Newspapers / Zebulon Record (Zebulon, N.C.) / Feb. 26, 1957, edition 1 / Page 1
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THE ZEBULON RECORD Volume XXX. Number 41. Zebulon, N. C., Tuesday, February 26, 1957 Theo. Davis Sons, Publishers WHO'LL DO THE JUDGING? Teachers Give Opinions On Merit Pay Proposal Intense interest is being rais ed across the nation among edu cators in what the teaching profes sion calls “merit rating.” This interest has also taken hold of Zebulon educators, and their opinions follow. Merit rating is the method of raising teacher pay not according to academic degrees and credits earned and length of service, as is generally the case, but accord ing to a series of criteria designed to measure the quality of teach ing done and its effect on the child. All of the teachers contacted were not in favor of such a plan, and believe that it will be disas trous to the profession. The uppermost question in their minds is who is going to do the rat ing principal, supervisor, local school board, county board, or whom. None questioned about the plan has seen it in operation except one and she was of the opinion that it did not work out too well. Mrs. Wallace Chamblee said, “I observed the system in Macon, Ga.t and saw first hand that it was not working satisfactorily. I am not in favor of such a system unless it can be adjudged fairly, which I feel will be very hard to do.” Mrs. E. H. Moser said: “I haven’t given it much study. I don’t think it is coming any time soon. My question is: who is go ing to do the rating? I am definitely not in favor of it.” Mrs. F. E. Bunn said, “I don’t see how it can be fairly done. It will be hard to do. Oh, yesj I’ve seen the teacher merit rating test. Who’s going to do the rating?” Will Not Run Aaron Lowery’s ir. up his mind about being a candidate for the Town Board of Commissioners. His hat will not be tossed in the ring. “I have definitely made up my mind,” the insurance executive said. “I will under no circumstan ces be a candidate in the coming election for a seat on the Town Board of Commissioners.” Lowery missed obtaining a post on the ruling town body in the 1955 town election by two votes. Mrs. Fred Page said, “I follow along with the North Carolina Ed ucation Association’s plan. At present, no accurate merit form has been worked out. I am defi nitely not in favor of it until a fool-proof plan for rating teachers is worked out.” Mrs. Elizabeth Ellett said, “I am against the plan. There has been no accurate measuring stick where by a teacher can be measured. I believe a lot of apple polishing will enter into such a plan, and I don’t believe politics should have any bearing on the merits of teach ers.” Mrs. C. G. Weathersby said, “I heartily disapprove of the merit rating system, since there would be absolutely no adequate and un biased way in which such a survey could be conducted. Politics would be the controlling element in such a system. This would surely have to be conducted over a period of time before an impartial or just decision could be reached which would brand the teacher as compe tent or incompetent. “Our certification requirements may be faulty, but they are at least an effort to provide for our schools teachers who know some thing about children as well as about subject matter.” Mrs. Ralph Bunn said: “Who is to decide on the merits of a teach er and how? I think it is silly. I don’t think they can measure the qualities of a teacher in the class room or that there is any yard stick that could be used for meas urement. I guess you would say I am indifferent on the subject. I shall do my best job as far as the individual child is concerned re gardless of how I am measured.” Two teachers questioned, Mrs. Lois M. Wall and Mrs. Horace Smith, refused to comment. The merit system of rating teach ers is still so new that many edu cators know very little about it. Classroom teachers are against this type of rating system because they believe it will fail. They be lieve too much “apple polishing” will enter into the judging. One educator objected that set standards, no matter who draws them up, of what makes a good teacher, will stifle original and (Continued on Page 4) Corinth Baseball Reid Gets New Look Following Many Improvements A new look has appeared on the baseball field at Corinth-Holders School. On Saturday morning, February 16, members of the local Ruritan Club and members of the baseball team met to do what they could to improve the ball field. Members showed up with tractors, scoops, scraper blades, pickup trucks and all kinds of hand tools. Work started with the erection of a new backstop. It was moved eight feet back from the orginal position to give the catcher more room to move about. Used light and telephone poles were used in the construction along with heavy gauge wire. Soil was bought in to fill the low area and to give a uniform surface. While this was being done trac tors with scrapers were busy lev eling and smoothing the infield. Clay was brought in tor the pitch er’s mound and the home piste area. Other tractors were busy in the outfield disking and leveling a§ much as possible the outfield area. Grass seed was then sown in the outfield to hold the soil in place and also for beautifying effects. Coach Harry Lloyd requested that a sliding pit be constructed. He pointed out that this would be very useful in teaching boys how to slide without hurting themselves and that also the extra bases that might be obtained could be the dif ference in winning and losing a ball game. It is also to be used in teaching high and broad jumping. After finishing the sliding pit, the group broke up with the anticipat ion of enjoying some good base ball this spring. Owners Claim Property Values Listed on Tax Books Are Unfair; County Revaluation Requested Zebulon property values, as lis ted in the tax boo.ks of Wake County and the Town of Zebulon, vary widely from -house to house, depending on when the property was built or purchased and when it was listed. The situation seems intolerable to many new home owners, who have reacted by mak ing a strong request for re-valu ation of all property in Wake county. A suggested formula for de terming the new home value for the tax books is one-third of the cost. This obviously low figure seems more than fair until a new home is compared with similar homes already on the books. The comparison makes owners of new homes scream. “Why should we be made to pay more,” they complain, “when my neighbor has a bigger and better house and pays only half what I do?” Some folks who bought or built Guard Unit to Be Checked Tomorrow Final preparations were com pleted last night for the annual vis it of the Third Army Inspector General. The inspection of Battery A, Zebulon’s National Guard unit, will begin tomorrow afternoon at 1:30. The public is invited to attend the evening phase of the inspec tion, which will include an exam ination of the men in ranks, a check of training, and a critique. The inspecting officer and in vited guests will be honored at a dinner tomorrow night, according to Capt. Jack Potter, commanding officer of the artillery battery. An afternoon assembly was held (Continued on Page 4) Fire Saturday A fire Saturday on the farm of Roy Weathers caused damages esti mated at approximately $200, Ru ral Fire Department officials have announced. The fire, according to the fire men, started from a grass fire and burned up to the tobacco barn shelter causing the sticks to be come ignited. Firemen were able to save the barn, but the lossage of sticks was set at $200. Farmers' Class Small grains, corn and tobacco I seeds will be discussed at the Adult Farm Class Thursday night. This meeting will be held in the Wakelon Agriculture Building | at 7:30. ! Mr. Watson of Watson Seed | Farm, Rocky Mount, will be the | speaker, and he will talk on the production of the smaller grains ! and their seeds. Paul Dew, president of the club, urges that all farmers be present at this meeting which is of very timely interest. in the 1930’s pose a similar ques tion. “Why shouldn’t we pay less taxes,” they ask. “We paid less for our houses and we’ve been paying taxes for 20 years longer than most of the people who are complaining now.” But it doesn’t matter who you talk to—old owners or new—they all believe they pay plenty of taxes. But iniquities which rile new home owners are many. Large two-story dwellings which have been further improved with ex tensive additions ard renovations are valued at no more—frequently much less — than post-war homes of much smaller size. A two-story pre-war home with expensive post-war additions is listed at less than $3,700. A 1955 model one-story home three blocks away is listed at $4,700. The “one-third the cost” yard stick which brings about unfair distribution of taxes to property STATIONED IN AFRICA Pvt. Woodrow Lewis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Lewis of Wen dell, is stationed with the Security Guard of the U. S. Army in As mear, Africa. He is a graduate of Rolesville High School and en tered the Army last July. owners has made the tax lister’s office the scene of the best story telling to be heard anywhere. “What’s the value of your house?’’ is the question which brings forth the year’s best fiction. A new home owner generally will scan the tax books until he finds a home comparable with his own. Noting the value listed, he will give this figure. This value usually is unaccept ably low. In fact, one person after another in Wake County has found the value placed on his property to be up to 50% greater than similar property nearby. General Statute 105-279 pro vides that when valuation of any property is manifestly unfair when compared with valuation of other property in the county, the County Board of Commissioners shall revalue and reassess the property. This can be accomplish ed in any year. Chapter 105 of the General Sta tutes also provides that the tax value of property is not the cost or replacement value, but the fair sale value. This is the point that owners are trying to emphasize. “There’s a home up the street that would sell for double what mine would bring,” said one com plainant, “yet it is on the books (Continued on Page 4) Rotary Speaker The mechanics of the buying and selling of stocks and bonds through brokerage firms were de scribed Friday night to Zebulon Rotarians by Dave Finch, a Zebu Ion native who is now with Mer rill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Beane of Raleigh. At the close of this talk, a ques tion and answer period was con ducted during which Mr. Finch ex plained stock market terms and procedures not familiar to the Ro tarians. C. V. Whitley, program chair man, introduced the speaker. 'Finer Carolina' Contest Winners To Be Announced in Two Weeks Winners of $6,750 in the fifth an nual Carolina Power & Light Com pany “Finer Carolina” contest will be named within the next two weeks, it was announced today. March 1 is the deadline for enter ing the 1957-58 contest for munici pal improvements, according to the announcement. E. N. Pope, CPIcL advertising director, said this week that scrap books from 85 towns competing in the 1956 “Finer Carolina” contest will be judged by March 1, and I winners announced shortly after that date. Meanwhile, 62 Carolina rural communities comprising 4,650 farm families, have entered CP&L’s fifth annual “Finer Farms” con test which offers $2,800 in cash prizes for outstanding soil con servation practices. In the “Finer Carolina” compe tition, awards will be given towns of three population classifications: 1,000 population and under, 1,001 to 4,000 population, and 4,000 pop ulation and over. First prize for each classification is $1,000, sec ond prize is $500, and third prize is $250. Project prizes of $250, $150 and $100 will go to communities other than grand prize winners. Ten honorable mention plaques will be awarded. Awards in the 1957 “Finer Farms” contest will be made to soil conservation supervisors, com munities and sponsoring groups for outstanding soil and water con servation practices. Practices car ried out between July 1, 1956, and June 30, 1957, will be considered.
Zebulon Record (Zebulon, N.C.)
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Feb. 26, 1957, edition 1
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