ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 21, 1995 TAG: 9512210034
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: W-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: S.D. HARRINGTON STAFF WRITER
When Sally Southard takes her seat on the Salem School Board in January, she doesn't expect to have an agenda full of changes.
The 40-year-old pediatric nurse says she is more interested in continuing an already successful school division.
Southard, who grew up in Annapolis, Md., said she saw a lot of things in the school division there that she didn't like.
But, since moving to Salem as a student at Roanoke College in 1973, Southard said she's been impressed with what she has seen in Salem's schools.
"I would like to get involved and help continue with that history," she said Friday from her East Salem home.
Southard was chosen from a field of 15 applicants earlier this month by City Council to fill the seat of Glenn O. Thornhill, who did not seek reappointment after serving 15 years on the School Board.
Although Southard says her experience with the school division overall isn't very extensive, she has had a special interest because her daughter attends East Salem Elementary School. She's also worked with the East Salem Parent-Teacher Association.
Also, she spent two years as a parent representative on the city's Family Assessing and Planning team, which focused on truancy and other disciplinary issues.
But Southard feels she'll be more helpful to the board in working with children outside the normal classroom setting.
As a pediatric nurse for 15 years, not only does she carry on the daily responsibilities of bedside nursing at Community Hospital of Roanoke Valley, but she must also educate both the children and their parents of sicknesses they may have been diagnosed with.
"That is a perspective no one else on the board and no one else on staff has," said Superintendent Wayne Tripp.
Currently, she is going into schools and teaching school nurses and teachers about pediatric asthma.
Also from her work experiences, Southard hopes to focus on special education and health-related issues.
Southard admits she will have a lot to learn during the first couple of months on the School Board.
"I feel like - at this point - like a sponge. All I want to do is absorb and learn," Southard said.
Southard's eagerness to learn was a strong point in her appointment to the board, said City Councilman Alex Brown.
But another plus for Southard, he said, was the fact that she has children in school.
Southard's 5-year-old son, Eric, will begin school at East Salem next fall. Rachel Southard, 9, is a fourth-grader at East Salem.
For Rachel and Eric, having their mom on the highest decision-making board for Salem's school division is exciting.
Rachel Southard took her first shot at lobbying for her classmates Friday.
"I think the first thing you should change is the food in the cafeteria, Mom," Rachel Southard said with a wishful grin on her face.
Southard said she has received a lot of support from her family, particularly from her husband, Bob, a sales representative for H.J. Heinz, Co.
Immediately after the holiday season, Southard will begin her training for the School Board.
She will be sworn in early next month. Shortly after, she will attend a statewide training seminar in Richmond.
"I am very eager to learn all the goings-on," she said.
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Sally Southardby CNB