Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, May 15, 1990                   TAG: 9005150531
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: MARGIE FISHER RICHMOND BUREAU
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

`MARSHALL PLAN' PROPOSED FOR STATE'S WEAKER SCHOOLS

R. Lee Banton III of Cumberland County described his idea as "something resembling the Marshall Plan after World War II." Banton, president of the Virginia School Boards Association, said the General Assembly should pass legislation giving formal structure to such a business/schools partnership, an idea that has been promoted by Secretary of Education James Dyke.

Banton said the state should set up a special office to encourage donations from businesses and industry and then channel the money to poorer school divisions and those in which pupils have the lowest test scores. A business might "adopt" an economically depressed school division, he said.

"At the current time, many of our rural schools stand alone within their communities because of a sparsity of businesses. This may be a critical hidden disparity that must be addressed in some manner."

Banton, a professor of education at Longwood College in Farmville, also suggested that every local school board be required by law to have an "at large" member "who explicitly represents the business community. . . . If we are serious about building the business-education partnership, this action would signal the seriousness of our intentions."

Banton was among representatives of several organizations representing educators and local governments who spoke before the Commission on Educational Opportunities for All Virginians. The group was created by Gov. Douglas Wilder to address problems of financial and student achievement disparities that have brought threats of a possible lawsuit against the state.

Banton, a member of the commission, stopped short of recommending an extended school year but was critical of how teaching time is being used in many schools.

"We have a 1950s time frame which prohibits a year-2000 curriculum," Banton complained.

"The schools of Virginia cannot, in 180 pupil days, correct every social ill that becomes either a political and/or research topic. . . . It cannot be done within the 180-day school year at a 5 1/2-hour-per-day effort." He urged the commission not to support mandates that "attempt to correct a multitude of social ills which nibble away at precious academic time."

By subtracting startup and shutdown time from a 45-minute class period and multiplying the time left by 180 days, Banton said that what passes as a year of study of English or algebra is actually 21 days.

Banton made similar remarks about time allowed for academic subjects earlier this month at a convention of state school superintendents in Roanoke.

Banton also was critical of the physical condition of many Virginia schools and of the system for paying teachers.

A study by the school board association showed that more than $2 billion in school construction and renovation is needed "before we even begin to address the disparities that exist between facilities," he said.

Outdated buildings, many of them 40 or 50 years old, are "dinosaurs" that do not fit modern curriculum needs, he said. A partial solution might be to move some high school science and math classes to community colleges and four-year institutions in the evening. "We should not be limited to an 8:30-to-3:30 time frame for quality high school education. The utilization of all available state resources to address disparity is a must," Banton said.

Banton came out in favor of a 15-to-1 pupil-teacher ratio, especially in the early school years, as opposed to the current 25-to-1 ratio spelled out in the state Standards of Quality that govern local schools.

Teachers must be treated as professionals and paid accordingly, he said. But he said local school divisions also need more flexibility to fire teachers who are "at best, marginal."

Banton recommended abolishing incremental pay scales based on seniority in favor of pay for performance, and doing away with a tenure system "which does not provide for the weeding out of incompetent teachers, except through protracted grievance and costly court proceedings."