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

DATE: Tuesday, September 3, 1996            TAG: 9608310010
SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A14  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                            LENGTH:   31 lines

WRONG, U.S. SCHOOLS ARE NOT GETTING BETTER

Regarding the Aug. 27 letter from Keith Geiger, president of the National Educational Association (``Cal Thomas is wrong: U.S. schools are getting better results''):

Maybe the truth hurts. I attended both public and private schools. I am fully aware of the NEA's support of President Clinton. The NEA was obviously upset at what Cal Thomas had to say.

The NEA must also be very upset at what was said on Aug. 15 at the Republican convention. I have many suspicions when it comes to the teachers union. I graduated 16 years ago from high school. I truly believe that I have more knowledge than most graduating seniors of today. All I have to do is simply ask a few questions of today's students on math, science, English, and/or history. It is sad.

What galls me even more is to listen to our president say that he wants all children to be able to read by the time they finish the third grade. Excuse me, children should be able to read by the end of the first grade! This is a sad loss of reality by the NEA, who has a mouthpiece in high places.

I have two children of my own and as long as the NEA remains out of touch with reality, I will refuse to send my children to today's public schools. I may not have much, but I will do whatever it takes to get my children an excellent education.

JAMES SINYARD

Norfolk, Aug. 27, 1996 by CNB