THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 15, 1996 TAG: 9608150338
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 72 lines
Many said Virginia's public schools should spend less time on ``social programs'' such as sex education and be held accountable if they fail to teach the basics in reading, writing and math.
Some called for requiring courses in fine arts, while others wanted smaller class sizes, more technology and tougher teacher appraisals.
Still others said more should be done to ensure that students with learning disabilities and special needs are treated equally by schools across the state.
Based on the concerns voiced by parents and educators at a ``town meeting'' at Cox High School Wednesday, the state Board of Education has much to consider as it moves to overhaul the standards used to certify the state's public schools.
More than 30 people from across Hampton Roads spoke at the hearing, one of seven to be held throughout Virginia as the board prepares to revise the state ``Standards of Accreditation'' by the 1997-98 school year.
The standards regulate such things as instructional programs offered by schools, staffing, graduation requirements, roles of principals and other staff, guidance programs and community involvement.
The move is part of the drive by Republican Gov. George F. Allen's administration to raise the academic bar for students and hold schools more accountable for how they teach.
For the most part, parents and teachers applauded the board's move to create more rigorous standards.
``Schools that are not providing the education should not be certified,'' said Ed Kreyling, a former Virginia Beach School Board member.
``Our kids may very well feel good about themselves when they graduate, but they need more than that. They need a solid grounding in academics,'' said Jim Jones, a Virginia Beach parent and grandparent.
Added Joe Guarino of Newport News, president of the 1,000-member Virginia Citizens for Excellence in Education: ``The parents I represent want 100 percent of the day spent on core academic subjects.''
He cited a national study showing that schools spend slightly more than 40 percent of the day on academics; the rest is spent on such things as family life, study halls, homeroom, driver's training and other non-academic activities.
The debate carries high stakes for schools and students, who could be affected by policies ranging from graduation requirements to homework.
Some changes being discussed would mark a radical departure for local schools, which now are judged primarily on such procedural measures as the number of books in the library or staffing requirements.
The board intends to link school accreditation directly with student performance, touted as a bold step that would place Virginia in the forefront of a national movement to improve schools.
``Academic achievement will become a major issue, and right now it is not,'' said Richard T. LaPointe, Allen's new state superintendent of public instruction. ``We've lulled ourselves into measuring things that aren't important.''
LaPointe said only one school out of about 1,800 statewide was issued a warning during the last accreditation process, and there ``are no consequences of significance.''
The goal, state officials say, is to base accreditation on tough, new ``Standards of Learning,'' which spell out what schools must teach in four central subjects: math, science, English and social studies.
The board is developing a testing program to measure student achievement against the new academic standards.
Eventually, the board plans to devise a system of rewards and punishments for schools. Early discussions have included talk of firing principals and teachers and closing poorly performing schools.
Some educators Wednesday urged caution about punishing schools, noting disparities in funding and differences between rural, urban and suburban student populations.
LaPointe said in an interview that consequences should be used to ``build people up to make them better, not to tear people down.'' by CNB