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

DATE: Wednesday, May 8, 1996                 TAG: 9605080001
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A18  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   31 lines

VISIT SCHOOLS

Two Virginia Beach School Board candidates pledged to regularly visit schools if elected.

Several mentioned that they would attend PTA meetings to speak and listen to concerns.

Is the public aware that it is a rare event, especially at the secondary level, for more than a handful of parents to attend these meetings? Maybe they should speak at half-time at a football game.

In order to get a true picture of what goes on in the schools and what teachers, students and administrators deal with on a day-to-day basis, it is imperative for School Board members to visit schools periodically. It should be a requirement that board members make these visits so that they can observe firsthand what the needs, concerns, strengths and weaknesses of each school are.

I have grave concerns about how much knowledge of the schools and education those candidates have who believe all they need to do outside of attending board meetings is to attend PTA meetings.

MARY K. DREW

Va. Beach, May 2, 1996 by CNB