FORUM
A CALL TO ACTION
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Daniel A. Dear
C a r.v e r
Piggott Alumni, I
write to you
Guest wearing a lot
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Columnist ^
I'm a
math teacher
at Carver High School, an alumnus of
Carver and a concerned citizen of
Winston-Salem.
It's with all three of these perspectives
that I write to you. As a math teacher here
at Carver, I've seen the challenges of
teaching increase dramatically while the
involvement of the community/alumni
declines. We need your assistance now
more than ever because it just seems that
the system or powers that be haven't ade
quately come to our aid.
In the past 13 years, there have been
three high schools started that have
decreased our student enrollment severely.
We were a 3A high school (enrollment
around 1,200 students), but since the start
of these new schools, we are now a 2A
high school with 1A enrollment numbers
of 650 students.
These new schools aren't the only fac
tors that have weakened Carver. Policies
such as "schools of choice" have systemat
ically torn at the fabric of Carver for years.
There's an expression: "Men lie, women
lie, but numbers don't." Our numbers over
the past few years have been hard to over
come. We, as a school, aren't where we
would like to be academically and nobody
carries this acknowledgement more than
the staff at Carver. We are working tire
lessly to turn things around. All high
schools are judged by the state according
to their test scores. The tests are scored
with a range of 1 to 5 with 3 and above
being proficient and a 4 and above being
college-ready. The school is measured by
the amount of college-ready students you
have in certain courses. This has become
increasingly more difficult to do over the
years with the "hand that we've been
dealt."
Over the past three years, 90 percent of
our incoming freshmen have scored level
l's or 2's on their eighth-grade state
Reading and Math tests. As an instructor,
I see the need for more community/alumni
involvement to help us as a staff produce
as many college-ready students as possi
ble.
Now, I know my fellow alumni "love"
Carver as much as I do and most of the
time wonder how they can help. Well, we
can use your help in various areas.
Depending upon your availability, we
could use you as "hall monitors," "tutors
or "mentors." Notice how I haven't asked
for any money, even though that's a great
need! We need your time and presence
even more!
There have always been rumors about
the system trying to close Carver and I
know that if we continue on the path that
we are on, the state will take over! Carver
is a school full of traditions and pride. I'd
hate to see it lost after the state takes over.
We've prided ourselves on being
Carver graduates and it's been our "us
against the world" mentality that allowed
us to persevere over the years. I feel now,
that all we have is "ourselves" and your
presence is more vital to the success of
Carver than ever! Carver has been desig
nated a "Priority School" by the state of
North Carolina and it is my hope that the
community/alumni can make us a "priori
ty" also!
Even though I teach at Carver and I'm
an alum, I'm more concerned about Carver
as an African-American citizen of
Winston-Salem. We are at a precipice as a
nation on race relations, but we have our
own issues locally that need to be
addressed.
The "Achievement Gap" - the aca
demic disparity between whites and
minorities, is a national problem right
along racial and economic lines. We are
not immune to this epidemic here in
Winston-Salem.
" I don't want to derail my call to action
with the "race card," so let me focus on the
economic disparity that exists at Carver.
We are a school that is "100 percent free
and reduced lunch." This unfortunate situ
ation puts us at a disadvantage among fel
low high schools and virtually stifles our
ability to raise money for any endeavor. In
my reading the comment of the former
"National Superintendent of the Year"
from Wake County, who said, "I don't
have any schools on the 'endangered list,"'
I have to say in Forsyth County, we cannot
enjoy that claim.
Our schools have become a system of
"haves and have nots (HAHN)." I person
ally don't think that your ZIP code should
factor into the quality of education your
child receives, but in Forsyth County, if
you don't have the economic means to
send your child elsewhere, that may be
true.
However, I believe that the task at hand
is doable! It's going to take the entire vil
lage! So again, whether you're alumni or
not, please heed my "Call to action!" I
want to thank all that come to help in
advance!
Daniel A. Piggott Jr. is a math teacher
at Carver High School and is a 1990 grad
uate of the school.
Caring hearts work in the school system
BY CAREN JENKINS
SPECIAL TO
THE CHRONICLE
The Winston
Salem/Forsyth County
Schools system has 81
schools; five of these
schools are specifically
designed around an
Exceptional Children's
(EC) Program.
Each EC school has a
health team consisting of a
full-time nurse employed
by the Forsyth County
Department of Public
Health and contracted to
work ? in Winston
Salem/Forsyth County
Schools through their EC
Department.
Nurses working in only
one school have the advan
tage of getting to know
their students and the stu
dents' specific behaviors.
Not all students communi
cate the same way that
most of the population is
accustomed. When dealing
with EC students, no mat
ter the child's needs, know
ing his or her typical
behaviors is beneficial
when something is not
right.
The daily schedule of a
school nurse at an EC
school is routinely not the
same as at a traditional
school.
Many of our school
days must accommodate
seeing children that need
our direct attention. This
could be due to an illness
or injury. Nonetheless, it is
not always an easy task let
ting a parent know that
their child is ill or has sus
tained an injury. Some
days there are children who
need to be transported by
EMS or those who may
need extra attention
because they are not acting
their "normal" self.
Our daily agenda may
start with helping to handle
a communicable disease
outbreak and end with
training teachers on new
orders or procedures. Our
days may also consist of
checking immunizations,
along with giving daily
medications and taking
care of procedures such as
a tube feeding. The list is
endless for what may occur
during the day for a school
nurse.
The EC school health
team handles these cases
daily with a smile, we love
what we do, and the chil
dren involved. The joy of
seeing our students shine
and succeed at school fills
our hearts.
It is important to us to
keep our students healthy
and at school every day. It
can be vital to their health
when we notice a small dif
ference. It could be the one
small key item to saving
their life by acting on it.
Many of the EC students'
parents develop a bond
with their children's school
nurse and depend on us to
care for their child because
they cannot be with them
during the school day.
We all work as a team
with the school staff and
the student's family to
make each student's school
year is successful and the
best it can be.
Caren Jenkins, BSN,
RN, NCSN, is school health
supervisor with the Forsyth
County Department of
Public Health.
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That's why Novant Health offers extended hours and same-day appointments.
We're open when and where it's convenient for you.
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