Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 19, 1995 TAG: 9510230003
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: E-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Roark also helped establish the soccer program at Glenvar High School and has been a booster of the school's athletic program.
Now she wants to put her background and knowledge of county schools to work on the county School Board.
Roark, a candidate for the Catawba District seat, said that she has the experience, financial training and leadership ability to help fill the void on the board when the two senior members, Frank Thomas and Maurice "Buck" Mitchell, depart Dec. 31.
Roark, 52, said the bottom line of her years as a volunteer is that she really cares about the children, which is the theme of her campaign.
She said she wants the children to remain in the county and that a good school system will help attract industries and and create jobs.
"Too many of our children are leaving the area," she said.
Roark is running in a three-way contest with William "Bill" Brown Jr. and John Reed.
Roark has two grown children who attended county schools; she became a volunteer when they were in school.
A former accountant, Roark is president of her own computer business, Salem Software Service.
Roark believes the county has a good school system, but she said that it will need to upgrade the curriculum and put more emphasis on technology to prepare students for the next century.
In today's global economy,, she said.
An expanded vocational education program is needed for students who are not going to college, she said. And more students should be encouraged to take vocational courses.
"Some students who take technical and vocational courses make more than some college graduates," she said.
Roark said the school system should try to equalize facilities and curriculum throughout the county.
Some residents in the Catawba District feel they have been shortchanged in school facilities. Glenvar High School has fewer students than the county's other high schools and some courses have been eliminated there because of a small enrollment, she said.
She supports the county's effort to raise teacher salaries.
"I would like more emphasis put on the classroom teacher. I'd like to see more of the money spent on the front lines in the classroom," Roark said.
Roark has been endorsed by the Political Action Committee of the Roanoke County Education Association.
Kitty Boitnott, chairwoman of the committee, said Roark has shown strong support for education and has an impressive record of participation in school activities and volunteer work.
Roark believes that parental and community involvement is a key to better schools. She promises to consult with parents on issues before the board if she is elected.
She said that parents should make the decision on an extended school calendar and the elimination of the long summer vacation.
Although some critics say that an elected school board could politicize schools, Roark believes that it will produce a better education system.
"I think an elected board will be more aggressive and will be more answerable to voters," she said. "I think it will be positive."
She was encouraged by the county Board of Supervisors' financial support for schools this year, but she said the county has many school building needs.
"We are in desperate need of upgrading facilities in some areas," she said.
The Fort Lewis Elementary School in the Catawba District badly needs to be renovated, she said. School officials said that plans for refurbishing the school are being prepared and work on the project will begin within the next year or two.
Roark said the county must upgrade schools in Southwest County because of the growth in enrollment. But she doesn't want to commit herself on whether one new large high school should be built to replace the overcrowded Cave Spring High.
"We have to look at what the community wants and what we can afford," she said. "If we build one big new school, we will have to see if other areas in the county suffer because it will be expensive."
Roark has an open mind on a proposal for block scheduling in the high schools with longer classes, but she believes that it needs more study.
"I think we ought to move cautiously on block scheduling and see what the impact has been in neighboring school systems," she said.
She said she supports a tough stand on discipline and disruptive behavior, but she's not sure that the state's new "parental responsibility contract" was the right approach.
Roark said some parents felt insulted because they were threatened with a fine if they did not sign the pledge and meet with school officials if their children misbehave.
Attorney General Jim Gilmore has told school divisions that they should stop asking parents to sign under a threat of a fine.
Roark said she would have run for the board even if Thomas, chairman for a decade and a member for 12 years, had been a candidate. She believes that new ideas and energy are needed. And she felt that she should do more for the school system that provided an education for her children.
"I've received more than I have given, and I felt I had a duty to give back more," she said.
MARION ROARK
Age: 52.
Hometown: Halifax County. Roanoke County resident for 31 years.
Education: Virginia Western Community College, accounting degree. Attended Roanoke College.
Professional: President of Salem Software Service; former accountant with Peat, Marwick, Mitchell; and Berry, Dail & Co.
Family: Married; two children.
Quote: "The children are the reason that I'm running. And that is who I'm going to represent. We must gear the school system to meet the needs of the students. Not all children are alike."
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB