ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, May 4, 1996 TAG: 9605060026
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: ROBERT FREIS STAFF WRITER
Public school students here will continue to receive advice from guidance counselors on academic, career and social matters - unless their parents categorically bar the practice.
Under the city School Board's new 'opt-out' policy adopted Thursday, parents may mute counseling by telling school officials they don't want their children to hear it.
Parental control and school counseling became a political issue recently when concerns were raised in other parts of the state about the kind of nonacademic advice children receive.
Virginia school officials say advising students on sensitive personal and social issues has become an increasing part of guidance counselors' role. Some parents see this trend as a threat to their authority.
Earlier this year, Gov. George Allen and Republican state legislators tried unsuccessfully to mandate an 'opt-in' policy, which would have forced parents to give specific permission for their children to receive any counseling.
The General Assembly rejected that proposal, but did pass a compromise resolution giving each local school system the choice to offer school counseling on an 'opt-in' or 'opt-out' basis.
Facing a statewide July 1 deadline to decide, Radford's School Board became the second area system to endorse 'opt-out,' following a vote by the Giles County School Board last month.
Radford school officials say they don't expect the new policy to change their approach to counseling students. Nor do they expect many parents to bar school counselors from advising their children.
Yet the vote to select 'opt-out' wasn't without debate. School Board Member Guy Wohlford cast the dissenting vote in the board's 3-1 decision, saying he philosophically prefers the 'opt-in' approach.
"I'd rather force the parents to look at it," he said, referring to the materials school guidance counselors use and the guidelines they follow.
School Superintendent Michael Wright noted that Radford already follows an 'opt-out' policy for student participation in schools' Family Life Education curriculum.
Radford parents will be informed about guidance counseling procedures at the beginning of each academic year in school newsletters, and given the option to decide whether or not they want their children to participate.
In Giles County, schools also will try harder to inform parents about guidance programs, Superintendent Robert McCracken said.
"We want to give them a better sense of what we're doing and, more importantly, what we're not doing that has caused concern in other counties," he said.
Staff Writer Lisa Applegate contributed information to this story.
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