ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, September 2, 1996 TAG: 9609030115
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: THOMAS A. LEGGETTE
IT IS well and good to say that Roanoke County schools shouldn't have to ask for support, as you suggested in your Aug. 20 editorial, ``Why must schools beg for support?'' And perhaps a bake sale as a way to raise funds is a relic of the past in some areas.
But the practical reality is that we cannot offer the kind of high-quality education that many parents would like for their children.
The School Board has no taxing authority. There is no local tax source specifically earmarked for public education. The Roanoke County Board of Supervisors is responsible for approving the school budget and appropriating funds for the schools.
This past year, the School Board went to the Board of Supervisors and asked for additional funds for the school budget. The School Board received less than one-half of the $8 million that it asked for - which meant, among other things, we couldn't add: an additional substance abuse counselor, athletic trainers, school nurses, additional persons to assist in teaching children how to use computers, elementary school foreign language teachers and additional teachers' aides.
Perhaps a grass-roots campaign to increase the school budget will work. And I have no difficulty with increasing taxes to upgrade public education. But is my neighbor willing? I remember the defeat this past spring of the bond referendum for our schools. In three of our county's five magisterial districts, voters soundly defeated that referendum. This was despite the grass-roots efforts of Citizens for Education.
And don't forget the blue-ribbon panel studying our school system's building needs is likely to come back with a substantial figure. School Superintendent Deanna Gordon has predicted $120 million will be needed in school improvements in the next five to 10 years.
Roanoke County's population continues to gray, and households with children in public schools continue to shrink. We are far from the majority. What we, the parents of children in our public school system, perceive as an important part of a high-quality educational program might not be the same as what our neighbors without children perceive. And I can find no help in the Code of Virginia to require my neighbor to provide what we, the parents of public school children, perceive as necessary to provide a high-quality education.
The Board of Supervisors is merely required to levy taxes to support public education in an amount that, when added to other available funds, will provide a program meeting the prescribed ``Standards of Quality.'' The school administration assures us that we already meet these.
Nor will the courts be of any help. The Virginia Supreme Court has held there is no constitutional requirement of equal or substantially equal funding or programs among or within school divisions. Showing that a school division in Fairfax, Henrico, Virginia Beach or wherever has elementary-school foreign-language teachers, athletic trainers or whomever will not legally help.
So are we, the parents, relatives, neighbors and friends of school children to sit idly by, saying and doing nothing, and allow our good schools to sink slowly to the lowest common denominator? Are we to put all our eggs in the basket of a grassroots campaign to increase the school budget? Or a campaign to raises taxes? Or another bond referendum?
What if we were to change our perception and our attitude? If we view the funds provided to our schools by the federal, state and local governments as a ceiling, outside forces will likely always limit our ability to upgrade our good schools to excellence. But what if we were to view those funds, not as a ceiling, but as merely a floor?
If we view them as merely a floor, isn't what we can do to upgrade our public schools limited only by our vision of what our schools could be? Why not roll up our sleeves and get to work using traditional and innovative ideas to make our county school system the best that it can become?
Others have done just what I am talking about - and successfully.
In 1989, Roberta Kirshbaum became principal of P.S. 75 on New York City's upper west side. What did she do? She shared her vision with the Parent-Teachers Association. The parents responded by tutoring, running a conflict resolution program, cleaning classrooms and answering telephones. The PTA increased fund-raising from $5,000 to $50,000 a year and hired art instructors and teachers' aides. The PTA gave teachers money for supplies. A vision shared by the principal, teachers and parents turned P.S. 75 around - despite budget cuts.
Closer to home, in Alexandria, the foreign language program for elementary school children was axed about 20 years ago due to budget cuts. How did parents respond? They created the Alexandria City Elementary School Foreign Language Program. Parents who want their children to learn French or Spanish in elementary grades pay tuition to the program. It gives the money back to the PTAs, which pay independent contractors to teach foreign language in a before- or after-school program. Each school has a volunteer parent, and the program has a citywide coordinator.
Just up Interstate 81 in Augusta County is the Dupont plant, where a visionary named Tom Harris used to work before being transferred overseas. He created the Valley Alliance for Education for Augusta County and the cities of Staunton and Waynesboro. The alliance consists of business leaders, bankers and other prominent citizens who meet once a month at 7 a.m. to support education. Among other programs, the alliance sponsors mini-grants. Teachers can apply for a grant of up to $1,000 for their classrooms.
In our own back yard lives Evelyn Danner, a Roanoke County resident who teaches fourth-grade at Fallon Park Elementary School in the city. She went to her church in Raleigh Court to get help from its members (senior citizens and others) to assist with reading, writing, math and science at Fallon Park. Deedie Kagey, now in her third year as principal at Roland E. Cook Elementary School in the county, not only went to her church but also to another church and local businesses to get ``reading buddies'' for her school. She went to other businesses to get computers and other items.
Susan Blevins, a parent at Penn Forest Elementary School, (and she says others) envisioned ``Freedom Playground,'' which now sits behind the school in Darrell Shell Park. The playground started with seed money and "sweat equity" from Penn Forest PTA and Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, and was paid for by private donations from citizens, businesses, foundations and civic organizations. Hundreds volunteered time and expertise.
Most schools are blessed with strong PTA programs that do much for their schools. Among numerous other projects, the PTAs buy computers, playground equipment, teacher supplies, assist in libraries and computer labs, man telephones, and much more. But are 100 percent of parents involved at every school? And why aren't more members of our community helping the PTAs and schools?
Private schools take it for granted that they need to solicit donations from alumni, their children's parents and prominent members of the community. Private schools take it for granted that they need to involve the community so they can raise additional funds to ensure a quality education. Why else does the Community School have its Strawberry Festival or North Cross its Field Day?
Our PTAs are doing much, but there are limits to what they can do by themselves. We need parents, teachers, principals, relatives, friends, neighbors, business leaders and other community members to rally our community and lead our good public schools to excellence.
Let's not let the realities of our school budget limit the possibilities for investing time, money and energy in upgrading public education.
Thomas A. Leggette, a Roanoke lawyer, is chairman of the Roanoke County School Board.
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