THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 3, 1995 TAG: 9512020160
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 17 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: WHO WILL LEAD OUR SCHOOLS?
SOURCE: PROFILES BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Gratitude and a little guilt got Roderic Taylor started in education.
Taylor never said thank you to a high school music appreciation teacher, who helped him even though he was a clown in her class. So he figured becoming a teacher was the best way to repay the debt.
``I hope that I can give something back, and help someone the way she helped me,'' he said.
Still, when it came time to decide whether to defend his School Board seat in this month's special election, Taylor wasn't sure he wanted to campaign.
``Politics is really not my thing,'' he said. But after less than a year on the board - he was appointed in April - he still had some things he hoped to accomplish.
For one thing, he wants to keep pushing for better security in schools and on school buses. He also hopes to help administrators come up with creative ways to get the community interested in schools, such as sending out more newsletters.
And he wants to make sure administrators and teachers are using the right approach to discipline, firmness but fairness. He has no tolerance for kids who abuse the system by committing serious infractions, such as bringing weapons to school.
But he believes that once those kids have been punished for their behavior, they should be given another chance to get an education.
Perhaps that's because education didn't come easy to Taylor, so he values it all the more.
When he graduated from high school at age 16 in 1950, his parents were growing old and he didn't want them to spend their money on his college tuition.
So he moved to New York City, lived at the YMCA in Harlem and did odd jobs for cash. Later, he was drafted into the Army to serve in the Korean War. A knee injury saved him from shipping overseas with his 250-man company - only two of the company returned from the brutal conflict.
Finally, he saved up enough money to go to college. All told, it took him more than more than two decades after graduating high school to attain all his advanced degrees.
In the opinion of a man who has had so much experience with education, Chesapeake schools show promise.
Roderic A. Taylor
Age: 63
Occupation: Fine Arts Department chairman and art professor, Norfolk State University
Born: Boundbrook, N.J.
Years in Chesapeake: 21
Residence: Indian River
Family: Wife, Ora; son, Rodney, 25
Education: Bachelor's degree in art education, Virginia State College, 1959; master's degree in fine arts, American University, Washington, D.C., 1966; master's degree in education, Alabama State University, 1972; doctorate in art education, Pennsylvania State University, 1974.
Community Service: School Board member since April; organizer for a mentoring program for students from Indian River and Oscar F. Smith high schools; organizer of annual children's art exhibition in the Norfolk State gallery; tutor for elementary and high school students.
Official endorsements: Chesapeake Education Association
How to reach: home, 420-9043; work, 683-8844
Major campaign issues: Quality education for all children, fiscal responsibility, safe schools and open communication between the School Board, school employees and parents ILLUSTRATION: File photo
Roderic Taylor became a teacher to make up for being the class
clown.
KEYWORDS: CHESAPEAKE SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION CANDIDATES CHESAPEAKE SCHOOLS
PROFILE by CNB