THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, January 8, 1997            TAG: 9701080002
SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A12  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                            LENGTH:   21 lines

FULL CIRCLE ON THE EBONICS ISSUE

I have come full circle on the ebonics debate. A few weeks ago my uninformed response was, ``You must be kidding!'' Today I found myself nodding in agreement with columnist William Rasberry's ``Ebonics is not a new issue'' (Perspectives, Jan. 4). Once again it seems everything new is old . .

Perhaps I'm looking at the issue too simplistically. But it seems to me that educators, public officials and editorial writers have become so wrapped up in the related social issues that they have lost sight of the goal. All of the pros and cons I read center on doing the right thing, being socially and politically correct and winning the debate. The focus should be: ``What is best for the children?''

LAURIE O'LEARY

Norfolk, Jan. 4, 1997