Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Oct. 27, 1994, edition 1 / Page 3
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
r . i Nancy Griffith [in tms year's election, all nine seats on the Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County School board are up for re ~ election. This is a brief profile of each candidate and their stance on , several issues of concern to voters. These interviews were conducted by staff writer Veronica Clemons.) Nancy Griffith, a democrat, is running at-large and is seeking a sec ' ?ond term on * . t the board of education. I Experi ence as , a board mem ber and as an . educator are reasons why voters should re-elect her to the board, she said, Griffith, of 3510 Kittery Court, has been an elementary and middle school teacher. She also has two children I who attend elementary and middle schools. With her on the school board, Griffith said voters will get "dedica tion, experience and an open mind." I If re-elected, Griffith wants the board to become a more effective body. She also plans to make sure that Forsyth County has safe schools and that school curriculum is improved. One of the major issues that will be facing the school board is getting a bond referendum passed, which will have a direct effect on tKe redis ricting issue, she said. The bond ref erendum will allow the board to build new schools, but Griffith saidJhe plan must be recefttive to the public. -If the public is not satisfied with the plan, it may not vote for the referen dum. WaJUr Marshall will hold his seat in district one for another term. of Marshall's big concerns as a board member has been policies. He -said he keeps "his cytg open on any policies that may have a negative affect on minorities or have any chance of being discrim inatory. He Walter Marshall was very vocal in his criticism about the curriculum committee voting to give school administrators the power to conduct randpm metal detector searches in the schools. That issue still has not been decided. During his next term, Marshall, of 3246 Kittering Lane, plans to spend more time with the parents and community at a grass-roots level. Lynq Thrower, a Republican running for an at-large seat, said she -decided to run for the board because _ as an active PTA member and paying close attention to board meetings, she became con cerned with jits lack of action. Thrower, of 330 Conrad Road in Lewisville, also said she has a personal interest in the quality of Forsyth County schools because she has a daughter who will be attending Hanes Middle School next year and feels she can make a difference. As a board member, Thrower wants to raise the expectations for all students and provide more support for teachers. Thrower is an advocate of local control for the school system. She wants to continue moving the direction of control down to each school with the concept of school., improvement teams. What's appro priate for other school systems may not be appropriate for this one, she said. Her background in financial manaeemrnt will make her an asset aid. Shr ,r twi & oi administratis > arid is administrative services director for Lynn Thrower Winston-Salem Health Care, the medical plan set up for RJ. Reynolds Tobacco Go. employees. She added that she will also bring integrity and professionalism to the board "I try to treat other people the xy 1 would want to be treated and h a great deal of respect," she said. A major issue facing the school board, she said, is redistricting. She also thinks the board should look carefully at its capital improvement plan and prepare for the bond refer endum. . * Dale Folwell, a Republican run ning for an at-large seat, has served or) the board for the past 10 months after b e i; n g appointed to fill Thomas Voss' district two seat. Fol well, of 229 S. W e s t v i e.w Drive, chose to run at-large Dale Folwell I instead of in district two. 1 -"I don't want anyone looking at what kind of car I <kive, where I live or the color of my skin," he said. "I want to^ay that 1 represent every stu dent in the county." ? Folwell said he decided to run for his first full term because he is interested in applying knowledge he's gained in those 10 months. He also said he gave a commitment to those who appointed him that he would run, and he has a vested interest in the school system as the father of three small children / An investment advisor for Alex Brown and Sons, Folwell said he will be an afcset to the board because when making an important decision he can analyze the facts, vote, give the reasons for that vote, and can then put that issue aside and move forward. If elected, Folwell has several goals he would like to accomplish. Citing that the distance school buses travel eac h day equals a trip around the world, he wants to reduce busing. He advocates a tougher discipline system and implementing an honor code. Ht will work- toward adequate facilities, push for non-partisan elec tions and making it a requirement for board members to spend time in the classroom. If elected Folwell's main goal will be to earn the credibility back for the school system, closing the gap between the quality of education within the system and other alterna . tive programs. Ed Cherry, a Democrat running in district two, said as a school board member his goals will be to improve the quality of education available to all students, and would like to see a school system that prepares young < people for the work place of the 21st century. He lives at 766 Sylvan Road. The reasons Cherry said he decided to run are personal and civic related, he said. Person ally, he has two Ed Cherry children already in the school and a son who soon will be attending. He * added that it's a civic duty for people to get involved in the community because that involvement reflects the quality of life. Cherry's community involve ment includes being a United Way volunteer, Whitaker Elementary School volunteer and committee chairman of partnership between the Kiwanis Club and Easton's pre kindergarten Daisy program. What Cherry will bring to the board ? a strong business and finan cial background ? he said is cur rently absent. He is vice-president of Wachovia Bank. Cherry said he will also be an asset because he is ready to "establish goals, policies and make Major issues facing the school board is redistricting, facility needs and providing good, safe schools for students, Cherry said. . For David Zvara, a Democrat running in/district two, one of the things that;, finalized his * decision was the small num ber of candi dates other than the Republican incumbents. I Also, after coming out of Davt Zvara the military, serving on a national level, he felt he would be qualified for a local posi tion. , > Zvara, of 1116 Claverton Court, said as a community physician, he brings a unique perspective and out look that's not there. He is assistant professor of anesthesiology at Bow man Gray School of Medicine. He said there's more to going to school than academics; there are health 9 . ; related issues such as nutrition and teen-age pregnancy. Zvara said he will be a strong board member, hav ing an interest in aft children instead of representing a specific community or neighborhood. Overcrowding and space are major issues facing the school board, ? he said. If elected, Zvara wants to abolish mobile classrooms. "I want to be the person to stand on top of the mound where all the mobile classrooms are built," he said. Another goal- of Zvafas's will be to reinstate community pride back into the school system. Grady Long, a Democrat run - ning for district two seat, said he didn't like the way things were going with the school board, so he decided to run. "Seems there was a whole lot of ? bickering among the members and they ^erpn'j getting anything done,'', he said, "fcthoijfeht my two centt would help." Because he is a parent with two children at Old Richmond", is involved with PTA and interacts fre quently with other parents, he said he can give the IamiiI a Ixntei pmpei tive on what they desire from the . board and the system. Long, a heavy equipment operator in the construc tion business, said he is not a politi cian, just a parent and wants tojepre sent the interest of the students and the parents. One of the goals Long will have, if elected, will be to finally lay the redisricting issue to rest ? ?. solving it or killing it. Long, of 4505 Vienna Dozier Road in Pfafftown, added that he will focus his attention on the curriculum. He believes there should be more focus on basic subjects like reading, writing and arithmetic. Redistricting and discipline are major issues facing the school board, he said. Long added that discipline on school buses will be an important issue for him, establishing guidelines and getting support for bus drivers from administration. r Geneva Brown, of 2045 East End Boulevard, Brown, is unopposed in her bid for her second term on the board. Shewill again represent dis trict one. Brown was very sup portive of the early Start program and criticaj of other board members who voted against it. Because her 32-year Geneva Brown career has been ^ ? in education, Brown said she is very interested and concerned with what goes on in the classrooms and looks to support teachers and students. "I believe in fostering strong programs for students and teachers," she said. Richard Bagley, a Republican district two candidate, said his ability to work well with other people will make him an asset to the board of ducation. "Children deserve a school board that will work together to solve problems," he said. Bagley, I of 1195 Whis- I pering Pines I j Drive in Kern- I ersville, said I was urged by business I leaders and H , fnends to run Richard Bagley . for the board. ? He said there is no representation on the board from Kernersville and he has always been a strong supporter of the public school system. A member of the litigation sup port staff at Womble Carlyle, Bagley said he wants to bring more core aca demic instruction to the school sys tem, if elected; ?nd. put a greater ? emphasis on academic issues* Bagley said he will also be an advocate for safer schools. He said he believes ? Students, paroled for vinlpnt rrimfQ. should be steered to alternative pro . grams, not back into regular schools. Even students suspended for fighting should be put into alternative pro grams until they prove they can behave, he said. Building new' schools will also be a priority. He proposes building middle schools in the county and an elementary school j in east Winston-Salem if residents ? support the idea. He also wants to eliminate long bus rides. Two major issues facing the school bc&rd, he said, are redistrict ing and classroom discipline. \ Having been an adult educator , for 25 years and being involved in volunteer positions locally and statewide, Carl Yena decided that he now has enough expe rience to make a difference on the school board, director ,r of organization development and training at Carl Yena R.J. Reynolds ? Tobacco Co., Yena said his job . to be collaborative, bringing different groups and perspectives together. This ability will make him an asset to the board, he said. He added that his vast educa tional knowledge will also make him an asset. Yena, of 451 1 Myrtle Ave., ? is a current member of the N.C. School-To- Work Steering Commit tee, the N.C. Curriculum Improve ment Council, the Winston-Salem Public Education Fund Board, and the K-12 Magazine Editorial Advi - sory Board. Yena has several goals, if elected, to the board. He wants to improve the overall quality. of educa tion for all students and to provide equity for them. He also said he would like to get rid of the paper work for teachers and increase the time they spend face to face with children and increase parental involvement. Two major issues facing the board, Yena said, are pupil assign ments and the redisricting issue, which encompasses building new schools. Yena said he would like to see the more successful teaching approaches implemented throughout the schools and a curriculum design that includes enhancing school-to work skills. Jeannie Metcalf, a Republican candidate for district two, said she has always been involved with her four children's schools. Now that her youngest is 12, she has more time to devote to being a board member, she said. ? She said what will make her an asset to the board is that she is - a mother and has a lot of common sense, which she feels is Jeannie Metcalf missing from the current board, and has a lot of interesting ideas. If elected, Metcalf, of 4030 Dresden Drive, said her main goal will be to get parents involved. She wants to empower parents, let ting them know they could have more control over/their child's educa tion. She added that she would like to see a renewed emphasis on a core academic curriculum. Metcalf said one thing she would like to see is a technical pro gram in middle schools which will keep the interest and build self esteem of students who do not want to attend college. - One of the major issues facing the school system, she said, is redis tricting. She wants the board to hurry and resolve the issue. 1 think it's much more important that we have students in high school who can't read, than where their desk is sitting," she said. Gloria Whisenhunt is currently the board's vice-chairman and is . seeking a sec nnd term on the board in district two.. \ Voters should re-elect her. she said. because of her dedication , hard work and the learning experience she Gtoria Whisenhunt has had during her f\ii st term. Whisenhunt, of 456 N. Hawthorne Road, said she has attended 273 meetings ? never missing a board meeting and missing only one com mittee meeting. She added that she is an asset to the4 ^oard because she does her homework on the issues. Tm not the most vocal person on the board because I do aaend the community meetings where the homework is done* " she said. " I feel comfortable when I vote because I know I've done my homework." Being self employed as the ^owner of Gloria's Hairstyles, said she has the needed time totj>e an effective board mem ber. Two of her goals as a board member, if re-elected, will *be to solve the redistricting issue and pass a bond referendum. Sh? vtys she feels voters will pass the referendum if the redistricting plan is drawn that\ is appealing to the community, v She is also eonccmed with ovcr crowding and safety, which are related to the redistricting issue, she said. She said\hat with neighbor hood schools, the community feels it has some ownership in. the school and (pan help reduce violence. Nigel Alston, vice president of ? employment/community relations at Integon Insurance, is a. Democrat vying for one of the three at-large seats. If he wins, he will become the first African-American to win an at large seat since 1986. If w ? he accom plishes this goal, he will join Geneva Brown and Walter Mar shall, making it the first time three African- SigelAkton ? Americans have served on the board at the same time. The decision to run took a lot of thinking and soul searching, said Alston, of 3810 Huritingreen Lane, Apt. B. While Alston has not been a teacher or administrator, he keeps abreast of the issues through his wife, who has been an educator for 17 years. Alston is alsQ involved in school -related projects. For the past 3 1/2 years, he has served on the Mount Tabor school improvement team, building a strong business part ' nership with that school. He is also one of the 29 citizens serving on the Smart Start grant committee. It he wins the election, Alston said his pri mary goal would be making sure all students in Forsyth County have a quality education. He is active in the United Way, Junior. Achievement, the Winston Salem Urban League, the Arts Coun cil and has served on the board of the Sawtooth Center. Jane Coins, a Republican dis trict two candidate, is seeking her third full tern , . on the board. | j She was first I appointed to I the in to serve ' an unexpired I term and was I elected in I 1986 .. and I 1990../ jGoins, of JaneGoins 1907 Pinehurst Drive, Clemmons, said she is an asset ^ as a board member because she brings experience to the table. As a i former educator and with experience in the insurance business, she said she knows what's needed in the cur riculum and what technical skills stu dents are going to need in the 2jlst century. . ' / . One of her goals in her next ? term, if re-fclected, will be to get redisricting accomplished fairly and equitably.. Goins s&id she can be objective on this issue because she Is knowledgeable of what happened in the previous attempt to re-draw dis trict lines. She said one thing she has heard from members of the commu nity ? black and white ? is they want to reduce busing. If she coukh said that would be to implement a curriculum that is abstinence-based and encompasses parenting skills. One of Goins' biggest concerns is the number of teen-age girls having chil dren. She said students should be -taught a cort curriculum and taught how to be good responsible parents and accept the responsibility for their actions. , Nancy Woolen is a Democrat at-large candidate seeking her fifth term. She served from 1974-1982, was elected in 1986 and 1990. ? Wooten said voters should re elect hef to the board because she brings experience, she's honest and . candid. Redistricting and building new schools are two goals Wooten will have if re-elected. Wooten, who is an attorney, said ? ~ ~ she favors tRe limited choice plan already presented to the board by school staff. She said in * addition to limited choice, the plan also provides trans- Sancy Wooten portation, which is critical when choice is involved. Wooten, of 6335 Inez Lane; Kernersville, has two children and two grandchildren. Donny Lambeth is a Republi can running for an at large seat. He is vice' president for finance at Baptist Hospital. He attempts to bring to the board experi ence with finance and budgets. He is chairman of the county zoning board of adjustment _ m - . and has four. Do- ?y Lambeth children in the public school system. Lambeth, of 4627 Main St., wants to resolve district lines to reduce busing and reduce overcrowd ing by building new schools in the east and west Bennie McBride "See me, Bennie McBride, for the best price and die best service on any new Chevy, Geo or used car." MODEMS 4th & Broad St. 722-4191
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Oct. 27, 1994, edition 1
3
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75