2009.01.21
There's merit to teachers' pay plan
All teachers are not equal.
So why should their pay be? Read more »
2009.01.04
Awards benefit students, society
Score one for the high school students who can't dunk a basketball or who fall short of perfection on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.
In other words, score one for the solid students whose interests also reach into their communities.
It was a pleasant surprise last week to learn that more colleges are awarding hefty scholarships to service-minded students who volunteer in their community. The scholarships rival the packages athletes receive. Read more »
2008.11.18
Nobody wins when schools close
Six months after the Roanoke School Board voted to close Forest Park Elementary School, the issue still isn't over.
With any luck, it will be soon.
The closing of the school on Melrose Avenue Northwest has been a dysfunctional exercise in school-community relations that must not be repeated as Roanoke confronts declining enrollment and underused buildings. Read more »
2008.09.16
Schools need to prepare students
In June, thousands of Roanoke-area high school seniors adorned themselves in colorful caps and gowns and reveled in the pageantry of pomp and circumstance.
At commencements or other ceremonies for graduates, school administrators and principals saluted their students and waved many of them off to colleges and universities across the country.
But as some of those high school students settle into college life, a disappointing reality will wash over them. They'll realize they may not be as ready for college as they thought.
2008.09.09
School's success belongs to everyone
Bank manager Debbie Burcham remembers taking the call from someone at nearby Stonewall Jackson Middle School one day last spring.
Would Carter Bank and Trust post a message on its marquee to encourage Jackson students taking the upcoming Standards of Learning tests, school employee Jean Thompson asked.
The bank eagerly agreed, joining a car wash, drugstore and other Southeast Roanoke neighborhood businesses to rally the youngsters.
Later this month, Jackson will learn whether students' SOL scores were strong enough to earn the school the state's accreditation. Preliminary data released by Roanoke city schools a few weeks ago showed that Jackson was one of two middle schools to make it, and the only one to meet federal standards
About this blog
In her signature plainspoken style, Michigan native Shanna Flowers peels away the layers and gets to the heart of the issues. No pretense. Just straightforward perspective. Shanna writes about local people whose circumstances reflect decisions made as near as City Hall or as far away as the halls of Congress. Other times, she weighs in on a topic because it is incredibly ridiculous. Or heartening. Or fascinating. Read Shanna's column three days a week, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, at roanoke.com
