
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, June 19, 1993                   TAG: 9306190196
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LEIGH ALLEN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

NEW SUPERINTENDENT SWORN IN

For the past four months, Wayne Harris could hardly bear to stand to the side while someone else ran the Roanoke schools. Harris finally took a big step Friday toward taking charge when he was sworn in as the new school superintendent.

Surrounded by family, supporters and city officials, Harris took the oath along with returning School Board members Finn Pincus and Charles Day at the Roanoke Courthouse.

Although Harris won't officially take office until July 1, he has been working since his appointment in February to make the transition easier.

"It has been difficult to limit my involvement to gathering information and not stepping over the line into decision-making," Harris said.

Harris, a doctoral candidate in a Harvard program designed for urban school administrators, became the school district's first black superintendent.

Harris said Roanoke schools have a "strong foundation" of leadership on which he hopes to expand. Harris replaces Frank Tota, who retired after 12 years as the city's top school administrator.

A native of Salem, Harris returns to the Roanoke Valley after having served as a regional administrator with the Fairfax County school system in Northern Virginia for 25 years. He said Friday that he applied for the Roanoke job because of the school system's strong reputation, not because he calls the Roanoke Valley home.

"That's value added," the 47-year-old Harris said.

He said he expects the challenges of operating Roanoke schools to be similar to the ones he faced in Northern Virginia because students everywhere have the same needs, such as safety and increased parental involvement.

The main difference between the two districts is that Roanoke schools are smaller while Fairfax schools are bursting at the seams, he said.

Harris said he does not expect to make many immediate changes.

"I want to build good relationships with the individuals who are already here," he said.

by CNB