Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 23, 1994 TAG: 9402240019
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By J. BRANDON BELL
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
This plan was what we know today as outcome-based education. This plan was based on top-down decision-making from the state bureaucracy. It involved very little local decision-making, with no parent and teacher involvement. It considered teaching of attitudes and feelings more important than the basics of English, math, history and science.
After a great deal of pressure from state legislators, like myself, as well as parents and local teachers, Gov. Wilder decided to withdraw this poorly thought-out plan. But the issue of reform did not go away.
Some simply think increasing educational spending is reform enough. The discussion of increasing funding is important, but we must consider alternatives that deal with educational policy.
Reducing the class size for elementary grades and channeling more money to at-risk children are also important. Directing more resources particularly at the early grades has proved to increase performance of at-risk kids. Currently, these children are more likely to end up in our criminal-justice system than to become doctors, lawyers, scientists.
Addressing the financial needs of our children is important, but this is not enough to give us true improvement. Reform must involve decision-making at the local level. Our locally elected bodies should have control over the direction of education within our localities. The opening of the school year should be decided by local school boards, not by state mandate. Parents should be actively engaged in decisions about what type of education their children will receive.
I have proposed three measures that would achieve these ends. While these propositions are not a panacea, they do provide potential avenues for educational reform in Virginia.
The first is a very simple proposal that would involve businesses in partnership with schools to assist those in the financially strapped areas of the state. This would involve a tax credit of 20 percent for any business willing to donate equipment to schools. The needs would be determined at the local level and the business would work with that school to set up the equipment. This would provide, at low cost, an increase in technological assistance to our school systems, which desperately need such improvements.
Another option Virginians should consider is an educational certificate for at-risk children. By local option the local governing body could provide certificates for those children to attend other school systems, private or public, in their locality. It would provide parents of at-risk kids opportunities that they have never had before. They could seek out the best school to help challenge and develop children at a pace best suited to their abilities.
The parent would receive a certificate of up to 80 percent of the cost per student. If the certificate's value is more than what the private school charges, the remaining amount would go into an educational fund that the student could use upon graduation. It could defray the cost of vocational training or higher education.
This type of system should be available to every student, rich and poor. At-risk kids, the poorest of those in our state, have zero options compared to upper-income students. If the president of the United States can send his child to private school, then we should afford the same privilege to the poor in our state and in this nation.
The third reform idea is one that is gaining a great deal of favor across the nation, "charter schools." A charter school application could be sought by a group of teachers, business officials, parents or any number of possible combinations. They would seek this charter, which would allow them to set up and run a school free of burdensome regulation from the state. The minimum requirements for nondiscrimination and the basics laid out in the standards of quality would remain in place. It would give them the flexibility and freedom to truly be innovative within our public school system.
This charter school could not charge tuition but would allow the creativity to bring forth ideas that exist at the local level. Parents and teachers every day encounter possible reform ideas, but have never been able to implement them. The charter schools concept would unleash this immense potential among our parents and our teachers. I hope the charter schools concept will become a reality in the near future. And I hope that all Virginians will work with me and with our elected officials at the local and state level to see that it becomes a reality.
If we want to truly change education in our state for the better, we cannot simply stick our head in the sand. we must not be afraid to step forward and to consider new ideas to improve education. We must look for ways to manage the positive energy of our parents and teachers who work in our schools every day. With this we will all benefit. We must remember that our children are our No. 1 priority and we must consider all methods and approaches possible to give them the best Virginia has to offer.
J. Brandon Bell represents Roanoke and part of Roanoke County in the Virginia Senate.
Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1994
by CNB