BY KATHI STEARNS

Staff Writer

ATLANTA--Sandra Noel Smith, Ph.D., formerly assistant superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, has been named superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Atlanta effective Aug. 23.

Smith, who holds a doctorate in educational administration and supervision from the Catholic University of America (CUA), served as Milwaukee assistant superintendent for the past four years.

Prior to that she spent 19 years teaching on the graduate level at Howard University in Washington, D.C., as an associate graduate professor in curriculum research, theory and development, mathematics methodology and supervision of instruction. For eight years she chaired the department of curriculum and instruction.

A native of Moline, Ill., Smith grew up in Winston-Salem, N.C., before attending Howard University as an undergraduate. Her varied educational experience also includes two years as principal of Bishop McGuinness Memorial High School in Winston-Salem and seven years as a Washington public school math teacher in grades seven through 12. She also served as chair of the religious education program at her Washington parish, Immaculate Conception, from 1964 until 1988.

While teaching at Howard she held a variety of additional educational posts, including one year as an adjunct professor at Trinity College and one year as an adjunct professor at CUA. From 1977 to 1980 she served as a member of the Committee on Education of the U.S. Catholic Conference and from 1974 to 1977 she was a special administrative assistant to the superintendent in the Archdiocese of Washington. From 1979 to 1981 she was a member of the Board of Christian Formation in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

"You can say this is the fulfillment of a dream for me," Smith said of her Atlanta appointment. "The growth of the Church that has occurred in this archdiocese has been phenomenal. To be able to explore the possibility of building new schools is marvelous because in so many other places schools are either closing or consolidating. There are numerous schools here that are near their maximum capacity. That is such a gift. I am grateful to be a part of a growing diocese."

The archdiocesan Catholic school system is considerably smaller than Milwaukee's, which has 145 grade schools with nearly 34,000 pupils and 13 high schools with approximately 7,500 students. The Archdiocese of Atlanta has 13 grade schools with an enrollment of over 5,000 students and one high school with approximately 1,000 students.

As Smith begins her new position it will mark 50 years to the month since her Methodist parents enrolled her in a small Franciscan-run mission school in Winston-Salem. It was here that she was introduced to Catholicism by the Sisters of St. Francis of Allegheny, N.Y., who were her teachers.

"It was here that I developed an appreciation for and a love of the Catholic faith," she said. "It was with them that I began my spiritual journey to the Catholic faith."

Her personal experience strengthens her belief in the influence of Catholic schools.

"Having been involved with Catholic schools for the past 30 years. . .as well as receiving my initial formation in a Catholic school, I have observed the impact that the Catholic school system can have on a society," Smith said.

Smith said to survive and to sustain their "unique mission" Catholic schools "must maintain their religious dimension while projecting a clear instructional focus in a positive school climate nurturing higher teacher expectations and program improvement under the strong instructional leadership of the principal."

"The schools must also develop stronger home-school-church relationships under effective creative leadership," she added. "These are not in any sense mutually exclusive; indeed, they are supportive of each other. I accept the challenge to foster the ongoing, continuing development of this school system in each of these dimensions."

Smith received her bachelor of science in mathematics from Howard University in 1959 and her master of arts in secondary education from CUA in 1963. She received her doctorate in administration and supervision from CUA in 1967.

"I am delighted that she is here, and I feel confident that she will be a significant asset to us," said Bertha Martin, archdiocesan Secretary for Education. "Her credentials are brilliant and she is personally very approachable and warm. She has been involved in education at all academic levels for over 30 years. . .These facts coupled with her experience of over 24 years as a religious educator certainly caught our attention and I believe (the appointment) was a real coup."

Smith believes that Catholic education is an expression of the teaching mission of the Church. "The Catholic school. . . teaches Christ's message as it seeks to build community among those who have a common faith and with those of other faiths," she said. "It develops in its students the ability to serve and be a witness to the community in which they live and work."

Smith put this philosophy into practice when she served as chairperson of the religious education program at her Washington parish.

"The children, the center of the program, were marvelous to work with," she said. "In those early days the make-up of the student population often had more non-Catholic than Catholic children. Children who belonged to the parish would bring their friends to Sunday school. This community orientation was a uniquely enriching element of our parish program since we welcomed and served the spiritual needs of the children of the immediate geographical area--they were all children of God."

Smith says that Catholic schools provide parents who are the primary educators of their child with the choice of an alternative school system that will assist them in their task of preparing children for life as responsible Christian adults.

She believes the principal is the key factor in the success of the school. "I am very interested in how I as the leader can work with the principals and assist them in being effective in their school," she said. "I want to help in areas such as professional development and ongoing staff development."

Smith met with principals of archdiocesan schools in early July and has another meeting scheduled for mid-September. "I am really looking forward to getting started," she said. "I'm eager to start visiting the schools and getting to know the people in the diocese."

Smith succeeds Maureen Kane who resigned as superintendent of schools to become principal of Holy Redeemer School in Kissimmee, Fla.