THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 19, 1994 TAG: 9408180226
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 98 lines
Three weeks before Virginia Beach students begin a new year, the School Board met in a half-day workshop Tuesday to begin getting its priorities in order.
Working from a strategic plan that the board adopted in June, ``Vision of the Future,'' members agreed on four main goals for the coming year, choosing from among more than 100 objectives outlined in the 16-page plan.
The board will hold additional meetings before adopting specific language and strategies for achieving the goals. But the four priorities focus on safe schools, teacher performance, vocational education and ``at-risk'' students.
Since January, seven new members have joined the 11-member board, including four elected in May. The informal session was designed in part to determine whether the reformulated board wanted to chart a new course or stick to the plan's basic outline, which grew out of a workshop last August. The board seemed satisfied with the existing framework.
``I think that we showed consensus on several items and that was very meaningful to me,'' said board chairman James R. Darden. ``We're dealing with something that will have a direct impact on our children out in the community.''
Board members on Tuesday talked most about vocational education, citing the need both to enhance its image and to expand course offerings and instructional technology, such as computers.
``Computers in the classroom are crucial to our future,'' member Joseph D. Taylor II said.
The board talked about forming more partnerships with local businesses to expand training grounds for students and the high cost of new technology. In response to questions about a bond referendum to raise money, Superintendent Sidney L. Faucette recommended that the board wait until next year at least before seeking a public vote.
Some said vocational education should be called something else, like technical career education, to dispel a public misperception that only students not smart enough for college preparatory courses sign up for vocational classes.
``Some people feel that vocational education is less academic than straight college prep,'' said board member Elsie M. Barnes, a political science professor at Norfolk State University. But rigorous math and communication skills are required for many vocational courses, she said.
Academic excellence is the ``overriding priority'' in each objective of the strategic plan, said K. Edwin Brown, assistant superintendent for instruction. That includes the goal of school safety.
``You can't learn or teach well if your safety is in any way endangered,'' said member Ulysses Van Spiva.
Emphasis on staff training and giving teachers the tools they need to do their job ``should be at the top of our priorities,'' board member Tim Jackson said.
With the increased enrollment of minority students, more emphasis should be placed on helping teachers expand multicultural education, member Ferdinand V. Tolentino said.
Barnes said each school should be charged with implementing an ``early intervention'' strategy for students at risk of academic failure. She added, though, that the board needs to better define which categories of students are considered ``at risk.'' ILLUSTRATION: SCHOOL BOARD'S PRIORITIES
The School Board in June approved a ``Vision of the Future''
strategic plan that outlined priorities for the Virginia Beach
school system. It is driven by this vision statement:
The mission of the Virginia Beach City Public Schools, in
partnership with our entire community, is to ensure that each
student is empowered with the knowledge and skills necessary to met
the challenges of the future.
The plan lists five broad priorities. They are, in no particular
order:
Refine and maintain academic excellence.
Develop a comprehensive plan for the use of technology in both
administration and instruction.
Address the needs of ``at-risk'' youth.
Reduce the adult/pupil ratio in kindergarten, first and second
grades.
Develop flexible plans to accommodate continued, but uneven,
increases in student membership.
At a Tuesday workshop, the School Board, including four elected
members who took office July 1 after the plan had been adopted,
reached consensus on four specific priorities for the coming year.
In no particular order, the priorities are:
Maintaining a safe, disciplined learning environment in schools.
Offering intervention programs for ``at-risk'' students.
Enhancing and expanding technical education.
Providing teachers training and opportunities for professional
growth.
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOL BOARD
by CNB