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DIALOGUE
Virginia Beach School Board Candidates for May 5 Election
lection Day in Hampton Roads is May 5. The
Community Relations Council of the United Jew-
ish Federation of Tidewater, both in 1996 and this
year, has taken a particular interest in the views of the
candidates for the Virginia Beach School Board. This
year, voters will select nine of the 11 members, and 18
individuals are seeking those seats.
The CRC sent a survey to all announced candidates.
Below are their responses. Those wishing more informa-
tion may contact Betsy Karotkin at 671-1600, and be
sure to vote on May 5
1. What are the biggest challenges
facing our schools, and how would
you address them?
2 In your view, has the U.S.
Supreme Court gone too far in
restricting the role of religion in
public schools? Religious values are
the foundation for the moral values
we seek in our lives. How would you
propose to promote these values in
our schools without violating the First
Amendment separation of church and
state?
3. What are your views on school
vouchers being used to pay a portion
of .private school tuition? What are
your views on charter schools?
John H. McLaughlin
1. The two biggest challenges
facing our schools are finding
adequate funding and serving
effectively an increasingly diverse
population. These two issues are so
intertwined that visionary leadership
is required to meet the challenges.
2. The U.S. Supreme Court has
gone way too far in its restrictions of
religion in our schools. Within
current guidelines, we need to
emphasize responsible behavior and
move away from the present trend of
"making students feel good." We
need to find ways of influencing
youth positively within the
community.
3. I believe that money should
follow students, and the resulting
competition for students will/mprove
public education. Such a system has
been used at the college level for
years in Virginia. I support charter
schools and encourage innovative and
alternative approaches to educating
our youth.
1. Two challenges demand
resolution: deteriorating teacher
morale and deteriorating relations
between school board and city
council, especially over budget,
matters. Each problem, unless
corrected, will have a direct and
negative impact on education in
Virginia Beach. With my Navy
experience in human resources and
personnel management, I am
thoroughly qualified to identify and
solve problems which hamper teacher
morale so the teachers can
concentrate on doing what they do
best: teach our children. No one,
inside or outside the school system,
has. studied the budget more than I
have. I have the expertise as well as
the time to help develop a credible
budget and work with city council to
adopt it completely without
contention.
2. Based on my experience, with a
daughter about to complete twelve
years of public education in Virginia
Reach, if the parents are doing their
job at home, it makes no difference ff
the schools promote moral values or
remain silent. If the parents are not
doing their job at home, it still makes
no difference if the schools teach
moral values or remain silent.
3. I do not support vouchers.
Charter schools are acceptable if by
establishing them we can demonstrate
a tangible gain to the school system
Donald F. Bennis
1. A) Improve and implement a
budget based on "needs" of the
school system and based on the city's
ability to fund same. B) Enhance
curriculum and improve testing. C)
Approve alternative education sites
for disruptive students so that they
can be removed from the regular
classroom setting.
2. No. The school system needs
to incorporate respect and tolerance
for individual rights and beliefs and
respect for property in its curriculum,
perhaps by way of a course in
citizenship.
3. Both arc questions that require
action by the State Legislature.
Although a charter schools bill has
passed it has not been signed into law
but I would have to take a close look
at the provisions of the statute before
deciding on a local option. The same
can be said of school vouchers if
passed by the legislature.
1. The problem of ignoring social
skill development is the cause of
unsafe school environments.
Moreover, it reduces teaching and
learning time. In short, it invades
every aspect of childrens' academic
and social lives. We can continue to
throw money into studies and
curriculum development, but how
successful do you believe they can be
if teachers are denied enough.
teaching time because they are busy
dealing with discipline problems. As
long as we continue to ignore
teaching social skills, we will
continue to deny students knowledge
necessary to create safer schools for
them to become competitive in the
job market. The usual administra
choice is to seriously deal with cases
only involve guns or drugs. Kids
get the message that all other
discipline problems are forgiven by
default. Parents are withdrawing their
kids at an alarming rate, forced to find
an alternative. Discipline is important
down town, but it is evidently not a
priority - it i mine. Homeschooling
has exploded from 500 students last
year to 600 this year - a. shocking
20% increase over a single summer
vacation. Each student withdrawn
represents nearly $6,000 in
government funds gone.
Homeschoolers alone account for
nearly $3.5 million. Add to that
figure the several thousand students
withdrawn to enter private schools.
Imagine what we could do with those
funds..We need to give students a
moral compass. Years of
conversations with parents, pupils and
teachers have helped me to develop a
star plan with 5 points. *Why are
students of expensive private schools
the only ones who benefit from
uniforms? Let public school students
look respectable and they will adjust
their manners to rise to the occasion.
Research shows that uniforms have 3
significant factors: 1) grades and
self-esteem improve, 2)violence and
discipline reduce, and 3)parents like it
that they spend less on and argue less
about clothes. *Every school needs a
CITIZENSHIP PROGRAM to honor
students who choose to demonstrate
appropriate choices regarding
classroom behavior and how they
treat others. Our present systems
pays more attention to the disruptors.
Schools have shunned teaching
morals because they link it to
sanctioning a single religion. But
most religions do share moral
guidelines: charity, honesty,
kindness, self-discipline. *Every
school should provide a PEER
MEDIATION PROGRAM that
reflects the checks and balances
systems of our larger society.
Guidance counselors, trained in
mediation techniques, can realistically
deal with the large numbers of
disruptive students that administrators
are unable to handle. Mediation
teaches students how to work through
their anger and conflicts. We need to
begin teaching these skills when
children enter school. Early
intervention increases the likelihood
that they will achieve success.
*Teachers must be authorized to
REMOVE DISRUPTIVE
STUDENTS from class - not forced
to keep them in class. *Make
• administrators accountable by using
numbered referrals just fike police
officers must.
2. No. Religious values are the
foundation for the moral values we
seek in our lives. How would you
propose to promote these values in
our schools without violating the first
amendment separation of church and
state? The values common to the
Judeo-Chriatian world are denied so
many young minds and is precisely
why I prese myself to the public as
a candidate for School Board - to be
an advocate for reform in this
direction. The separation of church
and state is to ensure that one religion
is not allowed to overwhelm another,
degrading those affiliated with the
religion of the minority. However,
some moral laws are generic to all
religions - charity, honesty, respect,
loyalty .....
Candle Lighting
April 10/Nlesan 15
Eve of Pesach-Firat Seder
Light candies at 7:15 p.m.
April 11/Nlmmn 14
First Day of Peesch
Light candles at 8:15 p.m.
April 16/Nissan 20
Light candles at 7:20 p.m.
April 17/Niuan 21
Light candles at 7:21 p.m.
April 24/Nlssan 28
Light candles at 7:27 p.m.
3. This furor would never have
been possible without the hostile
situatiorL in public schools. Thus, we
have a burgeoning parental
community who choose to withdraw
their children from the public schools
in favor of the more disciplined and
academic fortitude offered in private
schools. Sadly, the frustration has
forced many parents who cannot
afford private school to homeschool.
My moral support is with responsible
parents who commit themselves to
remedying a situation thus far ignored
by school leadership. Until the
problem of the lack of moral training
is addressed, students will continue to
be the ultimate victims of this
situation.
Dr. J. Henry McCoy, Jr.
1: Instructional values must be at
the highest possible level. This
means that attention has to focus on:
A) Good teachers with adequate pay;
B) Keeping classrooms as small as
possible; C) Providing good, sound,
basic curriculum, D) Providing for the
technological training needed for the
future; E) Upgrading old school
buildings; and F) Providing the tools
and equipment needed for modem
learning.
2. Yes! I am one of the many that
feel that classroom prayers should be
restored: I feel that if the religions of
the world can be taught in an
objective manner without getting into
the deep philosophies, it would at
least give the young people a sense of
importance for whatever faith they
may choose. This can be a guide
throughout their lives to live by moral
standards.
3. I am not in favor of vouchers
being used for private school tuition.
I am not very warm to the charter
school idea.
Carol Bluestein
1. One of the biggest challenges
facing our schools centers around
budgetary constraints and how best to
meet the needs of the greatest number
of students with the resources
available. We face a time where
many of our schools arc in dire need
of modernization and renovation.
Old, crowded buildings with
antiquated electrical systems are
unable to accommodate the
technological needs of today's
students while staff members often
lack adequate space, storage, phone
lines or restrooms. I support parity
among schools. Correcting these
areas will be addressed through the
comprehensive strategic planning that
is underway and ongoing. School
safety is a concern of mine. We need
to develop effective ways such as
constant vigilance and follow-up
regarding any hints of potential
violence taking place. Anonymous
tip lines, visible and approachable
administrators who have contact with
students, and the "policeman in the
school" program are ways to try to
thwart off violence. I'd like to see
video cameras placed in our high and
possibly middle schools for more
effective monitoring of students.
Hopefully, corporate sponsors could
assist with the expense of this
initiative. I am a believer that it takes
a whole village to raise a child and
today's society is not meeting this
challenge. Parental non-involvement
is a problem; in some schools more
than others. Parents need to realize
that schools can't provide everything
a child needs. Parents must be active
participants in their child's education.
I support early childhood intervention
and education of parents by offering
workshops and parenting classes.
Another challenge is keeping students
in school and graduating them. I
support alternative educational
opportunities for the non-traditional
learner or disruptive student• The
state has increased the requirements
for graduation, and while I applaud
this, I'm concerned about the student
who is not college bound, yet will
have to meet the new requirements.
They may not have time in their
schedules to take technical job skills
classes. We need to keep a watchful
eye on this.
2. No. I don't feel that the U.S.
Supreme Court has gone too far in
restricting the role of religion in
public schools. While I believe that
religious values contribute to the
moral values we seek in our lives,
public schools are not the appropriate
forum for religious teachings. Public
• schools serve children from all
religions and walks of life and there is
no way a school could effectively
teach religious beliefs that would
pertain to everyone. I do see a way
thdt schools could promote moral
values through history lessons which
extol the values and morals of great
men and women from our past. I also
am in favor of promoting citizenship
and character education across the
curriculum.
3. I do not support the use of
school vouchers to pay a portion of
private school tuition. Public money
should be used to foster and provide
for the education of all children in a
public setting. I do not support
charter schools, however know that
our state has sanctioned a potential of
twoin each locality, so we may
indeed have a charter school proposed
for Virginia Beach in the next few
years, My main concern about them
is that they may become an elite
school for the rich. With stringent
admission policies and close watch
for discrimination of any kind,
perhaps they could work, however I'd
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