THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 11, 1994 TAG: 9408090179
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 17 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: COVER STORY
BACK TO SCHOOL
LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
Birthplace: Knoxville, Tenn.
Birthdate: Feb. 4, 1951
Family: Husband, Richard.
Pets: A Doberman pinscher named Murphy
Education: Bachelor's degree in elementary education from Norfolk State University; master's in administration and supervision from Old Dominion University.
Previous position: Assistant principal at Granby Elementary. Before that, spent 18 years as a teacher in Norfolk and Suffolk public schools.
Goals: ``I want this to be the best community school that Norfolk has ever seen. I see an important part of my work to get parents more involved and to strengthen that bond between parents and teachers. One of my primary goals is to make sure James Monroe becomes an integral part of the Park Place revitalization process. I'd really like to extend the community use of the school and to help make James Monroe a center where we can extend the idea of lifelong learning.''
Obstacles: ``I'm not an obstacle see-er, I'm an opportunity see-er. A major challenge may be ``helping people effectively deal with change and to use it to our advantage.''
Proudest accomplishment as an educator: ``I guess it was the step I had to take to venture out from being a classroom teacher and move into administration. I was good at being a teacher, and to move into a new area and to develop yourself all over again is kind of scary.''
Hobbies: Photography, calligraphy.
Book you'd recommend: ``I just hop on the best-selling list and go from there.'' ``Think Big,'' by Dr. Ben Carson. Another favorite, ``The Unschooled Mind,'' by Dr. Howard Gardner. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Barbara Hargrave-Higgins
KEYWORDS: PROFILE
by CNB