The benefits of the enrichment program will carry through for years.

There were howls of protest earlier this year when parents and students mistakenly thought the new RCPS+ summer enrichment program would be mandatory. But once information about the initiative got out, thousands of hands flew up to volunteer for participation.

About 2,700 students will benefit from classes that begin June 17. Each one is testament to Superintendent Rita Bishop’s recognition that summertime instruction in reading and math is essential for academic progress, not a nice-to-have educational frill.

Enrollment exceeded expectations by 700, but the overflow will be accommodated within the $1 million budget for the program this year. There are lingering questions about how to fund the program into the future, but the enthusiastic response should send a strong message to school board and city council members that RCPS+ is already being embraced as a core component of the public school system.

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Franklin County supervisors should have learned by now the harm they are causing.

Members of the Franklin County School Board are faced with choices, one as bad as the next, as they attempt to squeeze out $1.2 million in spending: Deny bright students the prestige of attending the Governor’s School? Lay off resource teachers and social workers who help struggling students? Bench middle school athletes? Freeze teachers’ salaries for the fifth year and turn back state money meant to boost their pay?

The only choice Franklin County supervisors have denied them: Do no harm.

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By Esther Cepeda

Our society is on the path to random chaos because our willingness to make exceptions for people has morphed into never-ending feelings of grievance and expectations of entitlement.

Let me illustrate:

While earning my master’s in special education, I became aware that the 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act gave equal protection to children with disabilities.

This important piece of legislation opened doors for untold millions of children who would have otherwise been trapped in special facilities for the profoundly disabled despite their capacity for learning in a general education setting.

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Cepeda is a columnist with the Washington Post Writers Group.

Will chef dish on Cuccinelli?

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli scored a procedural victory Thursday when a Richmond judge agreed to recuse his office from prosecuting the embezzlement case against a former chef at the Virginia governor’s mansion.

But if the case proceeds to trial this summer, it may continue to dog Cuccinelli and raise questions about his judgment as he runs for governor. . . .

No crying in Bedford . . . or else

When a public official feels compelled to clarify what she meant when complaining about the “crap” (stuff or nonsense) she has taken from some school teachers, it’s appropriate to include some acknowledgement that she failed to do her part to elevate the level of public discourse in her community.

Bedford County Supervisor Annie Pollard invited criticism last week when she described several teachers as “crybabies” because they had the temerity to attend a public hearing and speak in favor of a 3 percent raise for school employees. Her attempt at damage control via an emailed statement lacked any semblance of an apology for her name-calling, potty-mouthed outburst, and thus it had the opposite effect.  . . .

Festivities on every corner

Much of Elmwood Park is under renovation as the spring festival season kicks off this weekend. Rather than view the shifting venues as an inconvenience, festival-goers should take the chance to circulate and explore other corners of Roanoke’s downtown as well as other host sites around the region. . . .

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Carroll County saw weaknesses in its contract with a virtual school company. Will the state do the same?

When Virginia’s first statewide virtual school opened in 2009, it looked to be a good deal for the private operator and its host, Carroll County, but a bad deal for state taxpayers.

Now the Carroll County School Board has concluded it’s getting a raw deal, too, and voted to end its contract with the for-profit K12 Inc.

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In making sense of dollars, personal finance students still have to learn through experience.

Thanks to the Great Recession, today’s high school seniors encountered a real-life lesson these last four years in what can happen when the economy tanks.

Their schools cut classes, teachers and activities. They earned extra credit for lugging in donated paper and supplies.

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The surest way to keep poor people poor is to deny them a proper education.

The true measure of a place is how well it prepares for the future by taking care of its children. By that yardstick, Franklin County supervisors fall short.

Supervisors voted down a 2-cent increase in the real estate tax that would have allowed the county’s schools to continue on their pace. Now, the school board will be faced on Wednesday with making difficult and hurtful spending cuts that could increase class sizes, curtail help to struggling students, prevent the brightest students from attending the governor’s school, and reserve sports and activities for children who happen to come from families that can pay to play.

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By Christina Nuckols

When I visited the Gainsboro Branch Library earlier this year for a neighborhood meeting, I felt as if I had wandered into someone’s living room. A young couple read a book together in the window seat, children played games on the floor, and several teenagers and adults rattled away at computer keyboards.

The library serves as Gainsboro’s living room, and a neighborhood leader suggested I return on a Thursday afternoon to fully appreciate the role it plays in the community.

I took her advice and discovered a young girl in the community room pecking out a halting version of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” on a keyboard. She paused, then tried again as the familiar tune took shape.

“I think I got this thing down,” she said as she rolled into a third verse with a confidence accentuated by vigorous head bobbing.

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Nuckols is editorial page editor of The Roanoke Times.

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By Esther J. Cepeda

Safety in public schools has been much on the public’s mind in the post-Newtown era. The massacre has inspired calls for getting more police officers into school buildings.

At the same time, civil rights organizations are calling for the exact opposite: getting the cops out. Critics cite horrors such as the 5-year-old who was cuffed and taken down to the police station for having a temper tantrum and a 7-year-old who was interrogated for 10 hours for allegedly stealing $5.

Thankfully, schools across the country, reacting to public outrage over ridiculous zero-tolerance policies, are trying to find middle ground.

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Cepeda is a columnist with the Washington Post Writers Group.

Photo courtesy of the Roanoke Public Library
A mother shares the love of reading with her two children in the Main Library Youth Services area.

By Sheila S. Umberger

Winning the All-America City Award in 2012 was a thrilling and validating moment for residents of Roanoke, city employees and community leaders and businesses in our valley. Winning the award demonstrated how many wonderful and beneficial programs and initiatives we employ every day to enrich the lives of our residents.

A critical element in our historic sixth time winning this prestigious award from the National Civic League was the community collaboration, development and presentation of our All-America City Star City Reads Campaign. The goal of this campaign is to improve grade level reading by third grade in Roanoke.

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To learn more, visit libraryjunction.com/reads/

Umberger is director of libraries for Roanoke.