Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / May 9, 1991, edition 1 / Page 4
Part of Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Modify Next Century Elementary School Proposal The Next Century Elementary School scheduled to this fall downtown is a novel idea, that is worthy of xploration. However, as with all things that are new, the . has generated some misgivings among some parents lat feel their children might be locked^out of a situation could be beneficial for them. \ One of the major concerns expressed by those parents s that the school would cater primarily to the children of Reynolds Tobacco Company white-collar workers, 60 percent of the children who would attend the chool would be those of Reynolds employees. To avoid this dilemma, but maintain the concept of a workplace school members might consider the following options in deciding the particulars about the new school. If one of the major obstacles that some people have the school is the attendance question, then perhaps concern could be nullified by changing the percent for the children attending the school. Rather than having such a large percentage being chil of Reynolds employees, reduce the number or elimi it altogether. Instead of 60 percent of the students those of Reynolds employees who work downtown, not make it 40 percent or 30 percent. What may be better might be to let the 60 percent of the new school's attendance be made up of children whose parents downtown period, as opposed to any one company particular. And the other 40 percent would come from ?the county at-large. The 60/40 racial configuration would remain the same the children who are selected from among the appli whose parents work downtown and those who are ?selected at-large from applicants throughout the rest of the ?school system. In this way, several downtown companies could share n the nurturing of the new school and provide an even larger pool of human and financial resources for the chil dren who attend the school. The city/county school board's concerns about the naming of the school, the lack of an outdoor playground, funding arrangements for the school once the RJR Nabis co grant runs out, and the school curriculum are all very serious matters that should maintain a high priority for board members. People must remember that the new school is a three year experiment using both private and public funds to finance the new initiative. And based upon comparisons of similar sized schools in this system the new workplace jdowntown elementary school will cost approximately the same amount of money to operate per pupil, roughly $3,500. . If the new school produces the desired result for about the same as is currently being spent, then how students are selected should not be a hold up to what progress in edu cation it may produce, if any. The board can show some initiative here by develop ing a plan that would eliminate that issue so the school could begin without any stigma attached to it. That is the last thing the new school and the students attending it need. Is it lack of discipline only? Children are being kicked out of school these days at a ? very early age. And what is alarming is that it is happen ? ing far more frequently than any of us would care to know. >' What is also disturbing is that there seems to be far ? jess tolerance on the part of teachers toward misbehaving ?Children, little desire to be assertive in the area of disci pline, and a willingness to send ? child to the office, rather : than dealing with root causes of the problem. This is not an attempt to lump all teachers into the ? same category on this issue. Rather, it is a signal to those ?individuals who are on the front lines in the battle to edu cate children, that this is an area where they could have a - great deal more influence. ? : Aside from being at home with the parent, a child is Exposed to its teacher or teachers more than anyone else : during its school years. While proper conduct is some thing that should be stressed in the home, but often is not, ;here is an opportunity for that "one teacher" to make a dif ference in a child's life by providing some life-training : skills to a child that may not be getting it at home, or rein forcing what that child has learned at home. -ty It seems that skill, and it is a skill as much as any aca ?demic discipline they might have mastered, is not being : given the attention it deserves. There are a number of reasons for the prevailing con ditions, but the bottom line is that our children ultimately up the losers when the teachers can't or won't take the to go the extra ^nile for a child. . ^ ? Reader can't stop crying from laughing lb the Editor: Dear Tkng, I just finished reading "Negro Dinners, Part II." When I stopped crying from laughing so hard, I decided to drop you this note. I'm now searching for "Part I." Keep up the great writing! Sincerely yours, James A. Steele [P.S. , Your name came up at Pied mont Open this week. Welcome!] Mother's Day poems To the Editor: A Wonderful Mother Mother, this is a special day for you With cards and flowers and skies so blue. -You taught me to loveand to be kind I'm trying to do that and it's working out fine. You raised me the best way that you could Even though sometimes I wasn't too good. You made me laugh and sometimes I would cry With the smile on your face I didn't ask why. I'm glad you lived and are able to see Stand up, be The language is clear. Divided we fall, united we stand. Anyone of us who thinks that he/she stands to gain by the fall of Winston-Salem State University and Chancellor Cleon Thompson is nothing, but a dreamer. This is the time to support the Chancellor, and we must do it in a united fashion. Let's put to rest the well known notion that we constantly pull each other down for ill-intended purpos es, and that we rejoice at the failure of one of us, rather than rejoice in the success made by one of us. What is wrong with us sometimes? No, we can do better; we must do better. Can we afford to giv?_ammuni tion to our enemies who would use same against us? Can we really rejoice at the downfall of Chancel lor Thompson when so much is at stake at WSSU? As intelligent citi zens, the answer should clearly be no. ? Stand up, therefore, and be counted as a supporter of Chancel lor Thompson and his leadership at Winston-Salem State University. The least we can do is give credit where it's due -- to recognize the able leadership of Chancellor Geon Thompson. We owe it, if not to ourselves, to fairness and a just system. v As a society, we have set codes and rules that govern human con duct. Some of these codes and rules are written, while others are a mat ter of acceptable practice based on societal norms or values. While it's easy to define, and sometimes rede fine unwritten codes and rules, those committed on paper are less likely to be manipulated by mankind. % Thus, the justice system has, irr an attempt to prevent individual Alpha Kappa In the black community, the most constructive and the most pro ductive organizations are the wom en's groups. For example, the kind of com munity service and self-help pro grams that most of us are waking up to have been operated for CHRONICLE MAI LB AO Our Readers Speak Out_ What a wonderful mother you made out of me. Mother, you'll always be my best friend I'll love you forever, even to the end. ' I thank my God for having a mother like you All these words I've said, they are so very true. ^ Mother I Miss You Mother, you're not here today For cards and gifts so true. So on your precious grave I place your flower. To let you know I still love you. One day He came and took you away, But yet He had His reasons. I know He's coming back real soon, It might be any season. if* Every day I miss you so much Words cannot say how 1 feel. Sometimes, 1 feel your presence in the night, When everything is still. Always in my heart you will be, ? No matter what 1 do. At night I pray and ask the Lord ^ If He will help me through. I'm preparing myself to be with you, In His Kingdom on high. We'll sing songs with all the angels, Way Up in the sky. Selma W. Crosby counted, support WSSU & its chancellor manipulation, inscribed the exercise of justice is one of the corner stones in constitutional democracy. Unfortunately, though, even the written codes and rules of human conduct aren't free from human manipulation. It becomes, there fore, troublesome to those individu als who have come to believe, and rightly so, that one is innocent until proved guilty. Winston-Salem State Universi ty's Chancellor Cl&HKjhompson part in enhancing efficiency, he instituted the concept of "Perfor mance and Accountability" which has become a commonly used phrase among supervisors and employees. This concept has result ed in increased concerted efforts in achieving the desired goals of the university. The Chancellor was also aware of the opportunities that abound in mass communications, particularly on the part of minorities who "are \ GUEST COLUMN By MAURICE ODINE has, all of a sudden, been in the news incessantly during the past several days. Also unfortunate is the fact that some of us are what may be described as detractors, be they current or former employees, bystanders, and many others who have vicious motives. These are persons who have developed a neg ative attitude toward all successes made by one they regard as foe, and persons who would do all in their power to sabotage worthy gains. Believe it or not, many folks fall under this category. Say what you like, the tenure of Chancellor Cleon Thompson at Wiriston-Salem State shouldn't be obscured by the recent negative press coverage. His leadership has brought lots of tangible results to the university. Nearly two years ago, the Chancellor became concerned about the efficiency of administrative pro cesses at WSSU. Noting that reporting roles play an important Alpha steers Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) recently conducted a national cam paign designed to get black Ameri cans into the habit of "buying Black," thereby developing a thriv ing black entrepreneurial class, explained AKA International Presi-^ dent Mary Shy Scott of Atlanta. J TONY BROWN Syndicated Columnist decades by the black Greek-letter sororities: homes for unwed moth ers; scholarships and counseling for poor youths; assistance to the aged; etc. My mind moved in the direc tion of the longstanding, but little noted, leadership that black women have and do provide. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority's rccent campaign to focus black people on the use of our most wasted resource is a prime example. Although AKA is targeting black-owned firms as immediate benefactors of the Black Dollar Day campaign, it is the total black com munity that it hopes to improve. The AKAs hope the new "habit" of making our dollars make some sense can help close the 56% disparity in incomes between blacks and whites. And, of course, the largest part of that gap is among the black poor and young. vastly underrepresented in media organizations. He was not reluc tant, at all, to create a Department of Mass Communications to pro vide specialized education in Advertising/Public Relations, News-Editorial, and Radio/Televi-/ sion. As of fall 1988, when the department was established, there were 20 majors. Now, j}je program has 210 majors. We live in a world that is dic tated by the pocketbook, and in which business has, and continues to play, a leading role. To add to the quality of instruction in the Division of Business and Eco nomics, a Department of Business Administration, and a Department of Accounting and Information Sys tems, have been added to serve stu dents. An Endowed Chair in Accounting has also been estab lished. How easily we forget But let's remember that the WSSU Football Rams are the CI A A 1990 champi black Americ That's why, for example, col lege scholarships (which infuse the young with the necessary hufaan capital, i.e., education and on-the job experience) are crucial to com munity development. Helping blacks m business is fine, as long as blacks in business help the needy and vulnerable in our community. Essentially, we are using a capitalist system and a free market to elevate the standing of all segments of the black community and it necessitates a careful balanc ing of responsibilities and rewards. "Buy Black" campaigns have historically failed because black entrepreneurs failed to understand that reciprocity, i.e.^fair prices, courtesy, discounts, philanthropy and new jobs, is essential to a viable community-development program. "With total income of $250*bil lion today, we have the resources to make black capitalism a reality when we make a conscious effort to buy black," Mrs. Scott said. Black-owned firms have grown by more than 77% since 1972, but ons. This success wouldn't have been attainable without the full and unflinching support of Chancellor Thompson. Beginning Fall, 1991, a Depart ment of Physical Therapy will be in place to provide added professional training for students. Besides obtaining program agprdv^ljjfom the UNC General Administration, Dr. Thompson's leadership enabled the university to receive external funding amounting to nearly one million dollars toward the develop ment of the program. The students, faculty and staff would be technically out of busi ness in the absence of sound aca demic programs. These programs must satisfy certain criteria set by SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools). Yes, Win ston-Salem State University has been accredited by SACS for the next 10 years. Other accreditation procedures have included NCATE (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education) and SDPI (State Department of Public Instruc tion). ^ It was just a few months ago that the university received another battery of negative press coverage about the nursing program. It, too, had been judged and condemned before its trial. Under the leader ship of Dr. Thompson, the nursing program hasn't been closed. Instead, it has received Board approval. In February 1991, the program scored 100 percent on the NCLEX board exam. Financially, the university is heading toward as solid a founda tion than has ever been the case. The Chancellor launched a capital campaign fund that has thus Please see page A6 a on course they still generate less than \% of the total business receipts and employment in the nation, AKA Economic Coordinator Jacqulyn C. Shropshire explains. That point is directly related to the tact that blacks spend only 6.6% of their income with a black busi ness or professional. In other words, with our current retrograde consumption pattern (95% to non blacks), there could be no result other than 1% of total business receipts for blacks. The Black Dollar Day cam paign is part of AKA's Economic Empowerment program and it is being supported by other black Greek-letter organizations, church es and civic groups. By adding economic empower ment to the many advances we have made in civil rights and politics, blacks would have, for the first time, individual rights -- or free dom. Little by little, our community is moving in the right direction.. And thanks to the black women of AKA, the movement is on course.
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
May 9, 1991, edition 1
4
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75