Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 15, 1995 TAG: 9511150059
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"There is no way to protect against that kind of thing unless you put schools in a bubble," said William Bosher Jr., state superintendent of public instruction.
Four students were wounded, two seriously, as they left John F. Kennedy High School on Oct. 30. Two teen-agers have been charged in the shooting.
Speaking at an education and business forum in Roanoke, Bosher said the shooting was an issue of community violence and safety, not a school problem. The schools did not hand out the guns or contribute to the shooting, he said.
Neighborhood sources have told a Richmond newspaper that the shooting was related to a war between gangs on the city's eastern side. Authorities said the students were struck by shots fired from across the street shortly after classes were dismissed.
Bosher said schools are under attack by critics who say schools fail to educate children, teach the work ethic and maintain order. But more students are doing better academically than ever, he said.
"Public schools don't need to be saved," Bosher said. "They need to be supported."
Seventy-five percent of students are doing well, but some have not mastered basic skills, attend irregularly and lack a work ethic, he said.
Some school divisions worry about dropout rates of 3 percent to 4 percent, but less than half the students who entered public schools years ago graduated, he said.
Bosher said some critics have complained that Virginia's Scholastic Assessment Test scores are lower than other states', but nearly 70 percent of Virginia's high school students take the SAT, while only the top 5 percent of students take the test in some states.
If just the top 5 percent of Virginia's students took the test, he said, the state's scores would be higher, too.
"Is that the goal, or is the goal to have more young people work at a higher level?'' he asked.
The forum, sponsored by the chambers of commerce and other organizations in five localities in the Roanoke area, focused on early childhood education.
Bosher said the early school years are crucial to a child's academic success. Children who fall behind by the third or fourth grade may be lost, he said.
Bosher said the state's preschool program for economically disadvantaged 4-year-olds has helped to prepare them better for school.
The results of the preschool programs may not be apparent for years, he said. Unlike politics, in which quick responses and results are sought, education doesn't always bring immediate payoffs, he said.
Politics drive people apart, he said. Educators should try to bring people together by working on common causes, he said.
Awards were presented to several businesses and organizations at the forum, which recognizes school and business partnerships in the five school divisions.
The Roanoke Regional Chamber Of Commerce's "Friend of Education" Award was given to the YMCA of Roanoke Valley for its programs for preschoolers, its summer camps, and its before- and after-school care for children.
Lorraine Lange, chairwoman of the education and business forum, said the YMCA provides safe, dependable, quality care as a part of its service to youth and their families.
The Students' Choice Awards for business partnerships in the localities were:
Botetourt County: Roanoke & Botetourt Telephone Co. and Roanoke & Botetourt Telephone Foundation for their support of interactive educational technology.
Franklin County: Ronile Inc., a producer of yarns for the carpet industry, for support of a program designed to keep students in school until graduation.
Roanoke: MCI Telecommunications Inc., for help in developing technology in magnet schools.
Roanoke County: McDonald's in Vinton for providing incentives to children who make the honor roll or improve their grades.
Salem: Salem Tools for sponsoring Junior Achievement at South Salem Elementary School.
by CNB