An effort by teachers in a western Pennsylvania town to help an ailing colleague has hit a snag.
School board members in the Apollo-Ridge district have tabled a proposal to donate sick days to cover the possible one-year absence of guidance counselor Robert Davis. Mr. Davis suffered extensive head, neck, and chest injuries in an automobile accident last month.
Although he has accumulated 70 sick days, that may not be enough for his recovery, said Apollo-Ridge Superintendent William Kerr.
With the support of teachers, Mr. Kerr suggested at last month’s board meeting the idea of contributing sick days.
But the board delayed a decision while it examines the legality of the proposal, Mr. Kerr said. “Mr. Davis is an outstanding employee, and we hope that he’ll be back next year.”
Mr. Kerr said he expects the board to take up the question at a meeting later this month.
Burnadine Moss Anderson, the communications assistant to the superintendent of the Caddo Parish public schools in Shreveport, La., has become the first African-American president of the National School Public Relations Association. The 1,700-member organization is based in Arlington, Va. ... The National Council of Negro Women has named Linda Alston, a kindergarten teacher at Hallet Science/Technology Academy in Aurora, Colo., the winner of its national Excellence in Teaching Award. ... California State University, Long Beach, has named Jean Houck as the new dean of its college of education. Ms. Houck has been the college’s acting dean for the past year. She came to the education school in 1990 as the associate dean of graduate studies and research.
The Dallas school board has named Deputy Superintendent Yvonne Gonzalez the district’s interim superintendent. She replaces Chad Woolery, who announced his resignation last month. Ms. Gonzalez is the first Hispanic and the first woman to head the 149,000-student system. In recent months, the district has been rocked by scandal and racial tensions, notably the resignation of a school board member for using racial slurs and his subsequent indictment for allegedly accepting bribes.
--ADRIENNE D. COLES
