THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, January 10, 1995 TAG: 9501100006
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 31 lines
The controversy at Ruffner Middle School is symptomatic of a lack of leadership and direction in the Norfolk public schools that runs all the way to the School Board and Superintendent Roy Nichols.
Ruffner Middle School is faced with perennial problems of discipline, lack of attendance and the lowest test scores in the city. So what do the faculty and administration decide to do? Why, spend $4,000 on a fashion consultant, of course!
Will a dress code for teachers really solve the problems of students? In choosing form over function and image over reality, Ruffner only compounds its problems. In looking for easy answers, administrators show themselves to be naive and simplistic.
Making a fashion statement used to be something that only students were interested in. Principal Riddick and her staff need to get back to basics and do the job they were paid to do! The students and taxpayers of this city are poorly served by such theatrics.
JAMES ELY
Norfolk, Jan. 1, 1995 by CNB