ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, January 9, 1997 TAG: 9701100038
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
Superintendent Wayne Harris said Wednesday that Roanoke schools are trying to attract a racially diverse teaching staff, but he does not favor recruitment programs that target only black teachers.
The schools' efforts to hire more blacks are one part of an overall effort to increase diversity and attract teachers in short supply, he said.
"We have no programs that are exclusively African-American, and I won't support that approach," Harris told the Parent-Teacher Association Central Council.
"We have attempted to attract and retain a diverse staff, but it is not directed at only one group," he said.
Harris said that two of the school's existing teacher recruitment programs are directed at whites, blacks and other minorities.
The summer intern program for rising college seniors in education, which began several years ago, included 14 students this past year - nine blacks, four whites and one Hispanic. The city pays the students and provides meals and lodging. It has hired several as teachers when they graduated.
Harris said a tuition assistance program for instructional aides and teaching assistants includes four blacks and five whites. The schools pay the college tuition to persuade the aides and assistants to become teachers if they agree to teach one year in Roanoke for each year of financial assistance.
He considered expanding these recruitment programs next year, but he is not recommending funding for them in the school budget. Neither has he included money for $2,000 recruitment incentives for black and white teachers in subjects in which there is a short supply.
Because of budget pressures, Chairwoman Marsha Ellison said, the School Board likely will be hard-pressed to find the funds to boost recruitment efforts. "We will have to decide what has priority."
Ellison agreed with Harris that recruiting shouldn't focus solely on black teachers.
"We have too few male teachers, and that would have to be considered, too" if the city offered incentives, she said.
In a briefing on the proposed school budget for next year, Harris told the PTA group that raises for teachers and other school employees account for nearly 60 percent of the $4.8 million increase in the $87.5 million spending plan.
The teacher pay scale would be increased by 3 percent, and some teachers also would be eligible for a tier increase, producing an average teacher raise of 4.1 percent. School administrators and principals would receive an average raise of 4.8 percent.
Nearly one-third of the budget increase is needed to pay the additional contribution to the teachers' retirement system, health insurance costs for school employees, higher tuition for special-education students and debt payments for school renovations, he said.
Richard Kelley, assistant superintendent for operations, also told the PTA that school officials have requested city officials to include $20million for school projects in the city's next bond issue.
Kelley said the funds would pay for the renovation of Addison Middle School, 50 additional classrooms at elementary schools, two elementary school gymnasiums, air conditioning at several elementary schools and other projects.
The city needs to add 50 elementary classrooms because of the growth in enrollment and the reduction in class sizes in recent years, he said. The classrooms would replace modular units that are being used at many schools.
The city may have a referendum in November, Kelley said, but city officials have not decided whether all of the requested $20million for schools will be included in the bond issue.
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