Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 17, 1995 TAG: 9511170075
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Board members said they need more time to marshal support for revisions to the Standards of Quality, the state's blueprint for educational excellence.
``Unless we do a good job of persuasion, we won't be ready to proceed with these reforms,'' said James Jones of Abingdon, president of the board.
Representatives of the Virginia School Boards Association and the Virginia School Superintendents Association said the revisions would take away the flexibility local school districts now enjoy. Jones said the state parent-teacher organization also has passed a resolution opposing the changes.
One potentially controversial proposal would revoke the accreditation of poorly performing schools that fail to shape up after being placed on a remedial plan.
Also included are proposals to:
Issue an annual report ranking the performance of every school.
Require schools to provide remedial instruction to students who fail to meet new state academic standards.
Require school boards to establish community advisory panels on education issues.
The changes were proposed by Superintendent of Public Instruction William Bosher, an appointee of Gov. George Allen. But even board members appointed by Allen said it would be best to move slowly.
Michelle Easton, an Allen appointee, said the board simply needs more time to build consensus on the revisions. The board likely will conduct public hearings on the changes next year, Jones said.
``Taking the SOQs to the public fits in very well with the Allen administration,'' Easton said.
Jones said after the meeting that the Nov. 7 General Assembly elections also had a bearing on the board's decision. An exceedingly nasty campaign ended with Democrats retaining control of the legislature.
``Education reform might be subject to leftover bitterness from the campaign if we went ahead with it in the next session,'' said Jones, a former Democratic state senator.
The board will go ahead with a request for $25 million in state money to develop tests measuring how students stack up against newly adopted academic standards. Consequences for students, teachers and schools that fall short will be decided later.
Memo: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.