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

DATE: THURSDAY, October 7, 1993                   TAG: 9310070284
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: LAURA WILLIAMSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SCHOOL OFFICIAL LEAVING NON-JOB

Norm Michaels - removed two weeks ago from his position as assistant superintendent of instruction for Roanoke schools - said Wednesday he will retire in January and won't return to work in the meantime.

"He's on leave until his retirement," said Superintendent E. Wayne Harris, who placed Michaels in employment limbo when he took him off the job Sept. 22 but neither fired nor reassigned him.

"I'm not going to discuss Norm anymore," he said.

Michaels,67, is the second top administrator in the city school system to retire as the new superintendent reshuffles his staff. William Hackley, assistant superintendent and director of administration,announced his retirement after Harris transferred him to head the city's alternative education programs.

Michaels said he would have retired even if the superintendent hadn't taken him off the job.

"It was coming, anyway," he said. "I'm going to make as much money retired as I was working."

Michaels,who followed former Superintendent Frank Tota to Roanoke from Rochester,N.Y., said he will stay in the area and work as an education consultant. He plans to either start his own business or join an existing company.

Harris said the changes are part of a reorganization that attempts to clarify job responsibilities and better match the staff's talents to their positions.

"Redefining roles and responsibilities,that's what this whole thing is about," he said.

Harris said he may make "one or two" more changes before he presents the reorganization to the School Board along with his budget proposal in December.

Those changes, however, likely will not include removing any more employees from the school system or from their jobs, he said.

"I don't see any demotions or that kind of thing," he said. "Of course, I reserve the right, as we get into this, but I don't anticipate it."

Other changes could include expanding staff responsibilities or better defining them, Harris said.

Such was the case with Anne Harman, previously the school system's ombudsman. In addition to her previous duties as a troubleshooter,child advocate and liaison to the community, Harman is now an official spokeswoman for Harris and carries the title "executive assistant to the superintendent."

Harris said he has advertised Michael's old position, and that he hopes people within the system will apply.

Memo: ***CORRECTION***

by CNB