THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 30, 1994 TAG: 9412300072
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E13 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: TEENSPEAK
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
This week, Teenspeak traveled to Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach and asked the question: Are students getting enough academics in school?
PUBLIC SCHOOLS have been under a lot of scrutiny lately, in Virginia and nationwide.
One big question on many people's minds is whether schools are getting sidetracked with things such as drivers' training and sex education and neglecting to offer enough basic academics. Many fear that American students will not be competitive in the global economy if schools don't shape up.
But six students at Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach said such criticism may be misguided. Students said that schools already offer enough academic fundamentals - maybe even too much at the high school level.
Lyndsay Mayer, 14, a freshman, said that in the lower grades, students should be required to take a heavy academic load because they might not choose it for themselves.
High schools need a smorgasbord approach, the Ocean Lakes kids said, to appeal to all students' interests and needs.
``Having one standard for such a variety of people just doesn't make sense,'' said Matthew Berdy, 17, a senior.
Matthew believes schools should push some academics down into elementary and middle schools so high schoolers can spend more time on specialty courses that interest them and prepare them for careers.
``They try to jam all the important things into high school,'' said Occasio Gee, 15, a sophomore.
Instead of focusing so much on what other countries are teaching kids, American schools should decide what skills they want students to have when they graduate and look for jobs, these students said.
``We may not be the math power we used to be, like Japan or something,'' said Jack Wheeler, 16, a junior, ``but we may not want to have the same math standards. We may want to teach kids how to fix their own cars,'' or other skills that help in real life.
The students disputed the notion that all kids need a basic foundation of knowledge and skills.
``Why are you going to tell me who the 36th president is if I'm going to be a grocer? I don't need to know it,'' Jack said.
``I don't want to take things that really don't relate'' to a career, said Jean Salcedo, 17, a junior.
Mimi Smith, 17, a senior, lamented about time wasted in class, such as having to memorize parts of the Declaration of Independence.
``I'm thinking, `When am I going to have to say this to my boss?' And I'm thinking, `What did I learn from that?' '' MEMO: Next week: Norfolk Christian High School ILLUSTRATION: Color photos on page E1 by Eric Thingstad
``There are so many things out there you can take. There's so
much out there you can take advantage of.'' - Jean Salcedo, 17, a
junior
``It depends on how you look at it, because you can take whatever
you want, and there are after-school clubs and things. I think
there's a good balance of academics and social activities.'' -
Lyndsay Mayer, 14, a freshman
``I think students are, if they take it upon themselves to go for
it. You have to be willing to work for it.'' - Matthew Berdy, 17, a
senior
``I think they get enough academics. . . . You have to be willing
to learn, but the teachers also have to be willing to teach so that
students can hear what they're saying.'' - Mimi Smith, 17, a senior
Photos
I thing the academics are there, but they're given late. Occasio
Gee, 15, sophomore
I think students are, if they take it upon themselves to go for
it. You have to be willing to work for it. Matthew Berdy, 17, a
senior
by CNB