Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 25, 1993 TAG: 9311250050
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV16 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: STEPHEN FOSTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
In the third of six meetings, the board continued to discuss ideas generated from the Force 2006 Strategic Planning Commission, formed last year and worked on by 222 county residents on 18 task forces.
There are so many possible programs of study that the board should consider hiring someone just to find grants and other money to help fund them, the first task force recommended.
In surveying the community, the task force found out that parents and residents were most concerned about bringing technology into the schools and raising the levels of fine arts, science and foreign languages being taught, said Chairwoman Kathleen Pecic.
But to implement even half the suggestions, Pecic said, "You either have to get rid of a program that's already there, or go to school 10 hours a day."
When it comes to preparing students for jobs, the schools need to continue to meld vocational and academic programs, sell students on the need for technical skills that businesses are increasingly demanding, and improve apprenticeship programs for working students, it was recommended.
"There's got to be a bridge between academic and vocational education," said Marcus Thompson, an assembler at Volvo GM Heavy Truck Corp. in Dublin.
Posey Jones, a Blacksburg Middle School teacher, advised the board to look to apprenticeship programs where students go to school two days a week and to work at connected businesses three days, as in Germany, where he recently visited.
Technology has been an issue with all of the task force reports, Board Chairman Roy Vickers said.
"Technology is much more than computers," said Mark Sanders, co-chairman of that task force.
Even so, a computer infrastructure that permeates the school system must be established, the task force recommended. Decisions will have to be made on what computers, lab equipment and programs to purchase, and what methods to use to teach students that will allow them to best use the knowledge.
It will be a difficult task. The very nature of technology - its constant evolution - means that what is state of the art now may be obsolete in a few years. In choosing what programs to implement, board member Donald Lacy said, "We can make some very high-tech mistakes, in terms of cost."
Calling that an unavoidable problem, Sanders replied, "Ultimately, you have to jump in somewhere and it's never going to be a perfect decision. . . . There will be some mistakes."
The next meeting will be held Monday.
by CNB