
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, June 5, 1994                    TAG: 9406030011 
SECTION: COMMENTARY                     PAGE: C4    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: Medium 
DATELINE: 940605                                 LENGTH:

BEST AND BRIGHTEST BECOME LEADERS

{LEAD} Tony Snow's column ``School conditions no laughing matter'' (May 26) is riddled with unfounded and grossly inaccurate statements. Whether Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, your readers deserve facts to balance Snow's declarations, such as ``our teaching corps has fallen into disarray'' and ``colleges of education serve as dumping grounds for our dimmest students.''

Old Dominion University students preparing to enter the teaching profession complete majors in their academic specialties in the College of Arts and Letters or the College of Sciences and must achieve a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5. Students in those college not preparing to become teachers need achieve only a 2 GPA. To be licensed as Virginia teachers, all candidates must pass a National Teachers Exam in general and professional knowledge and in their academic speciality area. Do editors and journalists have to do the same?

{REST} Snow's assertion that ``state laws restrict the privilege of teaching to people who own education degrees and belong to a teacher's union'' is bunk. The Arts and Sciences degrees of our teacher-preparation programs, the outstanding academic and professional qualifications of those enrolled in our nationally recognized Military Career Transition Program and the dedication of men and women returning to teacher education from a variety of professions prove otherwise. Nor would I agree that the Virginia Education Association or the National Education Association are unions. Professional associations, yes - not unions. (Is the American Medical Association a union?)

I served 24 years in the U.S. Air Force with some of the most qualified, dedicated people I've known, and now I'm privileged to be a part of a program preparing the best and the brightest for one of the most important professions - teaching our children. The intellectual and moral development of our teacher-preparation students, and their commitment to excellence, equals or exceeds any group I've known.

Get out and visit our student teachers and their teacher mentors in our public schools. You'll see marvelous teaching, and learning - and that's no Snow job!

ROGER STRAND, director

Teacher Education Services

Darden College of Education

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, May 26, 1994 by CNB