ECONOMIC FUTURE DEPENDS ON SCHOOL QUALITY

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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 24, 1993                   TAG: 9303240318
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short
ECONOMIC FUTURE DEPENDS ON SCHOOL QUALITY
AS OUT-OF-TOWN subscribers to the Sunday edition who perhaps should not express opinions on anything regarding a city where they do not live, we cannot resist saying how impressive is Jeff DeBell's special report (Feb. 28), "Where do we go from here?" The fact that the people of Roanoke are being stimulated to question the future with the status quo not blindly accepted is evidence of the existence of leadership, and it is very promising for the community.
In deliberations about the future of Roanoke, we hope no one loses sight of the rich human resource in the valley. Aware, hard-working, morally driven people, as seem to thrive in the area, are the material of a secure future for any community.
There is one thing, however, to keep an eye on: that the educational system fulfills its mission in preparing today's children for the global economic competition they will face. Forgive what may be just preaching to the choir, but I believe intensely that the economic fortunes of Roanoke depend completely upon the quality of the K-12 education. By this is not meant how many high-school graduates go to college but how many high-school graduates know hard science and math, have good communication skills, can be team workers, are adaptive to different challenges, and take responsibility for themselves. Only that will attract the type of commerce that the people of Roanoke will want in their pleasant valley.
We look forward to reading further installments of your very constructive, as well as instructive, report. JOHN KRISTOPIK GRANBY, CT

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB