THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 3, 1995 TAG: 9512020150
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: WHO WILL LEAD OUR SCHOOLS?
SOURCE: PROFILES BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
Tom Bray has roots in Chesapeake.
He grew up in South Norfolk. He married his teen-age sweetheart, who also was raised there. Their parents still live in the city. His two oldest kids attend city public schools. His list of volunteer activities in city organizations is extensive.
Bray says that's because he is dedicated to the city.
So when City Council appointed him to the School Board in 1993, he seized the chance to serve.
Since then, he's found that city residents have a keen interest in making sure they have a high quality school system.
``We're very fortunate in Chesapeake to have that support,'' he said.
And the school system is repaying its citizens by doing a good job, he said.
For example, the superintendent has begun a large-scale effort to evaluate all the school system's programs for effectiveness and efficiency, an effort Bray backs.
``People don't like to admit it, but the public educational system is a business,'' he said. ``We have to examine to see if there's a more efficient way to get things done.''
The board also has taken an aggressive approach toward making schools safer, he said.
``Parents were concerned about safety in the schools,'' he said. ``We had to take some initiatives, and I think we did.''
Bray helped lead the charge, spurred by a school bus incident a couple of years ago in which a classmate of his son's was seriously injured. The bus driver had no way to communicate with anyone about the emergency, because she had no radio or portable phone; she had to knock on the door of a nearby house to make a call. Bray pushed to get two-way radios installed in all city school buses.
The board also has equipped schools with walk-through and hand-held metal detectors, to check students and school visitors for weapons.
All managers and supervisors in the school system are being trained to detect unsafe situations of any kind. And the board is on course to sharply reduce the number of portable classrooms, considered a safety risk because they are not attached to the school buildings they serve.
Bray would like to continue serving on the board to make sure things stay on track.
``I think we need to continue to monitor it, and not get complacent,'' he said.
L. Thomas Bray
Age: 35
Occupation: Production coordinator, Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Born: Norfolk
Years in Chesapeake: 35
Residence: Great Bridge
Family: Wife, Theresa; sons T.J., 10, Trevor, 8, and Trey, 3
Education: Oscar Smith High School graduate, 1978; classes toward a bachelor's degree at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Va.; apprenticeship, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, 1983
Community Service: Former chairman, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board; former treasurer and vice president, Chesapeake PTA council; former vice president, Portlock Elementary PTA; co-chairman of the Concerned Citizens Committee to pass the 1992 bond referendum; member, Great Bridge Intermediate PTA; coach, Parks and Recreation Department boys' baseball; member, Raleigh Heights Baptist Church; member, South Norfolk Masonic Lodge; former member, Mayor's Task Force for year-round schools; chairman, School Board's technology planning committee; member, executive board, Tidewater Community College Regional Tech Prep Consortium
Official endorsements: Chesapeake Education Association
How to reach: 482-4724
Major campaign issues: Providing a good public education system for all Chesapeake children; safe schools; prudent and efficient use of funding ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN
Tom Bray pushed to get two-way radios installed in all city school
buses to improve safety.
KEYWORDS: CHESAPEAKE SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION CANDIDATES CHESAPEAKE SCHOOLS
PROFILE by CNB