THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, February 25, 1996              TAG: 9602250059
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B4   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 
DATELINE: RICHMOND                           LENGTH: Short :   44 lines

TEACHERS TOLD NOT TO ATTEND CIAA TOURNAMENT

City teachers, who already have an absenteeism rate higher than the state average, have been told they could be fired if they skip classes to attend a popular college basketball tournament.

School Superintendent Patricia C. Conn warned teachers and principals that they face loss of pay and even dismissal if they take off for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament without her approval.

The CIAA tournament, being held in Winston-Salem, N.C., this week, is a traditional homecoming and social gathering for graduates of the 14 colleges that participate.

``We have a problem with a high rate of absenteeism through the year . . . it's just more prevalent during the CIAA tournament,'' Conn said Friday.

She said Richmond public school teachers have a 5 percent to 6 percent absenteeism rate, compared with a Virginia average of 2 percent.

``It's a serious problem, and we're going to tackle it,'' she said.

Richmond Education Association President Lola McDowell said she also wants to find out why so many teachers miss classes. She said part of the reason could be low morale because teachers feel unappreciated.

She said administrative changes and a lack of classroom materials may have contributed to teacher absences.

Conn told principals not to approve more than one absence for personal business this week, and to require a doctor's certificate for anyone calling in sick.

In previous years, hundreds of teachers have been absent during the CIAA tournament, said Conn, who took over as superintendent last summer. Students, she said, have had to be herded into auditoriums and cafeterias while their teachers were away.

McDowell called those assertions a lie. She defended teachers who attend the tournament, saying many teachers work extra hours and weekends without pay and deserve a break. by CNB