ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, October 26, 1996             TAG: 9610280035
SECTION: EDITORIAL                PAGE: A-9  EDITION: METRO 
                                             TYPE: BRIEFLY PUT . . .

COMPUTERS TO THE FRONT OF THE CLASS

DISPARITY in education can exist not only among school districts, but also within them. Four years ago, this was the case in the city of Roanoke when it came to availability of computers and other educational technology. Classrooms in some magnet schools were loaded with such equipment; other city schools were technology-poor.

Wayne Harris, Roanoke's school superintendent, is to be commended for his efforts to end this particular disparity by upgrading technology in all schools. Harris also has established grade-by-grade performance standards to ensure that all students become computer-literate.

His efforts in this regard recently won national recognition for the city schools. They received the 21st-Century Schools Technology Planning Award from McGraw-Hill School Systems, which promotes higher-quality education through technology.

Roanoke was cited for its ``clearly articulated vision'' of the role computers can play in the classroom. That vision should benefit Roanoke schoolchildren for many years to come.

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