Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 4, 1993 TAG: 9309040217
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: ROBERT FREIS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
Sheckler, a retired Radford University professor long active in Republican Party politics, asked the board Thursday for a resolution opposing the school reforms, which would impose performance standards contained in what the state calls a common core of learning.
Outcome-based education would "drive a wedge between kids and parents in terms of values and attitudes," said Sheckler. "That should not be the function of schools."
Sheckler said outcome-based education would stress "values, attitudes and opinions" over academic achievement.
The new curriculum would set conformity to "politically cleansed views" such as acceptance of multi-culturalism or homosexuality as standards of achievement, he said.
"Hillary Clinton's hand is in this," Sheckler said.
In a letter written to the board last month, Sheckler asked the Radford School Board to obtain answers to questions he posed about the cost and effectiveness of outcome based education.
"You should insist that the state Department of Education answers those questions," he told the board. "You'll be ready to demand they not force our kids to be subjected to this."
Sheckler, regional coordinator for the Christian Coalition, said after his remarks that he spoke as an individual, rather than as a representative of any organization. He also said he wanted to head off outcome-based education before it had a local impact.
Outcome-based education is a term used interchangeably with world-class education, a sweeping school-reform movement spearheaded by Joseph Spagnola, Virginia's superintendent of public instruction.
The state Board of Education has been in the process of defining performance standards for Virginia's schools which, if adopted, must be met by all students in order to graduate.
Those standards have become something of a political football.
Conservatives fear the standards would indoctrinate children with ideas they abhor; others oppose the philosophy of uniform statewide educational standards being imposed on local school divisions.
The state says its intentions with world-class education are misunderstood. The goal is to establish performance standards that would measure success and enable students to compete in a global economy, it says.
Even though the Radford board took no action on Sheckler's request for official condemnation, Vice Chairman Chip Craig said outcome-base education is a "laughable" notion that, as currently defined, is unsatisfactory to the Virginia School Boards Association. He said the association endorses the concept of a world-class educational system, but has officially voted to oppose the state's guidelines of outcome-based education.
Craig said the Virginia School Boards Association's stand on outcome-based Education has been discussed and informally endorsed by the Radford School Board.
"Dr. Spagnola's been hiding under his desk," Craig told Sheckler. "I don't think Dr. Spagnola will be back after January 1" no matter who is elected governor, he added.
"We try to stay in the mainstream of what's going on," said Board Chairman Guy Gentry.
Sheckler said he still hopes the board will officially oppose outcome-based education but was satisfied with what he heard.
In other business, the board accepted the resignation of Radford High School Assistant Principal Peter Wonson, contingent on hiring a replacement. Wonson said he has been offered a job with Roanoke schools as an assistant principal at Patrick Henry High School, which is also contingent on the approval of that system's School Board.
Wonson, who came to Radford High in 1991, lives in Roanoke and said he wants to work closer to home. "He's done an exceptional job," said Radford Superintendent Michael Wright.
by CNB