When Pulaski County and other schools come to play Fleming, they said, they bring hundreds of fans. But they said few Fleming fans go to the school's away games.
Among the things the students like about Fleming are the magnet courses in the arts, aviation, engineering, science and technology.
"We have dwelled a lot on the bad things because we want to make our school better," a student told Harris. "We know how good our school is, but we want you to know about the things that need to be improved."
Another student wanted to know what would come out of the meeting.
"With you being superintendent, what do you plan to do about what we have talked about?" a student asked.
Harris said he will compile a list of the students' comments and meet with Principal Alyce Szathmary to review them. They will determine what needs to be done, he said.
When it was over, the students applauded Harris. "I think it will do some good," said a student. "I think this will help."
LENGTH: Long : 103 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS/Staff. Superintendent Wayne Harrisby CNBasks William Fleming students how they can improve their high
school. In the 90-minute rap session Monday students complained
about the block-class schedule and apathetic teachers. color.