THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 11, 1994 TAG: 9408090177
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 17 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: COVER STORY
BACK TO SCHOOL
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
Birthplace: Pensacola, Fla.; attended Norfolk Public Schools
Birthdate: May 4, 1947
Family: Single
Pets: None, loves dogs
Education: Bachelor of science in elementary education from Old Dominion University; master's degree in educational pyschology with an emphasis in gifted education from the University of Georgia; 36 hours in administration and supervision, primarily from ODU. Currentl, in a doctorate program with Nova University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Previous position: Public information assistant with Norfolk Public Schools. During her career in Norfolk, she taught sixth grade at Little Creek Elementary; worked in a federal program for children slow in math; was a resource teacher for 19 classrooms around the city; was a gifted teacher for kindergarten through sixth grade at Madison, Lansdale, Little Creek and Taylor elementary schools; was program developer in the gifted office downtown; and worked in teacher training and leadership training for junior high children. She also was senior coordinator in curriculum management in the school system's Department of Instruction.
Goals: ``My first goal is to unify the staff so that we are together in our mission, which I feel is to provide the best possible services to all the children who come to the center, regardless of the program they happen to be in. Secondly, it's my goal to open the school to the community in terms of community involvement. What I'm looking for is a parent partnership and a stewardship of Stuart as part of the community and not just a place where kids are brought. I'd like to see Stuart become a place so full of energy that it sort of explodes out.''
Obstacles: ``Reluctance to change. As a result of becoming comfortable with the status quo or the way things have been, I think a possible obstacle is the isolation that our school has, for a variety of reasons, from the rest of the school system. We've got to work at showing how we are a part of everything going on.''
Proudest accomplishment as an educator: ``Instilling in students the importance of what they're learning and knowing that it has clicked. My proudest accomplishments have all centered around the opportunity I've had to work with students.''
Hobbies: Reading, aerobics, music (she plays the accordian), travel.
Book you'd recommend: Any book by John Grisham. Also, ``Teaching as a Subservice Activity,'' by Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Deborah Holland
KEYWORDS: PROFILE
by CNB