By BILL TURNER . ' , >
tofMto** Chronicle
The secret if out and well-known to the thousands of African
Americans who've defended lids week an Wtoeton-Salem. For e
Wf-ccOtury now. ehimni end supporters of of the premie* histori
cally black colleges in North CsroUm* Virginia, end Maryland hsve
ynwnhled for a midr winter week of entertaining basketball and a
found Off iive-it-up jubilees.
With aO due respect to th* former and future venues of the
games, none can bear Winston-Salem for its hospitality and our
showcasing of talented and dedicated ttjnputaity-spirited people.
Winston ? insofar as the CIAA is concerned ? is most well
known for our claim to Wbston-Salem Stipe's legendary coach,
Clarence "Bighouse" Gates and its most weU-known alumni, All
L-? ^
- '
"people cane <N*to 4*ves for two tte^i^rriTyaroL and
tic!" cwThSTdramalk teeth with the Ne?? Bttaenble Company. 0!
' T|T. Of /"If |F?' R"*""c? '
Winston-oalem Cnrorp::r
,
77ze Choice for African-American News and Information
- THURSDAY, February 27,1997
'ohnson
top Cttiii*. ,
for board seat
By BRIDGET EVARTS
Community News Reporter
; Democrats will meet March 4 to select a replace
ment for Walter Marshall's position on the Winston
Salem/Forsyth County school board. Marshall, who was
sworn into the late Mazie Woodruff's county commis
sioner seat Feb. 24, has named his choice for the school
bo^rd jposition.
After the death of county commissioner Marie *
Woodruff in early January, there was some debate over ,
whom Woodruff groomed to fill her position. The selec- \
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Joknton
tion ot school board
member Walter Mar
shall created yet
another vacancy to be
filled; this time Mar
shall, whom the
Democratic party
: overwhelming sup
ported, openly
endorses Victor John
son Jr. to replace him
on the school board.
"I know bis real concern is about education, and his
strong concern is to see that the minority population is
taken care of," said Marshall. He pointed to Johnson's
record, calling the former teacher and administrator
"field-tested."
Johnson, who retired from the Winston
Salem/Forsyth County school system with more than 32
years under his belt, retained an active role in children's
education. He began serving on LIFT Academy's board
the year he retired, tutored at Diggs Elementary, and
recently filled in as interim principal at North Forsyth
Please see page 2
3?S?TSAU TOVRMMfNT
CUA Htks
CIAA commissioner Leon Kerry (left), with Coca-Cola representative Byron DeGrqffenriedt,
congratulate Matthew Lineberry, Krystle Davis and Alphonso Moseley, three of the 96 win
ners (out of 958 entries) of the CIAA Ball Boy/Ball Girl essay contest sponsored by Coca
Cola and Rebok, in cop/unction with the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school system and
the Winston-Salem Urban League. The theme of the contest was "Good Character: The
Right and Responsible Thing to Do." These and other winners will each serve in at least
one game of the 24 scheduled in the 52nd annual CIAA Basketball Tournament, which
began Monday. More CIAA news in Sports Section.
Critics say
school transfer
plan damaging
to integration
By BRIDGET EVARTS
Community News Reporter
Are the Winston-Salem/Forsyth Cdunty schools
" inching closer to a segregated system? With the adop
tion of the new transfer plan, some say the potential for
multiple one-race schools increases.
Combining the new transfer plan, voted into policy
at the Feb. 11 school board meeting, with the current
redistricting is "almost a plan for white flight." said
board member Geneva Brown. She and fellow Democ
rat Walter Marshall, the only African Americans on the
board, cast opposing votes in the 7-2 decision.
Previously, students were only allowed "hardship" I
transfers, switching schools when a student's school v
assignment would cause a severe hardship for her fam- "
ily. About 20 percent of all students ? 8,000 out of
42,000 ? were on hardship transfers, said Superinten- .
dent Don Martin. Last year, he said, the number of
hardship requests increased by 1,100.
Under the old plan, Martin said, transfers were con
sidered individually. With the implementation of the
new transfer plan, students can switch schools twice a
year on a first-come-first-served basis, but are not pro
vided with transportation to their new school if it is out
side of their school zone.
Brown feels that this latest plan will only further the
distance between existing schools in the Winston
Sffiem/Forsyth County system. With the "choice" redis
Please see page 3
Parents protest Martin's decision to allow teacher's return
Jasper Brown addresses the Winston-Salem/Forsyth
County Board of Education.
By BRIDGET EVARTS
Community News Reporter ;
Discussion concerning the alleged miscon
duct of a Parkland High School teacher will
remain under wraps for now, Winston
Salem/Forsyth County Schools attorney Douglas
Punger told a parent who attempted to address
the school board at their Feb. 25 meeting.
The parent, Jasper Brown, represented a
group of Parkland parents and students who gath
ered to protest Superintendent Don Martin's deci
sion to reinstate Charles A. Schoderbek as a
teacher at Parkland. The group says that Schoder
bek harassed students and, on at least one occa
sion, physically assaulted a player while coach
ing varsity basketball.
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools
issued a statement Feb. 18 that Schoderbek, who
resigned from his coaching position, will be rein
stated as a teacher after a 60-day suspension
without pay.
The days Schoderbek has already served on
his suspension will count toward his reinstate
ment, and he will be back in the classroom next
month, said Martin.
The group of parents went to Parkland prin
cipal James Brandon shortly before the end of
winter recess with list of 22 allegations by stu
dents charging Schoderbek with misconduct,
mostly involving his coaching practices. Shortly
after, the students and their parents submitted
affidavits to the school administration, and
Schoderbek was suspended without pay, pending
an investigation.
Brown and the other parents worry that
Schoderbek will retaliate against those students
who have stepped forward. "Parents are very
concerned that students will suffer," said Brown,
a local attorney and parent of two sons on Park
land's basketball team. "We just don't think Mr.
Schoderbek's return will be good for the stu
dents."
Brown said that Schoderbek was issued a
written warning several years ago for a similar
incident. "That doesn't give us confidence that he
will follow school board policy," said Brown.
"If there is evidence sufficient to require him
to resign (from coaching), it should be sufficient
to remove him from that classroom," Brown
added. v
When told that he could not address a per
sonnel matter during the open forum at the Feb.
25 meeting, Brown said that he had, in vain,
requested a meeting with Superintendent Martin
through Punger.
"This body is thtf only place these parents
will be heard," said Brown. "All we want as par
ents is to have input in the decision-making
process."
Martin replied that the administration had
received sufficient input from the parents during
the investigation.
Punger stated that a grievance process is the
correct avenue for parents to take. 'i understand
that there is a grievance process," said Brown.
"The problem with the grievance process is that
it comes into play after a decision has been
made."
He and the other parents wanted to be heard
before the matter progressed to that stage, said
Brown. He accused Martin of attempting to use
the board as a "rubber stamp" for the administra
tion's decision to reinstate Schoderbek. Board ?
chairman Donnie Lambeth said that the school
board, which had scheduled a closed session to 'i
discuss the matter after the meeting, had not .
received information about the matter.
"We're concerned that the board has not had ^
the opportunity to consider the merits of the deci- ?
sion made by Dr. Martin," said Brown. "We're 2
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