THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 17, 1995 TAG: 9509170034
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
What's the answer to the lingering problems in our education system: Should schools be open year-round? Should they go ``back to the basics''? Should they get more money?
Or maybe it's something else, but you haven't quite figured out what.
Now's your chance to hash it out - and to put your beliefs into action.
The nonprofit Community Networking Association, in conjunction with The Virginian-Pilot, will be sponsoring a two-month series of discussions, starting in late September, for the public to help chart the future of our schools.
So far, nearly 200 Hampton Roads citizens have signed up to participate in the meetings or run them, said Stephanie Stetson, the founder and executive director of the association. She hopes to draw a wide cross-section of the public - from parents to educators, students to seniors, business leaders to clergy.
The first session will be offered at two times - 7 p.m. Sept. 26 or Sept. 27, at Hofheimer Theater at Virginia Wesleyan College. It will be different from the other gatherings.
At the first meeting, participants will gather in a large group to assess the pros and cons of four options to improve education - hiring administrators with strong business skills; allowing parents more leeway through ``choice'' of schools; granting more power to teachers and principals to run the schools; or relying on the community to provide education.
The options come from the National Issues Forums, an offshoot of the nonprofit Kettering Foundation of Dayton, Ohio, which encourages discussion of important issues.
``This (first) forum is an opening of the conversation,'' Stetson said, and it will help get participants thinking about education. But it won't necessarily guide the rest of meetings.
For the following seven weeks, the group will break up into study circles of 10 to 12 people to ponder such questions as: What's the kind of education we want for our children, and how can we improve the schools so they receive it?
In these weekly meetings, ``we will not give them the options,'' Stetson said. ``We will ask them for suggestions, and then they will evaluate those suggestions.''
During the first week of December, interested participants and moderators will reconvene to discuss the results. The leaders will draft a report, which will be sent to local, state and federal officials.
For those participants who want to press on with their concerns, the association will hold two more meetings early next year to help them define their agenda and answer any of their questions. But it will be up to them ``to decide what they will do and how they will do it,'' Stetson said.
The choices aren't easy.
For instance, a Virginia Tech poll on the quality of life in Virginia this year showed that 52 percent of the respondents believed funding for public schools should be increased. (Thirty-eight percent said aid levels were ``about right'' and 4 percent said funding was too high.) Yet by 50 percent to 47 percent, the majority was against raising taxes to provide extra support.
Nevertheless, participants are ready for the challenge. ``Education does need some changes,'' said Donna Schucker, who teaches science at Brandon Middle School in Virginia Beach. I'm not quite sure how we're going to go about those, but I'd be interested in being on the cutting edge.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
INFOLINE
It's not too late to become a participant. To sign up, 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.
by CNB