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

DATE: Wednesday, August 2, 1995              TAG: 9508010169
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON    PAGE: 13   EDITION: FINAL 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   41 lines

COMMUNITY CONVERSATION: EDUCATION

ILLUSTRATION: Graphic

Few topics have been more hotly debated recently than the way

schools should go about educating children.

Parents, teachers, politicians and taxpayers often find

themselves at odds with one another, all the while seeking an answer

to a common question: How can we make schools better?

To help find that answer in Hampton Roads, The Virginian-Pilot is

working with the nonprofit, nonpartisan Community Networking

Association.

The goal is to get a broad cross-section of the region's

residents talking with each other about the community's role in the

schooling of its children. The project is called ``Citizen

Challenge: How Can We Improve Education?''

As the conversations unfold, The Virginian-Pilot will report what

citizens hope for their children's education and how they wrestle

with the choices the community faces in meeting those aspirations.

The project will explore broad directions - not partisan political

solutions - for education.

The paper also will invite readers to join in the deliberation,

even if they cannot participate directly in the discussion groups.

We are seeking up to 150 volunteers interested in moderating

discussion sessions. Training for moderators is scheduled Aug. 10 to

12. Other training dates may be available in September.

INFOLINE

Comments?

To sign up as a group moderator or participant, or to receive more

information, please state your name, home town, phone number and the

best time to reach you.

by CNB