ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 27, 1997 TAG: 9702270083
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
John Saunders will leave the Roanoke School Board in June for business and family reasons, creating a second vacancy on the seven-member body.
Saunders said Wednesday he will not seek reappointment because his family and professional obligations have changed with the recent birth of his third child.
He is finishing his first three-year term on the board, where he has been vice chairman since July.
Saunders, a businessman, has focused on the school system's financial operations and disagreed with school administrators at times.
Board member Marilyn Curtis, whose terms ends June 30, is ineligible for reappointment because she is finishing her third term.
Under City Council's policy on term limits, the members of city boards and commissions are barred from serving more than three terms.
Chairwoman Marsha Ellison, who is finishing her first three-year term, is expected to seek reappointment.
Jeff Artis, a former city teacher and City Council candidate, said he will apply for a seat before the March 10 deadline. He said many city residents have urged him to seek appointment to the board.
Lisa Updike, a childbirth and lactation educator, has applied for one of the seats. Updike is a former English teacher, coach and yearbook adviser in Botetourt County.
City Council appoints School Board members in Roanoke. Most cities and counties in Western Virginia have switched to elected boards, but Roanoke and Salem have kept the appointed method.
Artis said he would bring the experience and perspective of a classroom teacher to the board. He is a former social studies teacher at William Fleming High, an in-school suspension teacher at Patrick Henry High and an alternative education teacher.
Artis, who plans to form a publishing company soon, also has been a drug treatment counselor. He also is a volunteer tutor.
He said his experience would give him insight as a board member and help him make objective decisions.
While schools do have problems, Artis said, parents need to assume more responsibility for their children, especially in disciplining and motivating them.
"It is not the schools' job to be surrogate parents," he said.
"We don't do our children any good by passing them through the system [without requiring them to meet academic and discipline standards]," he said. "Some parents get angry at the schools for their children's problems, when they should hold their children accountable."
Artis, who ran for the House of Delegates last year, is a supporter of charter schools because he thinks they would help ensure that students would graduate with the necessary job skills to be successful.
He disagrees with state leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People who say they fear that charter schools would lead to segregated public schools.
Charter schools are semi-private schools that are publicly funded but not subject to all state policies and regulations.
The issue is not whether black children go to school with white children, but whether students get a quality education, Artis said. Charter schools would provide the opportunity for educators to create schools where all children learn, he said.
In her application, Updike said she has 14 years of experience in working with parents and children. She said she has the ability to consider both sides of an issue and to base her decisions on factual evidence.
Updike said she performed volunteer work for several community agencies, which has given her a better understanding of the school system's needs.
Under the selection procedure, council advertises pending vacancies, invites applications, then publicly interviews up to three applicants for each seat. The board has staggered terms with three seats up for appointment this year.
Roanoke School Board
What: Three seats on the board for terms of three years beginning July 1, 1997.
Incumbents: Chairwoman Marsha Ellison said she will probably seek a new term. Vice Chairman John Saunders will not seek reappointment. Marilyn Curtis is ineligible for reappointment because she has served three terms.
How to Apply: Application forms may be obtained in the City Clerk's Office, Room 456, Municipal Building, 215 Church Ave., S. W. Only city residents are eligible.
When: Deadline for applications is March 10.
Who Chooses: City Council will make the selections. Council will interview up to three applicants for each seat, probably in April, and make the appointments in May.
LENGTH: Medium: 94 linesby CNB