ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, January 13, 1997 TAG: 9701130088
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A4 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTER
Joint custody is not good for kids
TWO THUMBS up to therapist Pat Davidson (Jan. 1 letter to the editor, ``Joint-custody law is no solution'') for stating that joint custody should be handled on a case-by-case basis. Two thumbs down to joint-custody legislation.
Where have all the proponents of joint custody been? Joint custody has been around at least since the Virginia Supreme Court decision in the case of Crounse vs. Crounse was handed down in 1966. That's been 30 years.
So, these fathers want to show their children love, be role models and be active in their lives. The greatest gift a father can give to a child is to love the child's mother. My heart scarcely goes out to men who are proving their masculinity by having multiple affairs and marriages. That's being a real role model?
Joint custody doesn't work. The very nature of the word ``joint'' indicates a ``getting along.'' By the time a marriage hits divorce court, feelings and emotions are so damaged that you're asking two people who can't agree on anything to agree on raising their child or children.
Certainly, fathers have rights, and I am in no way advocating that they not be able to see their children. What I am advocating is for the mother to be properly compensated with finances to help with the rearing of their children and for the child's lifestyle to be as uninterrupted as possible.
ANNE STUART DeFOE
ROANOKE
Football victories are always hyped
IN RESPONSE to Barry Joyce's Jan. 5 letter to the editor (``Hokie coverage is to gag on'') regarding coverage of the Hokies:
I, too, live in Salem, and am a fan of the Hokies as well as a fan of our local high-school teams. But his letter was like the kettle calling the pot black!
Look at all the hoopla we have had to endure because Salem High School finally won a state championship - news coverage, parades, Civic Center buffets, awards, etc.
If only one-tenth of all sports coverage were given to students who excel in other phases of school, what a better place this world would be.
GERRI SMITH
SALEM
Duties extend far beyond classrooms
AS A high-school teacher, I am constantly amazed by the misinformation people have about teaching. It has been a cultural shock for me to come from Spain where teachers are better paid and, it seems, more valued by society.
Jeffrey T. Morris' Jan. 8 letter to the editor (``Be thankful for any salary raise'') mentions a six-hour day and portrays teachers as sitting in lounges drinking coffee. I'm not aware of any school system that requires teachers to be in school fewer than 71/2 hours. For most teachers, it's virtually impossible to be in the building for just those 71/2 hours, and consider all the planning and grading that has to be done at home in the evenings and on weekends.
Most teachers arrive early and stay long after students leave in the afternoon. We attend meetings, provide remedial and make-up work and prepare lessons. In addition, we have evening parent-teacher conferences, attend workshops or seminars, and take courses (some required) to further our education. Many teachers are involved in after-school extracurricular activities for students, and, at one time or another, nearly all of us are asked to counsel students with problems.
In addition to academic responsibilities, we also have lunch, bus and ``potty'' duty (checking restrooms for smokers). Our lunch period is officially 30 minutes. But even when we don't have lunch-time duties, we often eat quickly to have time to help students or have a cup of coffee and exchange ideas with colleagues.
During the summer, many teachers take additional classes or work on educational task forces. Unfortunately, some are also forced to seek second jobs to supplement teaching salaries and support their families. Most of us don't drive expensive cars.
Like others, teachers have families, households, hobbies, interests - though it's occasionally difficult to find time for them. Nobody becomes a teacher under the impression that it offers a high salary or a lot of free time.
I invite Norris to follow a teacher around for one day. Maybe then he would write a different sort of letter.
MARIA A. HERRERA-MENCHEN
RADFORD
LENGTH: Medium: 86 linesby CNB