THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 17, 1994 TAG: 9407150265
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VANEE VINES, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
School Board member Ray A. Smith might be new to the board, but he's long played a role in guiding children.
Whether he's teaching children Bible lessons at Noble Street Baptist Church or just hanging out with some on his backyard basketball court, Smith is always trying to keep youths far from failure.
Smith was the only newcomer appointed to the board last month. City Council members re-appointed incumbents J. Thomas Benn III and Leah D. Stith, switching the board from a 5-4 white majority to a 5-4 black majority.
Smith, an unsuccessful candidate for a board seat last year, didn't think he would be appointed this time because he said other candidates appeared to have more credentials.
But one doesn't need an important title to make differences in a youngster's life, he said.
``I've always loved kids and tried to do whatever I could to help keep them on the right track,'' he said. ``Educating kids has to be a collective effort, with teachers, parents and the community all working together.''
Smith, 40, is a Virginia Power Co. supervisor and father of two. As the youth ministry director at Noble Street Baptist, he works with nearly 60 children, organizing activities that vary from amusement park outings to seminars emphasizing civic responsibility and morals.
Being on the School Board, which sets policies governing the district's nearly 18,000 public school students, will increase the number of kids he can affect in a positive way, Smith said.
He declined to discuss his thoughts on the concept of hiring a private, school-management company to run public schools - something Superintendent Richard D. Trumble wants to experiment with in an effort to raise student achievement. Smith said he wanted to finish his homework first.
Former Vice Mayor Lee King first approached Smith last year about vying for a board seat. ``He's concerned about the future of young people, and I think he's committed to making Portsmouth a better city,'' King said last week. ``I think he's just committed to humanity.''
Don't expect Smith - a straightforward, hands-on person - to fall asleep at meetings or to govern from a distance.
``I definitely believe in getting out into the schools and seeing what's going on,'' he said from his Cavalier Manor home. ``It's important to get to know teachers and understand what's happening in the classrooms, too.''
Smith, a Portsmouth native, still remembers his sixth-grade teacher who taught him a lot about ``being a man'' at the former Mount Hermon Elementary School. And other teachers who showed, both inside and outside the classroom, that they cared about how he would turn out.
``Many of our teachers need to be more concerned about a child's whole being,'' he said. ``A lot of them need to stop thinking that, `This is not my problem' or `That is not my problem.' ''
Smith, who cited insufficient classroom technology and decaying buildings as concerns, said he's also interested in looking for ways to attract capable teachers to Portsmouth.
A qualified staff, he said, is a key ingredient for a successful school. Equally important is the need for the community and the school system to embrace each other more firmly, he added. RAY A. SMITH SR., School Board member
Occupation: Division operations supervisor for Virginia Power Co. in Norfolk; licensed insurance agent.
Age: 40
Home: 1300 block of Coltrane Drive
Education: I.C. Norcom High School graduate; college degree from the former Ohio Institute of Technology, 1975.
Family: Wife, Marion; two children, 14-year-old son Ray Jr. and 8-year-old daughter Shannon.
Community involvement: Director of youth ministry for Noble Street Baptist Church and a Sunday school leader; member of city's Parks and Recreation Commission; mentor to children living in local public housing projects; active in Church and Community in Action group and local Democratic Party affairs; public speaker for Virginia Power.
Thoughts: Believes educators should play a greater role in addressing all of a child's needs; would like to see more male teachers in schools to serve as role models; says the school district should beef up community-outreach efforts; says increasing the level of classroom technology and making improvements to school buildings should be major concerns. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MARK MITCHELL
Ray A. Smith is the only new member of the School Board.
KEYWORDS: PROFILE PORTSMOUTH SCHOOL BOARD
by CNB