THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Tuesday, February 7, 1995              TAG: 9502070011
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A12  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   47 lines

SUPPORT EDUCATION REFORMS

Last year the Virginia Education Association PAC contributed more than $22,300 to assist the Virginia Beach Education Association in securing the election of Charles W. Vincent to the Virginia Beach School Board. Now the VEA is attempting to breed hysteria over possible budget cuts in order to attempt to defeat Governor Allen's proposed education reforms. Can the public really afford to trust the VBEA's and VEA's judgment again?

Between 1984-85 and 1993-94, Virginia's spending on public education in grades K-12 increased by 84 percent (i.e., from $2.99 billion to $5.51 billion) without any significant improvement in student achievement. During this same period, combined SAT scores for the Virginia Beach school division dropped 30 points and combined SAT scores dropped 14 points for Virginia as a whole.

Clearly, systemic change is needed if public education is to be improved. Systemic change is precisely what is embodied in Governor Allen's education-reform proposals.

The VBEA and VEA leadership find Governor Allen's reform proposals terrifying because (1) they would deprive the teachers' union of its virtual monopoly in public education and (2) if successful, the governor's reforms will reveal that the real goal of the union leadership's rhetoric has been and continues to be not better public education but, rather, ever-increasing spending without any increased accountability, and curriculum revisions that conform to the National Education Association's vision of politically correct thought.

Virginia's children deserve true, honest education reform, not merely more money thrown into a failing system dominated by the teachers' union. Concerned citizens should support Governor Allen's proposals.

B. A. KRAUSE

SAM HOUSTON JR.

MARTIN D. CARMODY

HOWARD T. McLOUGHLIN

MICHAEL B. HAMAR

SHELDON L. CORNER

Virginia Beach, Jan. 16, 1995 by CNB