ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, July 19, 1996 TAG: 9607190065
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
Carol E. Whitaker, director of special education for Rockbridge County schools, will succeed Eddie Kolb as director of special education and pupil personnel services in Roanoke County.
At a special meeting Thursday, the School Board selected Whitaker to take over the post that Kolb held for more than two decades before he retired July1.
Superintendent Deanna Gordon recommended Whitaker, who has headed Rockbridge's special education program for seven years. There were about 20 applications for the post.
"She has the experience and the credentials with an outstanding record of working with the community," Gordon said. "She has the qualities that we were working for."
Michael Stovall, vice chairman of the School Board, said he believes the county has made a good choice in choosing Kolb's successor. "I feel like the torch is being passed to a good person."
Gordon said special education becoming increasingly important because of the growing number of children with special needs.
In keeping with a national trend, more than 10 percent of the county's students are now in special education.
Whitaker is a graduate of the University of Arkansas and earned a master's degree in special education at Radford University. She earned a doctorate in educational administration at Virginia Tech this year.
She is a former special education teacher in Dillon, S.C., Carroll County and Rockbridge County.
Whitaker will assume her duties in Roanoke County on Aug.1.
Gordon said she is also interviewing applicants for the post of director of federal programs and remediation. She hopes to make a recommendation to the board soon.
Joseph Kyle recently retired as director of federal programs and testing after more than three decades in the post.
Gordon said part of Kyle's job has been combined with the remediation supervisor's post that has been vacant since Calvin Rohrbaugh retired last year.
"We plan to hire one person to fill both jobs," she said.
No decision has been made on whether someone will be hired to oversee testing or whether the duties will be assumed by an existing staff member, Gordon said. "We're still working on that."
The county has announced several other administrative and principal appointments:
* Marty Robison, executive assistant for county schools, has been appointed assistant superintendent. Robison will continue his duties in community and public relations, planning and special education. He will take on additional administrative responsibilities in planning for capital improvements and other projects.
* Jan McLeod has been named principal of the Roanoke County Career Center, succeeding Willie Waker, who retired. McLeod has been assistant principal at the career center for seven years. She was a teacher at Glenvar High School.
* Mary "Dee" Carswell has been appointed principal of Oak Grove Elementary School, succeeding Margaret Moles, who retired. Carswell had been acting principal at Oak Grove for the past year while Moles was on leave.
* Michael Crowder has been named principal of the Glenvar Middle School that will open this fall. Crowder has been assistant principal at the William Byrd Middle School. He was a teacher at Cave Spring Junior and William Byrd Middle before becoming an assistant principal.
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