THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 8, 1995 TAG: 9512060165
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 26 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 146 lines
Chesapeake parent Beverly Hill was frustrated after the first official School Board candidates' forum Monday night. City residents have much to decide but so little time as they face the city's first-ever School Board election Dec. 19.
Ten of the 11 candidates, vying for five seats on the nine-member board, showed up for the two-hour event, where the hopefuls talked about the importance of school safety, parental involvement and teaching the ``basics.''
But it left Hill and some of the other 100 people who attended yearning for more substance.
``Everybody agrees what needs to be done, but what do the incumbents have to say about why it hasn't been done, and what do the new people think they could do differently?'' asked Hill. ``That's what I want to know.''
Voters approved switching from an appointed to an elected School Board by a 5-to-1 margin in November 1993. The unusually tight election schedule came after the U.S. Justice Department's August decision to drop its objections to an at-large system of voting. City Council later set the election day in December to meet state scheduling requirements.
Candidates had until Nov. 20 to decide to run, giving residents only about a month to make their choices.
The forum, held at Oscar F. Smith High School, gave the audience a chance to see how the candidates handled themselves in the spotlight. But because each one responded to three separate questions, residents couldn't compare answers to the same question.
``It was kind of a mixed bag,'' said Brian Whitesell, a board member of the Chesapeake Council of Civic Organizations.
Parent Gil Howell added: ``It's a good start, I guess, but they definitely need to spice it up.''
The questions, drawn at random, were prepared by the Chesapeake Education Association, the Chamber of Commerce and other community groups and citizens.
Candidate Renee Hannas was absent.
Besides school safety, academics and community involvement, the city's tremendous growth and financial accountability emerged as key issues facing the community in this election.
Growth in the city's sprawling suburbs is adding about 1,000 students a year to the rolls. The district now has 350 portable classrooms, which house up to 8,000 students. Candidate Jeffrey A. Rowland of South Norfolk said the district's student population is expected to top 40,000 by 2000.
``Are we ready for that? I don't believe so,'' Rowland said in his one-minute opening statement. ``We've got to make sure there's not more children sitting outside (in portables) as inside.'' He didn't say how he would accomplish that.
Candidate Theodore ``Ted'' Nance of South Norfolk, responding to a question about growth, said the School Board needs to work with City Council ``to find a way to slow down growth.'' Portable classrooms, he said, are ``something we need to deal with as soon as possible.'' He didn't offer solutions, either.
Nance said he favors a periodic independent audit of the school district's budget, which ``just keeps everybody alert to what's going on inside.''
Two incumbents, Barbara Head and Roderic Taylor, responding to a related question, said the School Board doesn't need taxing authority. Currently, the board is dependent on City Council for its source of money. The Virginia General Assembly would have to change the law to give school boards the power to tax.
``The system we have in place right now is the best one,'' Taylor said, stressing the need for communication and cooperation between the two panels.
``Being a taxpayer myself, I feel we should have only one taxing authority, and that's City Council,'' Head said.
All of the candidates support teaching kids the ``basics,'' although there was no consensus on what the basics entail.
Candidate Harry Murphy, for example, said the school system ``has to rely on teaching our children the basic fundamentals. . . in reading, writing and arithmetic, and from that they can learn the technology, the keyboard and advance. . . ''
He also said the school district needed to strengthen vocational programs ``to make sure we look after all students, not just those going to college.''
Incumbent Thomas Bray said schools must equip students with the ``basic skills to succeed in life and have a career.'' He called for a closer relationship with the business community to show children how math and communication skills can be applied to the real world.
All of the hopefuls encouraged greater parental involvement. But fielding a question on parental responsibility, Michael J. Woods said that laws are not needed to penalize parents. The General Assembly passed a controversial law in the last session that allows courts to fine parents up to $500 for failing to help school officials deal with a troublesome child.
``I think that's wrong,'' Woods said. ``We need to put responsibility where it belongs, and that's on the children.''
Among the other issues discussed:
Candidate Donald J. Bailey Sr. said he favors placing more teacher aides, or paraprofessionals, in kindergarten through third grade as a way to address class sizes. He also said schools must address the needs of all children, but disliked the use of the word ``alternative'' for programs because it ``stigmatizes'' kids. ``If we pigeonhole a certain kind of kids, I think we do society an injustice . . . .
Incumbent James M. Reeves Sr. stressed school safety, saying that he has supported board efforts to place two-way radios on buses and adult hall monitors in high schools. ``Students cannot learn if they are afraid. Teachers cannot teach if they are afraid for their safety.''
Candidate Mary F. Mazur supported the continuance of driver's education courses as an elective at no charge to students. She also said standardized test scores ``are important to a certain degree'' but that schools must be willing to address the ``whole child,'' catering to a range of skills and talents. MEMO: Western Branch area Parent-Teacher Associations will sponsor a candidate
forum at 7 p.m. on Dec. 13 at Western Branch Middle School. The forum is
open to the public.
ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY C. KNAPP
Photo by GARY C. KNAPP
Three of the Chesapeake School Board candidates at the forum
attended by about 100 residents are, from left: Jeffrey A. Rowland,
Roderic A. Taylor and Michael J. Woods.
THE CANDIDATES
The top five vote getters will win seats in the Dec. 19 at-large
election, coming after city voters approved of electing their School
Board in a Nov. 1993 referendum.
Four of the candidates were appointed to the School Board by City
Council:
L. Thomas Bray, 35, of Great Bridge, a production controller with
Fleet Technical Support Center Atlantic
Barbara Head, 45, of Western Branch, a budget analyst with
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
James M. Reeves Sr., 76, of Deep Creek, retired music professor
at Norfolk State University
Roderic A. Taylor, 63, of Indian River, fine arts department
chairman at NSU.
The other seven candidates are:
Donald J. Bailey Sr., 61, of Great Bridge, retired from the New
York/New Jersey Port Authority and a former New York City school
board member
Renee Hannas, 36, of Deep Creek, office manager of International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
Mary Mazur, 48, of Great Bridge, co-owner of DeSigns Inc.
Harry A. Murphy, 38, of Great Bridge, owner of A. Murphy Fence
Co.
Theodore ``Ted'' Nance, 44, of South Norfolk, retired railroad
brakeman and conductor
Jeffrey A. ``Jeff'' Rowland 34, of South Norfolk, a sales
representative for Jacobson Metal Co.
Michael J. Woods, 39, of Western Branch, a lawyer
KEYWORDS: CANDIDATES CHESAPEAKE SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION by CNB