Debate addresses Referendum, Charter Schools
Bs m ini cuitT
Spccial u> the Chnmu It
State Superintendent tor Public
Instruction candidates. Republican Vernon
Robinson and Democrat Mike Ward, bat
tied it out Tuesday in the first statewide
tulevised debate of this race.
> While both candidates admitted there
ate problems with the current system, they
approached solutions from different
angles.
"I want to be an advocate for parents
and taxpayers," said Robinson, an avid
supporter of charter schools.
Ward, who supports the Bond Referen
dum. feels that taxpayers' money should
be used to support public school systems
and not charter schools.
The Bond Referendum will be voted
on statewide Tuesday at the poles.
The proposed referendum will help
finance the state's construction of new
schools and renovations, as well as fund
new instructional equipment for the class
room.
Ward said the referendum will correct
the problem of overcrowded schools and
old schools that need repairs.
Robinson said the problem is in the
classroom, not in the structure, that schools
need to give value to the taxpayers for their
dollars.
Charter schools are usually created by
a combination ot the fundamental aspects
of public schooling, with the freedom of
the private sector. In most cases, a majority
of teachers and parents must give their
approval of a charter school before it can
be approved.
Robinson said there is a lack of disci
pline, because the system responds to the
outside world instead of supporting teach
ers. He said that charter schools will solve
Please see page 9
Republican Vernon Robinson
Democrat Mike W ard
For Reference
Not to b? taken
Wlrl<::tpn-Salem Chron
FORSYTH CNTY PUB LIB ?' ' ' .
wxnston-salem#nc hoice for African-American News and Information rom ^hls hbrarv
THURSDAY, October 31,1996
75 cents Dedicated to the Memory of Clarence E. Nottingham: 1903-1995 vol. xxm. No.
96 Election Key to judicial Appointments
By WILLIAM H. TURNER Ph D
Spccial to the Chronicle
In the days left before next week's eleetion,
we will spend a lot of time going back and forth
over the eleetion of the Clinton-Gore team or the
Dole-Kemp camp. Certainly, whether or not
Jesse Helms remains in office as one of our
state's senators looms large. But, beneath all the
hoopla, the banners and the stomach-acide of
political advertising lie perhaps the most impor
tant by-products of political appointments: the
federal judiciary.
cal Analysis
Federal judees tend to fast a lot longer than
presidents and senators and congressmen, but
voters tend to miss the link between who they
vote into the presidency and congress and how
these people nominate and confirm federal
judges, who in turn, hold lifetime onetime In
?. u
sway over me most fundamental issues of free
dom and justice. Therefore, when we vote for
the president and congress, we are also voting
for those whose opinions and interpretations
hold in balance the scales of justice.
Recently the Crimin;1 Justice Committee of
the NAACP issued a report which analyzes the
relationship between presidential elections and
appointments to the judiciary.
In sum, the analysis notes that "racial
minorities and women in pursuit of federal judi
ciary nominations face big problems if the occu
pants of the White House and U.S. Senate are
enemies of equality and justice." According to
Committee Chair Leroy W. Warren, "decent
moderates, liberals and minorities need not
apply for the federal judiciary."
During the 104th Congressional Session just
ended. Republican Senate leaders ? such as
Bob Dole and Sen. Trent Loit ? have delayed or
killed the nominations of 28 outstanding individ
uals by President Clinton for federal judge^ip\.
The Senate has been especially hostile and
almost totally unreceptive to African Americans
whose names were submitted for positions on
Federal Appeals Courts, according to the study.
Said NAACP's Warren, "not onl\ were the
four African Americans nominated to lifetime
federal judgeships by President Clinton not con-'
firmed, they were also savagels attacked as
being liberals, and unjustly held as election-Near
hostages."
The report chronicled appointments to the
federal judiciary going back to President Rea
gan. It found substantial evidence that Reagan
and Bush ? Republicans ? practiced "racial
and sex exclusion" in their federal judiciary^
appointments. By contrast, under Jimm\ Carter,
more than a third (36 percent) of the nominees*
for federal judgeships were women and minori
ties. President Clinton has the best track record
Please set page H
s&Mfmu k
mm
'incipal Hairston, Miitter Evans and Simon Johnson review the architectural plans for a
'H- QEI facility, that will house the church's school.
QEI students excel on achievement test
By FELECIA P MCMILLAN
Special to the Chronicle
There was thunderous applause
when Mtitter Evans, owner of WAAA
and member of the Governing Coun
cil for the Quality Education Institute
(QEI), announced the results of the
administration of the California
Achievement Test at the Second
Annual Parent Appreciation Banquet
last Thursday at the school. The audi
ence was roused once more when
Bro. Cloys R. Cecil, the minister at
Carver Road Church of Christ and
visionary for the concept of QEI,
announced plans to build a new stand
alone edifice to house the school.
The CAT test was administered
for each grade individually in August,
January and May of last year. For the
1995 school year, the average grade
level increase for the entire school
was two years above the current grade^
level. Not a single student performed
below his or her grade level. In fact, a
number of the students performed as
many as 4 and 5 grades above their
current level.
"According to these impressive
results, QEI is succeeding in maxi
mizing the potential of our students."
said Evans. "You should be proud of
your children and proud of yourselves
for having enrolled them at QEI."
Over 100 parents, faculty mem
bers, committee members, church
members and supporters of QEI cele
brated the success of the students at
the gathering.
Simon Johnson, executive director
of QEI, attributes the success of the
program to its uniqueness as a private
institution that is able to act swiftly to
make the neeessars corrections to the
curriculum when* needed. "We ha\e
the flexibility, and the infrastructure
to move QE1 expeditiously." he said
However, he recognizes that without
parents, there can he no QHI. He
encouraged the parents to be involved
in the school. Through regular parent
surveys, the administration is able to
assess what the parents want.
Johnson discussed the plans tor
the new facility which will contain a
gymnasium and a cafeteria, as well as
classrooms. Parents will play a key
role in this expansion within the next
two years. The current facility is
suited for 90-100 students: however.
Pleast' see page 13
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?iin mi i in urn ii i ii?i
70 families benefit from annual clothing giveaway
A AKAs sponsor 'Ivy Baby Boutique '
H\ FFLKC1A P MCMILLAN
Special to the Chronicle
The Phi Omega Chapter of Alpha
Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. served more
than 70 families at the annual "Ivy Baby
Boutique." a community effort organized
by their Community Outreach Committee.
Although the boutique was held in Happy
Hill Gardens, residents from Kimberly
Park^ the Reynolds Health Center, and
Independence High School also partici
pated. They were able to select from a w ide
assortment of winter coats, school clothes,
dress wear, toys, books, shoes, maternity
fashions and baby furniture.
The "Ivy Baby Boutique" was held at
the Happy Hill Gardens Community Center
on Saturday, Oct. 26. from 1 1 a.m. until 1
p.m. Lynette Hawkins, chairman of the Ivy
Boutique, was pleased to bring the clothes
giveaway closer to the community this
year. "We wanted to bring this service
directly into the community rather than
remain on the outskirts," she said. This
event is usually conducted at the Ivy Arms
Clubhouse.
The project stretched beyond the imme
diate chapter, because the donations came
from the sorors who went out into their
communities, to their families, friends, and
i
co-workers to solicit various items that
would help families with young children.
Many of the clothes were for infants and
toddlers, but some of the items were large
enough for children in middle school.
One young woman rode the bus from
Kimberly Park to to Happy Hill Gardens to
get items for her children. When she heard
about the boutique, she came on behalf of
her family, but she also found a winter coat
for herself. The sorors get a great deal of
personal satisfaction out of their work, but
they often get thank-you notes from people
they have helped.
Annette Wilson, president of the Phi
Omega Chapter, said she realizes that there
is a definite need in our community, and
Please see page 8
Maurice Jackson, left, and President \nnette Wilson distributed toys
and books to residents attending the clothes giveaway.