BURDENS PILED ON SCHOOLS SINCE 1950S

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

DATE: SATURDAY, February 22, 1992                   TAG: 9202240194
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ALEX L. MARTIN III
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
BURDENS PILED ON SCHOOLS SINCE 1950S
I'M PLEASED to disagree with the comments of Herbert Martin (no relation) in the Feb. 15 paper. If he attended school 40 years ago, as one might assume from his letter, he obviously hasn't kept up to date on the pressures and demands encountered by teachers in today's society. He and I might well remember, however, the deportment of students circa the 1950s.
Alas, things have changed drastically. Thanks in part to a more permissive society and parents, many of the students of the past couple of decades have become much less respectful of discipline and authority than were their peers of the '50s.
Student conduct that might have been grounds for expulsion when he and I attended school often goes unremarked upon in the schools of today. And unfortunately, many parents feel that it is now the duty of our schools to also teach behavior modes and character traits once instilled and insisted upon by parents.
The "blundering, bloated bureaucracy" to which he refers is in part representative of the increased student enrollment and subsequent growth of school systems nationwide, and has also resulted in part because of parent demands for more and more services from schools. Many parent requests for curriculum change, additional facilities, breakfast for students and other services are promoted by real economic hardships that force both parents - or a single parent - to devote more than full time to earning a living.
Nor are teachers immune from these pressures. They also have children they want to help through college. Many of these teachers had to seek student loans to complete their own education, and now must take further education courses to keep current with educational research and the requirements of advanced training imposed by their school systems.
Regrettably, the situation is not improving. A majority of this nation's best and brightest children no longer seek careers in education. They have found that drive, ambition and creative ability are more highly regarded by industry than by school systems.
But this is not a criticism of those school systems: only of the policies, directions, restrictions and lack of funding placed upon them by the economic necessities of the citizens they serve. Private and parochial schools often do no better since, although the schools may spend less money per student, the total cost to parents is higher than that of a comparable public education.
I have served the educational community as a representative of an educational publisher for the past 20 years. I have visited and worked with teachers, supervisors and school administrators nationwide. They care - and all too often lack the funds to provide the quality of services they know are needed by students.
As a more personal example, let me relate that while assigned to work in Illinois, I found property taxes double that for a comparably assessed Virginia property. You may wish to research the national standings of students in both states to assure yourself that school funding really helps kids.
I'm sure Mr. Martin is as concerned about our economy as am I. If together we want to put an end to recessions and regain our world leadership, we will have to put our dollars into our most precious resource: our children and those who educate them for tomorrow.

Alex L. Martin III lives in Roanoke and has represented an educational publisher for 20 years.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB