THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 4, 1994 TAG: 9407040038
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Long : 146 lines
Leon Holleman's first school year as Dare County's superintendent was supposed to begin with the sounds of school bells and the voices of children.
Instead, he heard the destructive roar of wind and water as Hurricane Emily rudely welcomed him aboard Aug. 31, 1993.
But from the rubble in Emily's wake, Holleman found a silver lining - a lesson that would turn hopelessness into hope.
``Out of (Emily) there was no problem we couldn't solve, and nothing we couldn't accomplish together,'' Holleman said last week from his Budleigh Street office. ``Out of the sadness, there was a euphoria about the resources we had in our people.
``I remember flying from the command center at the sheriff's office to Hatteras and then flying over the school,'' said the superintendent. ``When we got on the ground, I saw computers destroyed and classrooms damaged. Everything was in shambles. My first inclination was to sit on the curb and cry. That lasted for about five minutes. But we issued a call for volunteers.
``We asked teachers from other schools to come in,'' Holleman recalled. ``We sent the teachers from Hatteras home, because many of them suffered damage to their own homes. But we averaged about 100 teachers a day who volunteered to help, cleaning and scrubbing doing what ever we needed,'' he said.
More tragedy followed in Holleman's first months as superintendent: The death of a Manteo Middle School teacher and her daughter in a small, private plane crash; and later, a minor fire at Cape Hatteras School.
As the old hymn says, the darkest hour is just before dawn.
For the new superintendent, these were the darkest hours.
And while those difficult days are anything but forgotten, the superintendent said these are bright days. Earlier this month, the Dare County Board of Education unanimously approved a one-year extension of Holleman's contract. The new four-year pact pays slightly more than $67,000 annually.
``We're No. 1 or 2 in the state in several categories,'' Holleman said of the county's eight schools. ``We want to be the best in everything we do.''
Holleman, 45, came to Dare County from an administrative post in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C. In 1992, he arrived on the Outer Banks as an assistant superintendent. He assumed the Dare County district's top job one year later, following the retirement of former Superintendent James P. ``Pat'' Harrell.
Holleman now leads a school district with 3,756 students and an $18.8 million annual budget.
The superintendent has spent 24 years in education - a career that almost didn't happen. After graduation from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, he had his eyes on the legal profession.
``I started as a ninth-grade teacher in Durham with the idea of taking a year off before going on to law school,'' Holleman said. ``I've taken that year off 23 times since then. I realized there was nothing I enjoyed more than having an impact on the lives of young people.''
The son of a construction worker and tobacco factory laborer, Holleman said he learned the value of hard work early in life.
``I started working with my father when I was about 12. I was small enough to crawl under houses and do duct work. Fortunately, I got too big to do that,'' he said.
``My parents - neither of whom were college educated - had the desire that their children would have opportunities. They taught me to see dignity in every person, and to respect all people. Every person has something to offer.''
A simple motto says it all for Holleman: ``Educate every child.''
``It doesn't say educate only children who live in a certain area, or from a certain economic background, or just gifted children, but every child,'' he said. ``As educators, I believe we have a responsibility to do that.''
During Holleman's tenure, the Dare County system has achieved impressive results. According to a report card issued by the state education department, Dare County students ranked second in North Carolina (behind the Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools) in both the percentage of students showing proficiency in high school core courses and the percentage of students performing at or above grade level in math for grades three through eight. The Dare system ranked fourth statewide in reading for grades three through eight.
In non-academic areas, Holleman is faced with a dilemma common to educators throughout the country: How much of a role should schools play in shaping students' values?
``Not only are we expected to provide some kind of value structure. But there are some who say that our schools should be value-free,'' the superintendent explained. ``We're very fortunate here in that we have strong parental involvement in our schools. But I think increasingly you see the need for schools to become involved in the community.''
Another area of common concern to all school districts is discipline. Holleman said the system will continue to take a hard line when it comes to issues like security in schools. A recent decision to station an armed sheriff's deputy at two Manteo schools created an erroneous impression, Holleman said.
``One of the things we have to concern ourselves with is that while we're small in number, we have a diverse community. Largely because of the seasonal economy, we have an amazing amount of turnover (among students). We placed an officer in the school as an extension of the DARE program. Not as a police officer per se. But to serve as a role model and to work in our peer mediation program,'' he said.
Holleman said while North Carolina's drive to be a pioneer on the information superhighway can offer ``some real advantages'' to a geographically large system like Dare County, it is not the ultimate remedy to the state's problems. Two schools in the district - Manteo High School and Cape Hatteras School - have been chosen as sites for the project.
Supporters say it will put the state in a position of technological and educational leadership nationally. Opponents argue that with problems like illiteracy and teenage pregnancy plaguing schools, it is a case of misplaced priorities.
Holleman said that while he welcomes input from the community, there is often misunderstanding among the public about the scope of his job.
``Many people think that the superintendent knows everything that happens in every classroom in the district,'' he said. ``That's impossible. People are just not aware of ... the chain of command. It goes from teacher to principal to the superintendent.
``But I'm always open to input from the community.'' MEMO: HOLLEMAN GRADES HIMSELF
After serving one year as Dare County's superintendent of schools,
Dr. Leon Holleman was asked by The Virginian-Pilot to grade himself on
his performance in administrative duties, communication, discipline and
work ethic.
ADMINISTRATION: B-plus. ``I think in areas of maintenance and
delivery of services we're making strides, but there's room for
improvement. Hurricane Emily showed us that.''
COMMUNICATION: A-minus. ``I think that's one of my strengths. I think
we've tried to open up avenues of communication. We've established the
Superintendent's Advisory Council that includes representatives from the
scholastic end (teachers) and our classified employees (custodians, food
service personnel) in trying to shape our vision for the district.''
DISCIPLINE: B. ``I haven't really had the need to focus in on it,
because of the support we've received from the community. But without a
safe and orderly environment, the other parts of the process cannot be
carried forth.''
WORK ETHIC: C - but not because he doesn't work hard. ``I have a hard
time letting go. I think having a good work ethic means you have to have
a balanced life. I went fishing on the coast more often when I was in
Charlotte than I have since I've been in Dare County.''
OVERALL PERFORMANCE: B-plus. If he had to comment on his report card,
he would summarize his first year in office by writing:
```Leon is working very hard to become a good superintendent.' I'm
not sure what a great superintendent is,'' Holleman said. ``I'd like to
be a good one.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Leon Holleman
Leads a district with 3,756 students
by CNB