Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 28, 1995 TAG: 9510300116
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE AND PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Long
Aside from a few signs and brochures, this first School Board election in the county has been quiet. Some candidates are going door to door in their districts while others are relying more on word-of-mouth.
Their only joint appearances have been at two political forums, one organized by the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce and the other by parent-teacher groups.
One of the main issues raised at the forums was what to do about the county's aging school buildings. A 40-member Building Needs Task Force has recommended consolidating the two middle schools, closing Northwood Elementary School, and adding to Critzer Elementary School with funding from a bond issue.
Most of the candidates favored keeping the existing schools in their present locations, and updating or renovating them if that proves feasible.
Another issue raised at the forum concerned low scores on the Literacy Passport Test, which assesses sixth-graders in math, reading and writing skills. Pulaski County fell below the state average of 65 percent who passed the entire test.
The only major confrontation in any of the races has come in the Robinson District, where challenger Rhea Saltz objected at the second forum to the way incumbent Sybil Atkinson answered a question about conflict of interest.
The question involved board members with spouses who are teachers. Atkinson had said that issue potentially could be a concern, at least when voting on salary issues. Saltz read from the state code at the second gathering to show that it was not illegal for a board member to be married to a teacher, as he was when he served on the board previously. He noted that Draper District member Lewis Pratt - the only unchallenged incumbent - also is married to a teacher.
At both forums, Atkinson pointed out that Saltz had resigned from the board with one year left on his term. Saltz responded the second time that he thought the at-large seat, which he held, was going to be eliminated - which it was after he resigned.
A total of 16,575 voters are registered, down more than 40 from this time last year.
Adjacent to this stories are the profiles of four of the candidates for seats on the Pulaski County School Board; the other five profiles may be found on Page 4.
MASSIE DISTRICT
Name: Nathaniel Tuck
Age: 43
Occupation: Chiropractor
Education: B.A. in biology, Emory and Henry University; D.C., National College of Chiropractic
Family: Married to Barbara; father of three children, Ray, 24; Ame, 12; Ben, 8
Community involvement: Deacon, First Christian Church; serves on Board of Directors, Community National Bank
What have you learned while serving on the board? Tuck has served 12 years on the school board, and the past three as Vice-Chair. "I've learned to listen, to evaluate all sides of an issue before making a decision, and the importance of building consensus."
Core values: "We need to continue to offer basic fundamentals, reading, math and writing. But also it's very important that we offer technological opportunities to show kids broader horizons - get them to start thinking globally, not just about Pulaski County."
Why are you the best candidate? "Twelve years of experience allows me to be aware of past situations that have impact on today's need. I have a good overview of what direction our system needs to go to offer technology to kids. I'm a good listener, I try to remain objective, try to base my decisions on what best for the students, not on some particular agenda."
How should school building needs be addressed? Tuck said he is leaning toward consolidation of the middle schools, but the board needs to study the feasibility of renovating current buildings and the impact consolidation would have on the community. "I'm concerned that trying to bring those [current] buildings up to standards to meet the educational needs of our children may not be financially feasible. I do think it needs more study and input from citizens."
Are the Literacy Passport Test Scores a problem, and if so, what should be done? "I'm concerned, but not alarmed. We have to look at the scores in perspective. It does help point the school system in directions that we need to focus our attention. Our present administration does recognize the areas we need to work on."
Last book read: "Celestine Prophecy," by James Redfield
Favorite school memory: "In elementary school, playing Little League baseball and pitching the shut-out of the game."
MASSIE DISTRICT
Name: Jeff Bain
Age: 49 ("I was 23 before this campaign started!")
Occupation: Real estate appraiser
Education: B.S. in finance, Radford University
Family: Married to Susan; father of two daughters: Ellen, 15, and Erin, 17
Community involvement: Active at Trinity Lutheran Church; served as first fire chief of Snowville Fire Department, former vice-chair of Pulaski County Planning Commission
Board meetings attended: Two meetings in the past six months
Core values: "We have got to return to teaching the basic type of education for these kids. In the last eight years Pulaski County has floundered - test scores have not improved. We need to talk to parents and teachers to build on what works and discard what is not working."
Why are you the best candidate? Bain was vice president of a savings and loan for 10 years and has owned his own business for 15 years. "My forte is finance. The analytical skills you get by working in finance get honed real well." Also, "I am going to be one of the individuals that will ask the questions that have not been asked. The way the system is run now is from top down, but it needs to be from the bottom up. We need to bring the parents into the equation and build a system that's based on cooperation and communication."
How should school building needs be addressed?
"Everything possible must be done to maintain the schools as they are. I will not, unless absolutely necessary from a safety standpoint, agree to consolidate middle schools. It is very important to keep a community feel with our schools."
Are the literacy passport scores a problem, and if so, what should be done? Recent test scores, Bain said, have remained stagnant. "Test scores indicate that the methodology implemented in schools is not working. We need to back to teachers and parents and say 'It looks like this isn't working, what do you think should be done?'"
Last book read: "Rethinking America," by Hedrick Smith
What's your favorite school memory? "There are so many: Being in first grade and playing with those great big wooden blocks that we built castles with; hatching out a baby chick in high school and it following me around the school thinking I was its daddy."
INGLES DISTRICT
Name: Barbara Chrisley
Age: 50
Occupation: Chairwoman, Department of Health Services, Radford University.
Education: B.S. in biology, Virginia Tech; doctorate in food and nutrition, Virginia Tech
Family: Married to Bill, a junior varsity baseball coach for Pulaski High School; mother of one son, Mark, 25
Community involvement: President, Southwest Virginia Dietetic Association; member, Planned Approach to Community Health; member of legislative council, Health Education Council
Board meetings attended: None in the past six months. "I keep abreast of what's going on by talking to board members and teachers, reading the papers. I do feel I am aware of what's going on."
Core values: The administration, teachers, parents and students need to be more accountable for curriculum improvements, she said. The board needs to make sure pupils are learning basic skills, and also find ways to fund new technology. "I also have a feeling that teachers are not really free to express what they think. I want them to feel free to [talk] without fear of getting fired."
Why are you the best candidate? Being a native of Pulaski and having a son who graduated from county schools, Chrisley said, she can stay in touch with her district. After 28 years of teaching, she said she understands teacher needs.
How should school building needs be addressed? "I do not favor consolidation at this time. We need to make sure we look at renovation as opposed to new construction. Students have enough problems in maturity and social challenges - being exposed to larger environment is not necessarily the best way to go."
Are the literacy passport scores a problem, and if so, what should be done? "Ten years ago we were doing better than we are now. We've got to re-evaluate to make scores improve." Chrisley said the School Board needs to look at successful programs in other schools across the state to see what works and implement it here.
Last book read: "Bridges of Madison County" by Robert James Waller
School memory that stands out? "When I was in school, they made us eat everything on our plates. We had a large woman who would stand there and make sure we cleaned our plates." Chrisley tried to scoop black-eyed peas under the table until the woman caught her. "To this day I have trouble eating those peas!"
DRAPER DISTRICT
Name: Lewis Pratt
Age: 46
Occupation: Cattle farmer
Education: B.S. in animal science, Virginia Tech
Family: Married to Jackie, a teacher at Critzer Elementary; father of one son, Andy, 14
Community involvement: Active in Draper Valley Presbyterian Church; member, PTA; state treasurer, Virginia Cattle Association; Southwest Virginia Agricultural Association board member; serves on board of directors for Pulaski Livestock Market
What have you learned while serving on the board? Pratt has served for four years. "We have an awfully good educational system and it's continuing to improve, but it's not perfect. Our children's future is right here and we've got to provide it for them."
Core values: Children, Pratt said, need to be taught strong basic skills, then introduced to technology. "My concern is that we're probably not demanding enough. We're making it more rigorous all the time, but we need to strengthen it even more." Pratt said the board needs to find ways to reach children who might otherwise fall through the cracks.
Why are you the best candidate? "I have a genuine interest in our kids and our community. I have a good feel for what our people think is important and I'm able to relay that to the board. I offer balance - as a parent, my associations with schools from my wife and other friends, and as a business man [who would] like to see us get our money's worth out of the educational system."
How should school building needs be addressed? At this point, Pratt said, consolidating the schools is not a good idea for the communities. But, the board needs to asses the cost effectiveness of renovation and building a new school.
Are the county's Literacy Passport scores a problem and, if so, what should be done? The scores "are not acceptable. Two years ago, we established Critical Years, Critical Skills to reach students in those first few grades. There was a wide variance of skills and social levels at that point, but I think ultimately, we'll see a vast improvement of skills. We need to keep continuing to recognize problems in learning and provide different ways to learn."
Last book read: "I Took a Lickin' But Kept on Tickin'," by Lewis Grizzard
Best school memory: Twelfth grade English class with Ms. Ann Armbrister. "She had a way of capturing us and seeing the value of being able to communicate through writing."
ROBINSON DISTRICT
Name: Rhea Saltz
Age: 64 "and doggone proud of it."
Occupation: Self-employed antiques dealer
Education: Math major, Emory & Henry College; master's from University of Virginia in math teaching with educational administration and supervision endorsements..
Family: Wife, Chime; three grown children living in Richmond, two at home: Tige and Stephen
Community activities: Helps out at church but generally not a joiner.
Attended board meetings: Attended several in last six months and, during his three years on the board, never missed a meeting and was never late for one.
Core values: "You're honest and you're up front with everybody, and you answer the questions according to your convictions," he said. "It's really and truly to do the best you can for the kids."
Why are you the best candidate? "I think my experience in so many different areas. I've taught, I've coached, I've been an assistant principal, I've been a principal ... planning and construction of new schools, opened a new school, prepared budgets. ... I've had responsibilities I don't think anyone else has."
How should school building needs be addressed? "I think we need to make an extensive study by some independent firm and I think we need to look at new construction vs. remodeling," he said. Most of what has been built or remodeled in county schools has cost much more than estimated, he said. "I'm really opposed to a large consolidated middle school."
Are the county's Literacy Passport scores a problem and, if so, what should be done? Scores have been low for several years and school officials say they are going to work on this, Saltz said, "but they haven't fixed it." He thinks students should be diagnosed early to see if they have learning problems and remedial work should be done for those needing it. "We need to do something. Those scores need to be improved."
Last book read: He seldom reads novels because he never knows when he could get back to one, but likes short stories and condensed items, such as in Reader's Digest.
Best school memory: "When one of my teachers came to me and told me that I was going to college," he said. He came from a large family which could not afford to send him, and had no idea of ever going. He thinks that teacher was behind the arrangements that were made to pay his way to college. One reason he wants to serve on the School Board, he said, is to pay back to others what was done for him.
CLOYD DISTRICT
Name: Beth Nelson
Age: 68
Occupation: Retired. Has been a classroom teacher in Radford; supervisor of reading K-12 and supervisor of elementary education, Pulaski County central office; and on the College of Education faculty at Radford University, where she headed the Department of Educational Studies.
Education: Graduated from Radford University, master's from Virginia Tech, doctorate in administration and supervision of education from the University of Virginia.
Family: Husband, Sidney; children, Judy Bordones, Jeanie Anderson, Betty Whitley, all three of whom are teachers.
Community activities: Board of the Fine Arts Center of the New River Valley, Radford University National Alumni Association Executive Board, Central Methodist Church.
Board meetings attended: Three times in the last six months
Core values: "Education has been at the heart of everything I've done," she said. Another core value is family, in her case an extended family ranging from her husband's parents to her children.
Why are you the best candidate? "My experiences and background should be useful on the School Board. It's what I have devoted my entire life to," she said. She has taught, worked at the county's central office, and, at Radford University, established and directed its reading clinic and its Center for Developmental Teaching.
How should school building needs be addressed? "I've read the report of the committee," she said. "I know it's going to take a lot more study. Just on the information I know at this point, I couldn't possibly determine how those needs are going to be met. I know that they're very real." Technology favors the small school, she said. "I really don't believe bigger is better."
Are the county's Literacy Passport scores a problem, and, if so, what should be done? "We're in a testing frenzy all over this nation, and I have some real concerns about that," she said. "I do think we have to look forward to the kind of education children are going to need in the world to come."
Last book read: "The Book of Virtues" by former U.S. Secretary of Education William Bennett.
Best school memory: "The little one-room schoolhouse in Nebraska," she said, where she went for eight years after milking nine cows each morning.
CLOYD DISTRICT
Name: Carolyn Brown
Age: 40
Occupation: Branch manager, First Virginia Bank - Southwest, in Wytheville.
Education: Banking classes, American Institute of Banking, and additional classes at New River Community College.
Family: Husband, Montie: children, Montie Jr., J.R.
Community involvement: Deaconess, treasurer and scholarship committee member at First Missionary Baptist Church, New River, and previously worked with the Radford Chamber's Riverfest, Riverlawn Recreation Association and various parent-teacher organizations.
What have you learned from being on the board? "I've learned that we need input and involvement from the parents, that you have to look at every situation from all sides, and that we work as a board and our decisions are as a board."
Core values: "Our students are our No. 1 priority," she said, and the board needs to make sure that each student has the best possible education.
Why are you the best candidate? "I've already had four years of School Board experience. I've been involved in the schools and the community, and I've served on various school committees. And I feel that my 19 years of banking experience will be valuable when working on the school budget."
How should school building needs be addressed? The board should look at the recommendations of the Building Needs Task Force. The system already has a capital needs improvement program where it prioritizes work on the schools that need it most.
Are the county's Literacy Passport scores a problem, and, if so, what should be done? Some other school systems don't count the scores of special-needs students in overall scores, as Pulaski County does, which affects comparative scores.
Last book read: Because of her job, most of her reading time is devoted to banking literature.
Best school memory: "I guess being a senior, getting ready to graduate and getting ready to face the world."
ROBINSON DISTRICT
Name: Sybil Atkinson
Age: 48
Occupation: Parish administrator, Christ Episcopal Church.
Education: Bachelor's degree, Milligan (Tenn.) College; graduate work at Radford University.
Family: She and her late husband, Gerry, had three daughters: Shannon, Kimberly and Heather.
Community involvement: Chairwoman, Pulaski Economic Development Board; Community National Bank and Highland Manor Nursing Home boards of directors; Heart Association; Pulaski County Library Board.
What have you learned by being on the board? "We have a system to be proud of. We have some very knowledgeable and capable administrators and teachers," she said. She also has learned how one person's role can be very important.
Core values: Honesty, commitment to listen to all sides of an issue, and integrity.
Why are you the best candidate? "I try to bring a positive approach and positive way of thinking to the board," she said. "I have insight into many aspects of the school system as well as the community's needs and wishes."
How should school building needs be addressed? "I think we've started off the right way with the Task Force," she said. The next step is to gather together all the information in that report and study it. "We need to continue to involve the community."
Are the county's Literacy Passport scores a problem, and, if so, what should be done? These are not a problem, she said. The school system needs to use them as an assessment tool to see where students are, as well as a report to the community.
Last book read: Most of her reading involves her work on the School Board and bank.
Best school memory: "The dedication of my teachers to encourage us to strive," she said. She also realized only after graduation how much her community and its residents did for students in her small Ohio school system. The community provided good facilities for the school program and was willing to pay for them.
INGLES DISTRICT
Name: Ronald Chaffin
Age: 50
Occupation: Division chairman for Industrial Technologies, New River Community College
Education: B.S. in education, Virginia Tech; master's in Vocational Education, Virginia Tech
Family: Married to Patsy; father of two grown children, Julie and Ron Jr.; grandfather of 4-year-old who will attend Critzer Elementary School next year
Community involvement: Member, Chamber of Commerce; member, Rotary Club; Salvation Army Board member; Premier Bank Board member; Educational Committee chair, New Century Council; Dublin United Methodist Church Board member; New River Valley Alliance board member.
What have you learned while serving on the board? Chaffin has served on the board since 1986. "It's been very rewarding, and very humbling. I've learned a lot about public schools - from kindergarten through adult education. It's made me aware that children need a good foundation in math, science and reading - even if they go on to vocational training. They really need that background."
Core values: "I really want to see more parents get involved in their children's education. We need to continue to look at ways to teach young people, change a lot and get caught up with technology."
Why are you the best candidate? "I have the experience. I know the school system. I still have something to offer. I've implemented programs that I'd like to advance as far as we can."
How should school building needs be addressed? Chaffin said the board needs to study the committee's recommendations and hear more input from the community.
Are the literacy passport scores a problem, and if so, what should be done? Chaffin said he is disappointed by the low scores, but he wonders whether all districts include their special education students like Pulaski County does. "We need to make sure we're comparing apples to apples."
Last book read: "The Rainmaker," by John Grisham
Favorite school memory: Government class with Miss Mamie McCoy. "She made it fun. Somebody was mayor for the day; our senior trip was to Washington, D.C."
Keywords:
POLITICS
Memo: ***CORRECTION***