THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, July 16, 1995                  TAG: 9507160128
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   56 lines

HOW CAN WE IMPROVE EDUCATION?

Few aspects of American life are as crucial to the nation's political and economic future as the education of its children. And, in recent years, few topics have been more hotly debated than the way schools should go about providing education.

For at least the past decade, Americans have had a growing sense that schools are failing to teach kids what they need for success in an increasingly complex and competitive world. Parents, teachers, politicians and taxpayers often find themselves at odds with one another, all the while seeking an answer to a common question: How can we make schools better?

Communities throughout the country are attempting to bring greater focus to the search for solutions.

To help push that process forward in Hampton Roads, The Virginian-Pilot is working with the nonprofit, nonpartisan Community Networking Association to engage citizens in deliberation on education issues.

The goal is to get a broad cross-section of the region's residents - parents, students, seniors, educators, business people, church members, professionals and others - talking to each other about the community's role in the schooling of its children. The project is called: ``Citizen Challenge: How Can We Improve Education?''

As the conversations unfold over seven weeks across Hampton Roads, The Virginian-Pilot will report what citizens hope for the education of their children and how they wrestle with the choices the community faces in meeting those aspirations. The project will explore broad directions - not partisan political solutions - for education.

The paper also will invite readers to join in the deliberation, even if they cannot participate directly in the discussion groups.

We are seeking up to 150 volunteers interested in moderating discussion sessions. Moderators will receive two days of training between Aug. 10-12. Other training dates may be scheduled in September.

Participants, organized in groups of 10 to 12 people, will meet for seven weekly study sessions beginning in early October. MEMO: To sign up as a group moderator or participant, or to receive more

information, call Infoline at 640-5555, and press 3535. Please state

your name, hometown, phone number and the best time to reach you. A

project representative will contact you in coming days to provide more

details.

Businesses, groups or individuals interested in supporting this

project should contact the Community Networking Association at

495-8301.

KEYWORDS: PUBLIC JOURNALISM COMMUNITY CONVERSATION EDUCATION

SCHOOLS by CNB