Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 3, 1994 TAG: 9408030061
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
"With the right kind of help, students can learn and progress," said McIntosh as he recalled his experience in working with students who have encountered discipline problems in regular classes.
McIntosh has come to Roanoke with that educational philosophy as he takes over as administrator of the city's alternative education program.
McIntosh, 33, has spent 11 years working with children who have trouble fitting into the regular school regimen. He comes from Danville, where he was an administrator and teacher in an alternative education program for one year, but he has spent most of his career in Greensboro-Guilford County and Charlotte-Mecklenburg County in North Carolina.
McIntosh also has worked in two federally funded programs for disadvantaged children. During his first 10 days in Roanoke, he has become familiar with the city's program and studied the budget, staff, curriculum and other aspects of the operation.
McIntosh said he's no miracle worker, but he believes that he can make a difference and help some young people get back on the track educationally.
In Danville, approximately half the students in alternative education returned to regular classes last year.
At his desk in the Jefferson Center, McIntosh leaned forward to make a point as he talked about his experience in working with troubled youngsters.
For the moment, he is sharing an office with Rebecca Sears, who recently was appointed curriculum coordinator for the alternative education program. Sears was one of the three finalists for the administrator's post.
Successful alternative-education programs must be founded on compassion, discipline, mutual respect between students and teachers, and a caring attitude for the students, McIntosh said.
Above all, he said, the rules should be consistent so youngsters can know what to expect from teachers and other staff members
"These students can't survive inconsistency. They must know what to expect," McIntosh said.
"We need to have controls on what they can do.'
Most of the students have been involved in classroom disruptions, fights, truancy or criminal activity. Roanoke has 100 to 150 students in alternative education most of the time, but the number can vary.
McIntosh has started interviewing the staff for the alternative-education program to determine who will be retained. The 33 staff members include George Franklin, who was director last year.
Franklin's boss was William Hackley, who retired as administrator of the program in June. Franklin did not apply for the administrator's post because it requires a master's degree, which he does not have.
McIntosh has a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master's degree from North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro. He is working on a doctorate at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Franklin's status remained uncertain because he was suspended by Superintendent Wayne Harris for four days in June for failing to comply with administrative and financial regulations for the program. Franklin's suspension was overturned by the School Board, but he has no assurance that he will have a job in the upcoming school year.
McIntosh said he won't make a recommendation on Franklin and other staff members until he has finished the interviews. Harris and the School Board will make the final decision on the staff.
The teachers have college degrees, but not all have up-to-date teaching certificates.
Harris has said that he wants to make the alternative-education program into a first-class operation. He wants it to be operated more like a school, with its own administrative structure.
Some school systems in large urban centers have converted alternative education programs into separate high schools.
Danville is moving in the direction of establishing a separate school for alternative education, McIntosh said.
Whether Roanoke creates a separate school for the troubled children is a decision for Harris and the School Board, he said.
In revamping the program, he said, the superintendent and board will also decide on the curriculum and the length of time that a student can remain in the program.
In North Carolina, some school systems allow some students who have been expelled for bringing weapons to school to attend alternative education for a year as a transition back to regular school.
During the first year after being expelled, the students are barred from the school system. During the second year, they can attend alternative education and then may return to regular school.
Roanoke has no provision to allow students who bring guns to schools to re-enter. But Harris said school officials are considering an intermediate penalty between 10-day suspension and permanent expulsion.
Some School Board members have expressed concern that the expelled students will be left on the streets with nothing to do and may turn to crime.
The alternative-education program has many students who have lesser offenses than bringing drugs or weapons to school. If students are being returned to regular school, McIntosh said, they need a transition phase with special attention.
\ chart - Michael McIntosh (biographical information)
by CNB