I Winston-Salem Chronicle
n c room
forsyth cnty pub lib HC6 for African-American News and Information
660 w 5th st # q j j
? winston-salem nc 27101-2755 THURSDAY, March 27, 1997
Foundation Ufosuitr resigns over WSSU 'power struggle'
;v' Foundation Chairman
)'< Marshall B. Bass
X:
By BRIDGET EVARTS
Community Newt Reporter
A request by Winston-Salem State Uni
versity trustees to incorporate the school's
fund-raising vehicle, the Winston-Salem
State University Foundation, has prompted at
least one resignation.
Robert C. Brandquist, treasurer of the
WSSU Foundation, submitted his resignation
to board chairman Marshall Bass on Tues
day, citing a "power struggle" taking place
within the school. An unidentified member
of the foundation speculated that more resig
nations may follow.
Based on the recommendation of a con
sultant's report requested by Chancellor
Alvin Schexnider, the university's board of
trustees asked that the chancellor and vice
chancellor for development be allowed as
voting members of the foundation. The
request surfaced at the trustees' March 17
meeting.
Brandquist feels that the WSSU board of
trustees' request, which includes designating
the vice chancellor as president of the foun
dation and allowing the chancellor power of
direct appointments to the foundation, would
be detrimental to the organization. The foun
dation currently selects its own members.
If the trustee's request is granted, said
Brandquist, "The whole foundation becomes
almost a toy of the chancellor."
The foundation, an agency which works
with the university to generate monies for the
school, is guided by a 25-member board of
directors in conjunction with university
administrators and leaders. The foundation
has raised over $20 million for the school
Please see page 4
WSSU Chancellor
Alvin Schexnider
tending a hand up: School tutors suspended students
<JA LIFT never runs out of second chances
|?y BRIDGET EVARTS
?'"Community News Reporter
a -
* The three boys shout out answers to the
trath problems presented on the chalkboard.
ach gloats triumphantly when correct and
- explains the answer to the others. When wrong
' they simply try again, undaunted...
| ;; Last of II Parts
Instructor Gary Madison allows the unbri
dled responses, since there are only three stu
dents in his math class. He guides the boys
tfcbugh the problem's construction, and then
a&s them to work out an example.
The boys understand that x will equal 24 if
it is added to 6 and the answer is 30, but wrestle
with the concept of multiplication. As Madison
prompts the class, one boy suddenly gets it.
"If 2x equals 28, then x equals ..."
"Fourteen," the boy answers. He nudges his
neighbor and says without malice, "See, stu
pid?"
"I know you all took pre-algebra, but appar
ently your teacher didn't stress it enough,"
Madison tells the boys.
When asked what they are studying, one boy
? r
answers, "I don't know. We aren't always here."
He and his two peers are on short-term suspen
sion from the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County
schools, and thus attending Learning Is Fun Too
(LIFT) Academy, a private school geared toward
students displaced from the public school sys
tem.
The reason the boys don't know what class
they are taking is because it's not exactly pre
algebra. "A lot of kids we get in here lack the
basic skills," said Madison, a former dean of
Rutledge College and one of three full-time
instructors at LIFT. Though academically they "
may be behind many children their age, the boys
in Madison's class are bright and seem to thrive
on the undivided attention from their teacher.
Vashon, a ninth-grader, was kicked out of
his high school in west Winston for "perpetrat
ing the possession of drugs." After he serves a
10-day suspension at LIFT, he will finish the
school year at Independence High School.
Tony is in the eighth grade and wants to be a
marine biologist. His father asked that his origi
nal 10-day suspension for horseplay on the
school bus be reduced to four days.
Sixth-grader Chris attends the same school
Please see page 3
"Teachers should Wk
leave the judgment up
to parents." I
? Vashon I
"Teachers probably have ?
stronger feelings far the
kids who get straight As." ?
? Tony Hi
,
?
Tony
?
"I just think the
tolerance level in
terms of public
education is
v very low."
Earline Parmon
"I did not realize there was
so much need in this com
munity. "
? Gary Madison
No blacks in W-S/FC Schools top administration
Dr. Don Martin
By BRIDGET EVARTS
Community News Reporter
When associate superintendent Joseph Johnson
vacates his position at the end of April, Winston
Salem/Forsyth County Schools will be left without
any African Americans in top administrative posi
tions.
Johnson, who was recently hired as dean of the
school of education at Fayetteville State University,
was the school system's second-in-command and the
first to hold that post. After assistant superintendent
Daisy Chambers' elementary-education division
became obsolete last year, Johnson was the only
African American to hold one of the top 12 adminis
trative positions.
The associate superintendent position will be
advertised in about two weeks, said Martin. In addi
tion to overseeing the personnel department, public
relations and communications offices and drop-out
prevention program, the new associate superinten
dent may be responsible for evaluating principals.
Since Martin came to Winston-Salem/Forsyth
County Schools about six years ago, he has hired a
number of African-American principals. "We're an
equal opportunity employer," said Superintendent
Don Martin, pointing out that 33 percent of the jobs
in the administrative offices are held by African
Americans.
Ten out of the 47 positions in the next level of
administration are held by African Americans, said
Martin. Six hold positions in curriculum, one is the
internal auditor and three African Americans are
sprinkled throughout personnel services, staff ser
vices and school safety.
Since Johnson announced his imminent depar
ture, some have raised concerns that none of the
lower administrative positions allow a high level of
influence. Martin argued that point and said a
"whole bunch" are in decision-making posts.
Board member Geneva Brown has declared that
black educators and staff need representation in the
main office, but Martin maintains that he will not
consider race when searching for Johnson's replace
ment.
"We're going to look for the best person we can
find," said Martin.
Search for HAWS director to go public!
By BRIDGET EVARTS
Community News Reporter
The search for an executive direc
tor of the Housing Authority of Win
ston-Salem (HAWS) will be guided
with help from the community, said
D.D. Adams, head of the HAWS
board's personnel committee.
"We're going to be looking for
input from the community at large and
the staff," said Adams. Adams and fel
low committee members Larry Little
and William Benton are currently
reviewing recommendations from the
rest of the board. The other four com
; missioners are also charged with mak
ing. recommendations on the 130-or-so
applicants for the position vacated by
Art Milligan.
Milligan resigned from his position
as HAWS director last November to
lead the Tampa, Fla., Housing Author
ity. He came to Winston-Salem from
the Rocky Mount, N.C., Housing
Authority, and held his position at
HAWS for almost five years.
The HAWS board advertised the
opening through the "National Associa
tion of Housing and Redevelopment
Officers (NAHRO) Monitor," a publi
cation geared toward housing adminis
trators and directors. The "NAHRO
Monitor," which is printed every other
week, has brought applicants from as
far as Georgia and Texas, but a large
number of the applicants are from the
Triad.
"I think we are a strong enough and
large enough housing authority that we
aren't necessarily a stepping stone (to
other director positions]," said Robert
Egleston, acting board chairman. "I
think the Winston-Salem housing
authority could be a career job."
The board, which is appointed by
the mayor, has complete authority to
hire and fire directors. The commis
sioners are appointed for five-year
terms; at the end of that period, they
must take a year off if they are to be
reappointed. The longest a commis
sioner can serve is 10 years.
Egleston stepped up from his posi
tion as vice chairman when former
chair William Andrews resigned in
December. Andrews, who had only six
months left of his term, had indicated
that it made more sense for a new copi
missioner to be part of the director
search. "I understand his logic," said
Egleston.
At the board's March 11 meeting,
interim director Marie Roseboro said
that she had not submitted an applica
tion for the position, and was not sure
that she would do so. She has been
unavailable for further comment since
applications closed March 15.
The pool of applicants may be nar
rowed at the board's April 8 workshop
session. From there, said Adams, a
public forum will be held to receive
input from public housing residents and
other members of the Winston-Salem
community.
M i I
D.D. Adams
K ? V : > ?
Robert Egelston