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

DATE: MONDAY, June 26, 1995                   TAG: 9506260163
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PRAISE FOR GORDON'S PERFORMANCE

I am pleased with the way that things have gone. In talking with the other [School Board] members, we feel she has had an excellent year. It has been a trying year in some ways, with the tragic death of a child in a bus accident, the change to an elected board and other things, but I think she has handled it well. I think she showed leadership on the budget, and she works well with the county staff.''

- Frank Thomas, chairman, Roanoke County School Board

``As the chief executive officer for an operation with a budget of more than $70 million, she has been effective. She has done the job as well as could be expected. She has worked well with everyone. She has come to an elementary school in my district to meet with the parents of a child about a problem. Not too many chief executive officers would be willing to do that. She has a hands-on approach. I am pleased.''

- Michael Stovall, Vinton District member, Roanoke County School Board

``She has had excellent relations with the [Board of Supervisors]. She has been very responsive. She has been to our meetings and answered our questions. There is more to being superintendent than dealing with the supervisors on budgets and buildings, but I don't have enough information to comment on that.''

- Lee Eddy, Roanoke County supervisor

``Whenever we [teachers] have had concerns, she has been willing to meet and discuss them. We like her open-door policy. She has allowed us to be represented on all the committees like the calendar, salaries and others. She is definitely committed to parental involvement in education. She said she is willing to support change that will help improve the quality of education. After one year, we are still feeling our way, but we're hoping for even better communications with her next year.''

- Judy Deyerle, incoming president, Roanoke County Education Association

``She has been super. She has interacted well with the PTA. She has attended all of our meetings and shown an interest in what we are doing. I've known Deanna a long time and I was pleased when she was appointed superintendent. I think she has done a great job.''

- Annie Amos, president, Roanoke County Council of PTAs

``She has an open-door policy and that is important to [teachers]. She seems to be interested in the students foremost - as it should be. She was responsible for going to bat to get an extra eight-tenths of 1 percent raise for teachers [and providing a 4.8 percent raise for next year]. Otherwise, we would have fallen farther behind in salaries. We appreciate her efforts on that.''

- Richard Kelly, outgoing president, Roanoke County Education Association

``She's doing a good job, but it is not within my constitutional and legal purview to analyze her performance. I will leave that to the School Board. With an elected School Board, she runs a different shop than Bayes Wilson and Arnold Burton [who preceded her as superintendent].''

- Bob Johnson, Roanoke County supervisor

by CNB