Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 23, 1993 TAG: 9309230061
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LAURA WILLIAMSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Harris, who has been on the job less than three months, removed Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Norm Michaels from his position Wednesday and said he has not decided where Michaels will go or whether he will continue to be employed by the city school system.
"I can't go into it any further," he said.
Michaels' removal follows the transfer of William Hackley from his job as assistant superintendent and director of administration to a position overseeing Roanoke's alternative education and regional alternative education programs. Hackley recently announced he would retire June 30, ending a 30-year career with Roanoke schools.
Hackley would not comment on whether his decision was linked to changes in the administration.
Harris said the two changes would be the first of several to come over the next two months but that the reshuffling would not turn into a major overhaul. He also said he could not guarantee there would be no layoffs or that staff members would not be replaced by people from outside the system.
"What I'm attempting to do in the overall reorganization is to match talent and skills with the jobs that need to be done and have a clearer definition of roles and responsibilities," he said.
"My every effort will be to use the people we have and to match their talents and skills with the job that needs to be done. It is not turning the system upside down, and it is not reshuffling everybody."
The reorganization will be presented to the School Board in December, along with his budget proposals, Harris said.
He added that while the job shifting reflects his management style, it should not be taken as a criticism of the prior administration. Former Superintendent Frank Tota left in June to head the Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., school system.
Tota's style was to spread responsibility in a more diffuse manner, using what one administrator called an "ad hoc" management system.
Michaels, who followed Tota to Roanoke 12 years ago from the Rochester, N.Y., school system, said he hoped to continue to work for Roanoke schools.
He said he has not yet discussed with Harris what the future might hold for him here.
Harris said he also would make changes that reduce the role of the administration and establish more direct lines of communication with individual schools.
For example, principals will report directly to Harris and not to central office administrators, as they did in the past.
"My goal is to try to eliminate some of the layers that people have to go through before decisions are made," he said.
by CNB