THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 28, 1996 TAG: 9606270005
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: 62 lines
Knocking public schools is so popular that Americans may have become unreceptive to good news about them. But U.S. educators must be doing something right.
Just the other day brought news of international-survey results showing American youngsters second only to Finnish youth in reading skills. American schoolchildren beat out their counterparts in England, France, Italy and Germany, among many other countries.
And U.S. schoolchildren are scoring higher on many tests that measure specific and general knowledge.
Could it be, then, that - after decades of classroom turmoil, high dropout rates and hordes of semi-literate high-school graduates, especially in impoverished central cities - more and more public-school systems, despite daunting odds, are restoring order to classrooms and preparing increasingly large percentages of schoolchildren for productive adult lives?
If public schools are getting better, then the many critics disposed to write them off will need to take another look.
All parents want a safe school environment for their children. Classroom, hallway, playground and sports-event violence in urban schools accelerated the flight of middle-income families to the suburbs. Guns, knives, and other weapons in schools; the presence of drugs; physical attacks on teachers; classroom disruptions by unruly youths; a floodtide of poor academic achievers; pervasive interracial tension, undereducated teachers - all brought poor urban schools into disrepute.
The cloud over public education is far from dispelled. But clearly some central-city school systems are reducing violence and shaping up youngsters with behavioral problems. Norfolk's progress is impressive:
In 1991-92, Norfolk's school confiscated 12 guns and 176 other weapons in middle schools and 14 guns and 65 other weapons in high schools. Scary, right?
But Norfolk officials strengthened security in and around schools and instituted random searches for weapons using metal-detectors and gunpowder-sniffing dogs. Officials also invited parents and students to cooperate in efforts to keep weapons and drugs out of schools.
In 1994-95, Norfolk officials confiscated one gun and 83 other weapons in middle schools, two guns and 63 other weapons in high schools.
Even more reassuring are the confiscation statistics between September 1995 and April 1996: one gun and 60 other weapons in middle schools, no guns and 29 other weapons in high schools.
The school system also instituted a conflict-mediation program, which involves students in efforts to peacefully resolve conflicts before they escalate to physical violence. In addition, the schools' anti-violent-behavior program teaches students to manage anger and practice self-control. Group-counseling sessions for students who exhibit violent behavior employ peer pressure, peer counseling and conflict-resolution techniques.
Youths suspended or expelled from regular schools and youths in serious trouble with the law are assigned to special programs - Bridge Academy, New Start, Richard Milburn High School, Tidewater Regional Alternative Education Project, Intensive Probation/Parole class and Norfolk Marine Institute.
The Virginian-Pilot reported this week the graduation from Bridge Academy of youths who had been booted from regular schools but turned their lives around in the special program - a gratifying story.
Yes, public schools have their problems. But some clearly are getting a handle on them. by CNB