THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 26, 1996 TAG: 9602220019
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
For decades society has blamed the schools for failing to solve society's problems. A bum rap it is, but public education makes an inviting target for demagogues, especially those politicians whose sole solution seems to be to abolish the U.S. Department of Education.
That may or may not be a good idea, but even if Washington vanished tomorrow the eternal battle over how to increase learning in America's classrooms would continue at the state and local levels.
Into this dismal scenario comes a welcome proposal, one that may indeed boost test scores but, more important, one that may brighten the future for youngsters growing up without benefit of societal support.
Norfolk officials want to turn schools into centers of community life. The buildings would remain open additional hours each day and all 12 months of the year. Planners envision activities for pupils both before and after classes; weekend, evening and summer programs involving children, parents and other adults; expanded recreation in gyms and on playgrounds.
For example, school libraries would become after-hours homework centers; family health and job-training projects would be offered; police would work with pupils positively - so, says Superintendent Roy D. Nichols, youngsters will ``see police in a different role - he's `coach,' not someone coming to arrest Dad.''
And to H. Thomas White, Norfolk Federation of Civic Leagues president, a key benefit would be inter-neighborhood communication. ``We have seen the division of our communities,'' he said, ``and this is a trend we're trying to reverse.''
Obviously all this will demand new levels of cooperation among municipal agencies and allocation of additional tax dollars, which are scarce. So officials concede the effort won't begin before fall and, even then, only as a test in a few schools. But long range, they see the school-as-community-center idea spreading across the city.
Besides getting rid of the Department of Education, some politicians call for parental rights, parental decision-making, parental control.
Before any of this can work, there must be parental responsibility and involvement. This is what Norfolk seeks; this is what may help raise the test scores and salvage, for productive adulthood, the test takers. by CNB