Dr. Melva Belcher This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. News from The Roanoke Times-Westside principal takes indefinite leave, officials say

   www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/w - [Cached]

   Published on: 3/25/2006   Last Visited: 3/25/2006

   The absence of Melva Belcher this week has raised questions among parents, teachers, students and members of her church, High Street Baptist.
   
   Dana Thurston, the school system's director for resource development and communications, said she could confirm only that Belcher is on leave.
   
   "We cannot disclose further details out of respect for Dr. Belcher's privacy," she said.
   
   Belcher could not be reached for comment Friday.
   
   When asked if Belcher would return to Westside, Thurston said Belcher's "return date is unknown at this time." When asked if Belcher would return to Westside, Thurston said Belcher's "return date is unknown at this time."
   ...
   Belcher is just so well-loved and so well thought of.
   ...
   Belcher has been Westside's principal since 2004. She also has served as a teacher in Roanoke schools, and in Bedford County, as an assistant principal, principal, specialist for elementary education and coordinator of the program for the gifted and talented program.
   
   Before taking her post at Westside, Belcher served as principal of Lee M. Waid Elementary School in Rocky Mount.
   
   Under her leadership, students' test scores rose and the school became fully accredited by the state.
   
   She has said she wanted to help Westside, which has never met state or federal standards, to achieve the same success.
   
   In 2004, Belcher and nine other teachers became the first in the state to graduate from the Virginia School Turnaround Specialist program at the University of Virginia.
   
   "She is highly respected and a beloved educator," Price said.
   
   Belcher's absence "has gotten a lot of interest" from teachers, parents, even community organizations, she said.

2. 2. News from The Roanoke Times -UVa program's aim: Turn schools around

   www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/8 - [Cached]

   Published on: 8/2/2004   Last Visited: 8/2/2004

   Two of the principals are from Roanoke: Sharon Richardson of Lucy Addison Middle School and Melva Belcher of Westside Elementary School.
   ...
   Belcher has no doubt that test scores at Westside Elementary will rise this coming school year.
   
   "We're going to make our mark," she said last week in her new office. Belcher took over as the school's principal July 1. The dust hasn't had a chance to settle and, according to Belcher's plan, it never will.
   
   Belcher has done this before.
   
   As principal of Lee M. Waid Elementary School in Franklin County, the same school she attended as a child, Belcher raised test scores and brought it into full state accreditation. More importantly, she said, Belcher made the school's success self-sustaining.
   
   Even though she is gone, Belcher believes Lee Waid will continue to have high test scores because of the teams she created at the school.
   
   She plans to do the same at Westside.
   
   "If I can get a reading specialist, a special education specialist and the needed instructional assistants - they call them aides here - for each grade level, I don't think we'll have a problem," Belcher said.
   ...
   One way to begin gathering support is to show the plan to other educators and administrators in a school, so UVa encouraged Belcher and Richardson to bring their co-workers along last week.