THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 8, 1995 TAG: 9502080007
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A11 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
The article by Jon Glass about Ruffner Middle School (news, Jan. 21) was about as poorly researched as I've seen.
Mr. Glass' statement that students are bussed to William H. Ruffner from Bayview and Ocean View because they are white and from low-income families is completely erroneous. There are also black, Hispanic and Asian kids bussed to Ruffner from Bayview and nearby neighborhoods - not, as Mr. Glass alleges, because they are in the low-income bracket, but because of a mandate laid down by our not-so-bright city fathers years ago to reach equality in education. In turn, kids from the inner city are bussed to Bayview, Northside, Ocean View, etc., again supposedly to reach equality in education.
My child attends Ruffner, not because we are a low-income family but because he chose Ruffner rather than go out of district or attend private school. I never realized that a child had to be from a low-income family in order to attend Ruffner.
In our soon-to-end three years of being directly involved with Ruffner, it has been our experience that the teachers and staff have always been there for the students and the parents. One would have to look long and hard to find a finer faculty and support staff.
I want the best for my child and numerous grandchildren (who also attend Ruffner), and if wearing uniforms and enforcing a dress code for teachers (most companies have a dress code) will help us to achieve the best educational environment, then I am 100 percent behind Mrs. Riddick.
Mrs. Riddick should stick to her guns. I hope her plans and ideals will take root, and William H. Ruffner Middle School will become the model for other schools, academically as well as socially.
CHARLES P. CLOUS JR.
Norfolk, Jan. 23, 1995 by CNB