THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 14, 1994 TAG: 9408120217
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
Sometimes it takes really smart, thinking people to come up with an idea so simple and obvious that we wonder why nobody thought of it before.
Alma Hall and Dot Hill, long-time residents of Waterview and long-time teachers, have walked in the neighborhood and talked a lot about the future of comfortable homes in a quiet area of the city, specifically Waterview.
The answer, they decided, lies in the future of the schools that service Waterview, specifically John Tyler Elementary School on Hartford Street.
``Dot and I are concerned about the school because we need a good school in the neighborhood if young people are going to move here,'' Alma Hall said. ``Enrollment is down at John Tyler and we decided we need to do something about it.''
The women, like others who live in older neighborhoods in town, always are pleased to see bicycles and toys appear around a house. They like to see children in a yard. They enjoy meeting young couples who have found a home in Waterview.
``But we always are aware that they will think of moving when their children are old enough to go to school,'' Hall said. ``That's the way people think.''
So what's the answer? Hall and Hill asked themselves the question and came up with their first effort at a solution.
The two had become acquainted with some of the young residents with children. They invited them to a Saturday gathering to discuss the public schools.
Talking over coffee and cookies, they learned a lot about the thinking and feelings of their neighbors. They also heard that many are willing to give the public schools a try if they believe their children will receive good education.
``I think we can turn John Tyler around,'' Hall said.
Hall and Hill, as well as other neighbors whose children are adults, are willing to become involved with the school.
The new principal at John Tyler, Bill Wiseman, just happens to be a resident of the neighborhood whose daughter attends the school. His presence as a neighbor should help persuade newcomers to support the school.
Hall and Hill are coming at the issue from knowledge. As public school teachers, they know that the education that children receive in Portsmouth public schools can be as good as education elsewhere.
``Absolutely, the education is there for them,'' Hill said. ``There's no doubt in my mind that public schools can beat private schools in many cases.''
Public schools, she noted, have many more resources - things such as library books and audiovisual equipment.
The coming of community schools next year also will make site-based management a reality. That means that the residents of neighborhoods will be able to have direct input on the schools.
Hall and Hill believe that the establishment of community schools, a plan that would eliminate cross-town busing, makes it even more imperative to increase support of the public schools in their neighborhood. If enrollment does not increase, the school ultimately could be closed.
John Tyler students who will continue to be assigned to the school come from Waterview, Glensheallah, Twin Pines, River Edge, River Park, Lynn Shores and Westhaven.
The support for all public schools, not just John Tyler, is critical to the future of Portsmouth, which needs an infusion of young homeowners.
To get that support, we must combat the mythical notion that children cannot get the same education in Portsmouth public schools that they get elsewhere. Parents must band together to enroll their kids in a public school and then to support the school.
How do we make that happen?
Hall and Hill might have the only solution - a personal touch.
They already have set Sept. 10 as the date for their next neighborhood kaffeeklatsch. Anyone interested may call Hill at 399-1900.
Meanwhile, everybody in town is invited to try the idea.
Young people who see Portsmouth neighborhoods, such as Waterview, are attracted to the quality and design of older homes here. Unfortunately, they've also heard the often mythical but always ominous comments about the public schools.
The only way to alter the perceptions and to affect the schools is to become involved.
Although they no longer have children in the schools, Hall and Hill have taken it upon themselves to do something.
Their approach is simple and straight-forward. It's grass roots involvement of a positive sort.
It might be the secret to the future of Portsmouth. by CNB