THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 30, 1996 TAG: 9606280023
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 45 lines
Thank you for your balanced report on alleged racism in Virginia Beach Schools.
The allegations are a prefect example of what Stanley Rothman, head of Smith College's Center for the Study of Social and Political Change, meant when he said, ``We live in a time of irrationality. Totally crazy things keep coming up again and again.''
If you had sent an investigative reporter to Brandon Middle School, she would have found quite a different picture than was painted. If one filters all reality through a racist screen, one will logically find racism everywhere.
The report appeared on the last day at Brandon Middle School; children were crying in the classrooms and hallways literally crying because they were leaving the warm, comfortable environment established at Brandon.
Several students could be seen getting down on their hands and knees and kissing the hallway as they exited for the last time. Hugging went on everywhere. This warmth was freely expressed by blacks, Asians and whites.
As a teacher who has been at Brandon for 18 years and an educator for 32 years, I would have been proud to have had one of your investigative reporters in my classroom, where team learning is often the approach.
When students freely select their own teams, students choose teams without regard to race or ethnicity: teams are composed of different ethnic groups and genders working on common tasks.
Brandon cannot and does not want to choose the students it serves. It must and should take whoever walks in the door. Then the faculty works hard to make sure that each student works to become a successful human being.
We are proud that each student is a uniquely special human being made by God. Our task is to help parents build on this uniqueness. We are not in the business of weeding and categorizing.
We attempt to offer the warm, loving and challenging environment that each student needs. I am in awe every day of the highly dedicated, competent staff at Brandon, each of whom was carefully hand-picked.
It has been said that civilization is only one generation away from barbarism. Your article reminds us that the Visigoths are always tearing at the gates.
DAVID BAILEY
Deltaville, June 14, 1996 by CNB