Bill for School Board district elections introduced by legislators ?
By RUDY ANDERSON
Chronicle Managing Editor
The African-American contin
gent to the Forsyth legislative dele
gation has introduced a bill in the
House of Representatives of the
state General Assembly calling for
district elections for the cily-couiUy
school board.
If passed, that plan could stop
Representatives Annie Brown
Kennedy and Warren "Pete" Old
ham, both Democrats, introduced
the bill a week ago on the last day a
bill could be brought before the
House.
Their action followed the pas
sage of a resolution introduced by
County Commissioner Earline Far- -
mon at the Forsyth County Demo
cratic Party Convention April 6,
? ? ? miiit that the local dele
gation promote a
district election
plan. Both legisla
tors say that they
await some
specifics from the
party in order to
amend the initial
bill.
Reaction to
the legislators
move has been
greeted -with a
degree of caution.
"If the legis
lators can come
up with a plan that
can assure three
majority black
voting districts
that would be
something to con
Chmnide file photo sider^aid Rev.
Annie Brown Kennedy ? J-T ? McMillan,
head of public
what would probably be a long and relations for the Winston-Salem
and expensive court battle between NAACP. He said if a satisfactory
the NAACP and the city-county plan is produced, the NAACP
school board. lawyers say they would have no
The NAACP has filed suit problems withdrawing the suit
against the all-white city-county But McMillan said there are
school board to force a district elec- too many unknowns to be hasty.
tion plan to ensure African-Ameri- "While we are wailing to see what
can representation on the school the state legislature is going to
board. come up with, we will be moving
forward with our plans just in case that don't have unanimous backing
the legislative option proves unsuc- from the outset usually don't pass,"
cessful," McMillan said. Decker said.
Both Kennedy
and Oldham are
not sure what to
expect. MI don't
think anybody will
produce a plan that
is going to satisfy
everybody," said
Oldham. "This is
an attempt to get
something settled
before this thing
reachcs the
courts."
Oldham said
he really doesn't
expect much coop
eration from the
Republican contin
gent of the delega
tion. Both Reps.
Frank Rhodes and
Michael Decker
have gone on
Chronide file photo
ecord opposing Pete Oldham
the district elec
lions plan bill. Kennedy said she has asked the .
"I've seen district election plans research staff of the General
penned with the mindset, '1 want the Assembly to prepare several plans
best for the schools in my district,"' based on the state's research. The
said Decker. "It's a 'protect my turf current bill does not specify the
mentality. The people elected in this form adistrict plan will take* only ?
manner tend to oppose things in that some or all school board mem
other districts until they get what bers should be elected by district.
they want for their districts instead "1 don't know how long the
of doing what's best for the entire process will take, perhaps two or
county. This is divisive." three weeks," said Kennedy. "But
And Decker is hoping that leg- we will be getting the assistance of
islative procedure will follow its state resources so we can look at
traditional pattern and kill bills in something that will be in our best
committee that don't have the unan- interests." . .
imous backing of the local delega- - Kennedy said she didn't know -
tion sponsoring the bill. "It's hard to what the reaction the school board
predict what will happen. But 'bills might have to legislators' actions.
School system gets New Century's grant
Chronicle Staff Report
The RJR/Nabisco Foundation has awarded a
three-year grant totaling $750,000 to the Inte
grated Learning Center, formerly referred to as
the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Elementary
School, to implement a bold initiative that will
increase parent and business involvement in
learning. Funds will be made available in the
amount of $250,000 annually over the three-year
I period.
S The grant was made through the Next Cen
/tury Schools program, a $30 million, five-year
' commitment to recognizing, rewarding, and
replicating radical change in education. The pro
gram was launched in 1989 to support funda
mental change in the failing public school system
nationwide. The Next Century Schools program
is op?n to all elementary, middle, and secondary
public schools throughout the United States.
"Real educational reform will only come
about through the vision of schools like Winston
Salem/Forsyth County Elementary. This pioneer
ing spirit reflects the traditional American search
for excellence," said Louis V. Gerstner Jr., chair
man and CEO of RJR/Nabisco, Inc. He contin
ued, "Discarding the comfortable, but outmoded
cducaiional techniques that produce nearly
700,000 school dropouts each year, puts this
school in the vanguard of a movement that will
mean fundamentally new and belter schools in
the 21st century."
The winning proposal was selected from a
nationwide pool of over 1,600 applicants (35
from North Carolina) and approved by an advi
sory board of notable education, public policy,
and business leaders. The Integrated Learning
Center proposal was developed and written by
Jane M. Pfcffcrkom, Program Specialist for Cul
tural Arts and Thinking Skills for the Winston
Salem/Forsyth County School System.
The Integrated Learning Center is designed
for a third-year total of 360 students. It will grow
from 120 students its first year, ages 5-8, to an
additional 60 students equally divided among
ages 6-9, along with 45 five-year olds and 45
four-year olds the second year. With the admis
sion of 45 four-year olds and 45 three-year olds
in the third year, the school will reach its maxi
mum size of 360 students.
Students will be grouped according to age,
not grade, according to Sue Carson, the
city/county school system s Program Manager
for Public Information. Each class will have a
ratio of 15 students to one teacher with no extra
teachers provided.
The location of the school is not definite but
being strongly considered is the old R. J.
Reynolds factory building #256-9, which was
sold to the Forsyth County Board of Commis
sioners when Reynolds closed the plant. Carson
said that the school will be located downtown.
The principal will be announced either on April
25 or May 6, she added.
What makes the concept of the Integrated
Learning Center so unique is the nature of the
school/business partnership involved and the
integrated approach to the school curriculum. It
will have a strong relationship with its business
partner, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company which
will provide coaches who will serve as mentors
for each class. The mentors will spend an hour
each week either in the classroom, on field trips,
providing learning incentives, and other activities
designed to make the connection between the
classroom and the real world experiences.
The educational focus will be on the devel
opment of higher-order thinking skills and physi
cal, social, and emotional, as well as cognitive,
development. Emphasis will be on the integra
tion of the various disciplines, cooperative learn
ing, and interdisciplinary teaching ? how one
subject relates to another being taught and its
correlation with the world outside of school. The
method will provide first-hand and "hands-on"
experiences, with practical application of infor
mation and concepts. Parents will be an integral
part of the program.
Students at the Integrated Learning Center
will experience an extended day and extended
year. The Center will be open 1 1 hours each day
(7 a.m. -6 p.m.) and 11 months each year (August
26, 1991 -July 17, 1992). Students aged 6-11 will
be required to attend seven hours each day (8:30
a.m. -3:30 p.m.) and ten months each year
(August 26, 1991-June 12, 1992). When students
aged 3-5 are admitted, they will be required to
attend 3-1/2 hours each day (8:30 a.m.-12 noon)
and 10 months each year. Students in both
groups may stay each day until the Center closes
and may attend all 1 1 months.
The Integrated Learning Center will begin
its first year of operation August 26 with 120 stu- -
dents. The racial mix will be 40 percent minority
and 60 percent white. Sixty percent of the initial
enrollment of five- through eight-year olds will
be children of the business partner's, Reynolds',
employees and will be selected by lottery from
applications submitted. The remaining spaces
will be offered to students on the waiting lists for
the other two alternative elementary schools ?
Kimberly Park and Moore. A maximum of 40
percent of the students will be chosen by lottery
from those applications.
Carson said that details are currently being
worked out to provide the information parent*
will need to make decisions about applying tc
enroll their children in the Integrated Learning
Center. She expects most of process to be in
place within the next few weeks.
Area high school scholars named Teaching Fellows
Chronicle Staff Report
Twenty-five area high school
seniors arc among four hundred
1991 recipients of the North Car
olina Teaching Fellows scholar
ships.
Each Teaching Fellow will
receivc a $5,000 annual scholar
ship loan which will be forgiven
after teaching at least four years in
a North Carolina public school. In
addition, the Teaching Fellows
will take part in unique academic
and summer programs during their
college careers.
In four years, the North Car
olina Teaching Fellows Program
has become one of the top teacher
recruiting programs in the entire
country.
The program was created by
the General Assembly in 1985,
upon the recommendation of the
Public School Forum of North
? , ?
Carolina.
"The Teaching FellowTwas
developed in response to an
alarming trend among the best stu
dents who were avoiding the
teaching profession," said Teena
Little, Chairman of the Teaching.
Fellows Commission, "The prima
ry purpose of the program is to
attract top high school seniors to
become education majors and ulti
mately, public school teachcrs,"
she added.
This year, 1844 high school
seniors competed for the 400
scholarships. Recipients rank in
the upper 10 percent of their class,
have a grade point average of 3.7,
and scored an average 1103 on the
SAT, or 262 points above the state
average. Among the recipients are
25 percent males and 21 percent
minorities.
"Each Teaching Fellows class
has exceeded the expectations set
for this program," said Jo Ann
Norris, Associate Director of the
Public School Forum and Admin
istrator of the Teaching Fellows
Program. 'I believe that these
bright young people will make a
real difference to our schools
when they graduate and take their
place in North Carolina class
rooms.
"Through the Teaching Fel
lows,, we have found a way to
recruit the brightest and most tal
ented students to the teaching pro
fession," Ms Norris added.
Area recipients of the Teach
ing Fellows scholarships are:
Carver High School
? Edward Francis Hanes
??
East Forsyth Senior High School
? Mary Courtney Flynt
- Ashley Paige Hendrix
? Tonya Elysc Kecne
? Rebecca Lynn Richmond
? Kenya Trenethia Rocker
? Tracy Lynn Savell
? Cristen Melody Smith
? Kondra Tijuana Stowe
? Amy Dcnisc Whitt
(vlenn High School
? Adriane Leigh Cromer
0
? Sherry Layne Newsome
North Forsyth High School
? Beverly Beatrice Lawson
Parkland Senior High School
? Kimberly Shea Jenkins
? Gary Michael Sanders
R. J. Reynolds High School
? Brian Dwight Ammons
? Mamie Elizabeth Broadhurst
? Tarra Denise Hairston
? Donyell Lakishka Phillips
West Forsyth High School
? Melanie Lynette Dalion
? Catherine Miller Griffith
? Matthew Patrick Murray
? Kathryn Chi Phan
Private School
? Meredith Jane Combs
School of iYlath and Science
? Benjamin Stuart Huncycutt
But she pointed out that the school
board had ample opportunity to
come up with a plan but chose not
to. HWe have a community here
which is broken and needs to be
fixed, H Kennedy said. "I don't know
if this will avert a lawsuit, but what*
ever we come up with will be dis
cussed." ? ? * ?
Garlene Grogan, chair of the
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County
School Board* called the legislators
move surprising. "I thought the fil
ing date had passed, so I was a little
surprised when I heard they had
filed the bill," Grogan said.
She said at this point there was
n't much to discuss. "I can't change
my position. The board has already
voted and that's where I stand,"
Grogan said. She said she had noi
had an opportunity to discuss the
legislators' action concerning dis
trict elections with any other board
member. But she said she'd be sur
prised if the legislature came* up
with a plan that suited everybody.
McMillan said that is the main'
reason why the NAAGP must press
ahead with its original course of
action. "The courts are where we
have always had to go to get done
what we needed to have done," he
said. "That's been the only way
we've been able to get validation."
The local NAACP will hold a
general membership meeting at
Union Chapel Baptist Church at th<
corner of 25th and Collins Streets,
Tuesday, April 23, at 7 p.m.
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