Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 18, 1994 TAG: 9404180071
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
They support School Superintendent Wayne Harris' get-tough stance on drugs, guns and violence in schools.
They think the new superintendent is doing a good job.
They oppose the use of school vouchers to provide public funds to help pay students' tuition to attend private schools.
They oppose the distribution of condoms at schools, even though Roanoke has the highest rate of teen-age pregnancy in Virginia.
They have reservations about an elected School Board, but some would embrace the idea if voters approved it.
Despite their agreement on many issues, the candidates for the Roanoke School Board have different backgrounds and emphasize different issues.
Five applicants, including two incumbents, have applied for three seats with terms beginning July 1.
Marilyn Curtis is seeking her third term, and Wendy O'Neil wants a second term.
James Turner, the third incumbent, has served three terms and is ineligible for reappointment.
One candidate, Robert Ross, has withdrawn for personal reasons.
Seeking appointment for the first time are: James Beatty, city personnel administrator; Marsha Ellison, a parent-teacher association leader; and John Saunders, a partner in a consulting and venture capital company.
City Council will interview the candidates publicly at 6 p.m. Thursday in the council chamber. Council will make the appointments next month.
Here are some of the candidates' views:
Beatty believes the school system should give more attention to vocational education and the students who do not go to college. The city has good programs for college-bound students, such as the City School, Governor's School and magnet schools, he said, but it could do more for students who go into the job market after high school.
"Some students are leaving school without marketable skills. I think we need to do a better job of reaching these students," he said.
Beatty said his experience as a personnel administrator and a member of the curriculum committees for Patrick Henry and William Fleming high schools would be beneficial in strengthening the vocational education program. He is a former teacher and coach.
Beatty has thought about seeking a School Board seat in the past but said the timing was not right.
Describing himself as old-fashioned in beliefs and values, Beatty supports Harris' policy of recommending expulsion for students who bring drugs and guns to school.
"It goes back to the homes and parents," he said. "The schools can help, but they can't do it alone."
Beatty, who has a master's degree in education from the University of Virginia, said parents need to get back to basics and discipline their children. He said he set rules for his three children and forced them to comply.
Curtis said she wants another term because she wants to help maintain continuity on the board. She will be the longest serving member if she is reappointed.
"I want to work with [Superintendent Wayne Harris] and help him accomplish the goals he has set," she said.
A top priority for her will be the elimination of drugs, guns and violence in schools.
"We need to make sure that our schools are safe. Our schools are not as bad as many cities, but we need to make sure the students are safe," she said.
She supports the expulsion of students who bring drugs and guns to school.
Curtis recently attended a national conference for school board members and found that drugs and guns are much worse in many school systems.
Curtis, an executive with the Hamlar-Curtis Funeral Home, said the school system should make sure that students who are not going to college have marketable skills when they leave school.
Like Beatty, she said the schools need to reach all students and help prepare them for college or the work force.
Curtis said the school system should work with other agencies to help reduce the teen-age pregnancy problem, but the schools cannot solve it alone.
Curtis complained that the Roanoke Times & World-News has made it appear that teen-age pregnancy is mainly a problem in the black community, but she said that is not true.
She also hopes the city can expand its preschool programs. "We should strive to make sure that children are prepared for schools."
Ellison has been active in the parent-teacher association for a decade and is in her second year as president of the Central Council PTA.
A graduate of Hollins College, Ellison said her experience in volunteer and committee work would be beneficial if she becomes a board member.
She knows many school administrators, principals and teachers, having served on the School Board's Long Range Planning Committee and the Schools Budget Advisory Council.
"Serving on the School Board would be an extension of what I have been doing for several years," she said. "I have done everything that I can in PTA."
Ellison believes that city schools are excellent, and she wants to help preserve their quality to make sure that her two children get a good education. Having children in schools gives her another perspective on the educational system, she said.
One of the major challenges facing the school system is helping to make sure that economically disadvantaged children leave schools with skills to either find a job or enter college, she said.
"We need to help all students. We have a lot of at-risk students," she said.
Ellison backs Harris' plan to upgrade computer technology in schools at a cost of $7.5 million over the next five years.
"We need the computers to make sure our children have the latest in educational technology," she said.
O'Neil, executive director of the YWCA of the Roanoke Valley and vice chairwoman of the School Board, is seeking her second three-year term.
She is a former teacher who has been active in a wide range of educational and community organizations. She is a former director of educational partnerships for city schools.
A graduate of Catholic University, O'Neil said her background as a teacher, her management skills and her experience as a board member would be helpful if she is reappointed.
She wants to stay on the board to help continue the progress that has been made in recent years in meeting the needs of all students and strengthening the partnership among the School Board, City Council, businesses and other groups.
"We are giving attention now to all students," O'Neil said. "I like being part of the team that is providing a holistic approach."
She is especially concerned that the city schools have the most modern computers and technology so the students can remain competitive with those from other schools.
"If we don't move forward in technology, the disparity gap will get wider," she said.
O'Neil wants the school system to make sure the schools are safe and free of drugs and guns. She favors strong disciplinary action, but believes expulsions alone will not solve the problem.
"The next community problem is: What do we do with the students who are no longer in school?" O'Neil said. "We have worked with the symptoms, but as a community we still have to deal with the problem."
Saunders is seeking a seat because he wants to help preserve what he describes as the high quality of Roanoke's schools. He said they are better than those in Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; and Dallas.
In fact, Saunders and his family decided to move to Roanoke because of its schools.
Saunders and his wife grew up in Roanoke but left to attend college. After graduating from the University of Virginia, Saunders went on to Harvard University, where he got a master's degree in business administration.
The couple, who have two children, were not satisfied with the public schools in Massachusetts and began to look elsewhere.
After comparing and studying schools in Charlotte, Dallas and Roanoke, the couple chose to return to Roanoke.
"We could have afforded private schools, but I have a deep commitment to public education," Saunders said.
Saunders, a partner in a consulting and venture capital company, believes his financial and management background will be helpful on the board.
If he is appointed, Saunders said he will be a strong advocate for the city's schools. He believes School Board members should speak up for the schools.
Saunders believes the school should develop more partnerships with businesses on issues such as educational technology. The Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce will start a campaign to persuade businesses to donate their old computers to schools.
by CNB