ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, December 18, 1996 TAG: 9612180064
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
SUPERINTENDENT WAYNE HARRIS said the panel will see if there's a problem and what can be done. It will be appointed next month and report to the board in May.
Roanoke schools will no longer allow teachers to be off the job 10 percent to 15 percent of their work days, School Board member Harry Davis says.
"Being absent 10 to 15 percent of the time is history," Davis said Tuesday night. "It's not going to keep happening."
At Davis' request, Superintendent Wayne Harris will appoint a committee to study the issue of absenteeism by teachers and other school employees.
"It will determine if we have a problem and what needs to be done about it," Harris said.
Harris said the committee will look into absenteeism among all school employees - not just teachers.
But Davis said he has heard the most complaints about teachers who are frequently absent on Fridays or Mondays or other days.
"This is not a witch hunt. I'm not out to get anyone," he said. "I have no problem with teachers who are out on maternity leave or have an illness or other good reason to be off."
Davis said has received complaints from teachers about other teachers who are frequently absent. "They are upset that they have to cover for absent teachers."
Other board members indicated they support the plan for a panel to make recommendations on the issue.
Chairwoman Marsha Ellison said teachers have complained to her, too, about some of their colleagues being off the job frequently.
She said one teacher suggested that the high absenteeism by some teachers is one reason the school system has a problem in finding enough substitutes on some days.
Harris has recommended that the daily pay for substitutes be increased from $45 to $55 next year to help attract more substitutes.
Harris said the study panel on absenteeism will include members from teacher advisory committees at the schools in addition to representatives from other groups of school employees. He said the request for such a study is appropriate.
The panel will be appointed next month and report to the board in May, he said.
Esther Cirasunda, president of the Roanoke Education Association, told the board recently that teachers are being unfairly criticized for missing work.
"Make sure that whatever you do takes adequately into account that educators are not 'slackers,' but dedicated professionals who do get sick and are under many pressures in an urban setting," she said.
Cirasunda said the health insurance company for school employees has reported that that top five medications being prescribed for the employees are used for the treatment of cardiac disorders, ulcers, migraine headaches, high blood pressure and depression.
She said all of the illnesses can be attributed to stresses related their jobs.
"We look forward to the school administration's suggestions on ways to improve our health and incentives to continue to improve our attendance," Cirasunda said.
Davis said he doesn't think Roanoke necessarily has the same problems that are found in large cities and what are generally considered urban settings. Roanoke won an All-America city award in the past year, he said.
"I would hope that we would look at the positive side rather than seeing the situation as negative," he said.
Davis said teachers who don't have high absenteeism don't have anything to fear from the panel study.
"I'm only concerned about those who are consistently absent. Other employees have nothing to worry about," he said.
Also Tuesday night, the board was told that the renovation of Breckinridge Middle School is ahead of schedule and should be finished by mid-July.
Richard Kelley, assistant superintendent for operations, said the major part of the building will be under roof by Christmas. Renovation of Jackson Middle School got behind schedule this past year and the opening of the school had to be delayed by a week.
But Kelley said he is optimistic that the Breckinridge project will be completed before school opens next fall. "The contractor is making rapid progress. We are a month and a half ahead."
Breckinridge is closed this school year and the students are attending other middle schools.
Harris also told the board that student attendance is up this year and that all schools will meet the goal for improving attendance if the current trend continues. He has made better attendance one of his priorities.
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