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

DATE: Wednesday, May 29, 1996               TAG: 9605290005
SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A8   EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                            LENGTH:   28 lines

STUDENTS EARNED GRADES

Patrick Lackey states in ``Excelling to keep mom free is a good idea'' (column, May 18) that he believes the judge's sentence in the case involving Mary Watson is commendable. The judge ruled that Ms. Watson could stay out of prison if her four children maintained at least a C average in school. So why does Mr. Lackey bring up this downside: that the teachers of Ms. Watson's four children are terribly burdened because the grades they assign to those children will ultimately determine the fate of their mother?

The teachers are not important in this scenario because, as Mr. Lackey states, most of them were not even aware of the situation involving Ms. Watson's children. Therefore, the teachers had no reason to feel compelled to ``help'' these children by boosting their grades.

Second, and most important, it is not up to the teachers to determine what grades these children get; that is their own responsibility (and the responsibility of their parents to make sure that their work is done). Teachers do not ``assign'' grades; the students earn them. And it looks as if these particular students have done an excellent job earning the grades they need, and deserve.

NATALIE STUMPF

Virginia Beach, May 23, 1996 by CNB