Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 7, 1993 TAG: 9310070158
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MICHAEL CSOLLANY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
When Crocker and a majority of the center's Board of Directors announced in early September its intention to institute a religious curriculum at the facility, parents withdrew at least 85 of the 129 children enrolled at Mount Tabor. A majority of the staff resigned.
"I'm a parent ... And I obviously didn't want to see the quality of care changed," he said. Crocker - who assumed the position as the board's chairman when A.A. Lafon resigned _ said he wanted to see the same staff remain but wanted religious instruction, also.
He said the seed for a religious curriculum came from a county-wide debate on the naming of school holidays with religious or non-secular names.
"How could we, as Christians, complain about religion being removed from public schools when our church had a school of our own with no religious instruction?" he asked.
A curriculum committee was formed in January to examine the issue. Crocker said the group was interested in other opinions, but at center director Gulben Esen's recommendation, outside influence was limited. Crocker learned that another day care center had folded because of too much input and debate.
When the board approached the staff with the religious curriculum proposal in May, Crocker said it was not well received. He said the board moved quickly to try to keep the center together.
"I think the board obviously, looking back, could have handled things a little bit differently. It's true that the staff was asked not to discuss things with the parents until a decision was made. But there were some bad feelings going around, and we felt it would not be possible to keep the center intact if we didn't act quickly," Crocker said.
"We didn't want to lose everything."
Crocker said there have been a lot of misconceptions about the decision to go to a religious curriculum. He denies the decision was motivated by "power," as some parents have suggested.
If that were the case, Crocker said, then the board would not have tried to reach a compromise proposal. The board initially offered religious instruction for only a few hours each week and offered alternative activities for those opting out. "We thought it was very reasonable and within the church's rights and the board's power to institute this policy," he said.
When parents withdrew students en masse, the board voted to institute a mandatory curriculum.
Nevertheless, life goes on at Mount Tabor, Crocker said.
"The atmosphere at the center is very optimistic. Classroom sizes are a little bit smaller, but children are receiving very specific attention. Not to imply that they weren't before," Crocker said. "Of course, it's a little more quiet, now, but it's a very good positive atmosphere."
Nicholaus Tideman, a board member and a professor of Economics at Virginia Tech, said the center might have some financial difficulties but will probably not fold any time soon.
Costs are low at the Mount Tabor facility because the church owns the day care space. And costs are lower now at the center because only 13 of the 18 staff members who quit have been replaced, Crocker said.
"Because of the new Christian curriculum, they might be attracting students which they wouldn't normally attract," Tideman said.
Crocker said there have been 10 new enrollments even though the center has not begun advertising yet.
Meanwhile, parents of former Mount Tabor children met Tuesday night to discuss plans to create a new day care center.
The parents decided to call the proposed facility "The Children's Nest."
by CNB