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NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ^ association
ASSOCIATION
Published t??f) Thursda) at Raeford. N.C. 28376
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BILL LINDAL' Asaodate Editor
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SAM C. MORRIS Contributing Editor
Second Class Postage at Raeford, N.C.
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THURSDAY. MAY 27. 1982
Teacher protection
The State Teacher Tenure Act has been called a "prime example
of a bad law" by Hoke County Schools Supt. G. Raz Autry (in his
column of May 20).
In essence, some administrators and laymen feel that the act
makes it practically impossible to fire an incompetent teacher.
To avoid the danger of taking the Hoke County superintendent's
comment out of context, we'll point out that his comments on the
law and the legislature which enacted it were incidental to his
general subject of "mental toughness." Autry says "This law was
passed by a legislature that accepted the word of an organization
that was primarily looking for a way to protect an individual in the
teaching profession regardless of whether they were competent or
not." He adds that "teachers need protection but incompetent
teachers or administrators should not be allowed to hide behind a
bad law."
One experienced educator, however, points out that in essence the
Teacher Tenure Act spells out a procedure for firing a teacher.
Among other things, essentially, also, a teacher can be fired only for
one of the 14 reasons listed in the act. and these reasons include
moral conduct as well as professional performance. Among other
things also, the act spells out the procedure for a fired teacher to
follow to appeal from the firing. That appeal prodecure is the
primary reason for the complaint that the act makes it practically
impossible to fire a teacher. On the other hand, the act covers only
teachers who have been given professional status -- "tenure" -- by
reason of professional performance found satisfactory by their
supervisors after so many years of teaching after starting
employment (three years in the same school system, five in the
teacher's present system and previous system combined).
Before the Teacher Tenure Act was enacted, a principal or school
board could fire a teacher for any reason or for no reason at all, and
competence wasn't necessarily the reason. And many did.
Principals, who have been "credited" with most of the pre-Tenure
Act firings, could dismiss a teacher, for example, having the "wrong
attitude." "Attitude" is a matter of opinion and may or may not
have anything to do with competence.
The prime mover of the tenure bill through the General Assembly,
incidentally, was a former public school teacher who became a
lawyer -- State Sen. McKinley (Mack) Smith of Guilford County --
who was acting from experience, not accepting the word of an
organization.
The act simply makes the supervisors spell out the reasons for
firing, makes them stick to the list of reasons, and provide the
dismissed teacher for appealing.
It does, of course, make it tough to fire a teacher even for good
reason; but the act. or something like it, is better than the old.
freewheeling arbitrary system of firing left in the hands of local
school boards and supervisors. In short, it protects a good teacher
from firing for a personal reason that has nothing to do with the job.
It does, obviously, provide job security for the conscientious
teacher, and this frees him or her from the distraction of worrying
whether he or she will have a job next month or next year -- a
distraction which cuts down professional efficiency. It still leaves the
supervisor with the right to evaluate a teacher for competence or
incompetence and for personal conduct which interferes with the
teacher's doing the job.
We avoid using the word "competence" because that amounts to a
judgment to be made by the professional administrator.
The act essentially also works on the principle of the criminal
justice system: "Better than a thousand guilty go free than one
innocent be punished."
Remembering the times before the tenure act. we'll say it should
be kept until something better comes along, since we believe that
something between 90 and 99 per cent of all teachers are doing their
jobs as they should be done, and junking the tenure act because a
few "undesirables" are saved by its "safety net" would be throwing
the babv out with the bath water.
--BL
F ood for thought
This editorial was published in The Franklin Times about a
Franklin County matter but members of local boards and
commissions anywhere should find something in it to think about
seriously.
* * *
Once again the message comes out clear you can't discuss issues
in a secret session and expect them to remain under cover. The first
time it becomes expedient for the information to be disclosed, it will
break and the egg is bound to show up on someone's face.
Commissioner Ronnie Goswick appeared to be the champion of
the schools... both for the Franklinton and Franklin County systems
at the outset of a meeting Monday night concerning improvements to
the downtown Louisburg-Courthouse area. ..an area that will be the
focal point of the entire revitalization effort. Planners had explained
that the design plan's success would hinge on an initial commitment,
beginning at the courthouse area.
But Goswick began to ask what the county's priorities
were... would the county begin to address the health and safety needs
in schools or would it assign first priority to downtown revitalization?
He gave the impression that he had crusaded for funds for school
improvements when both Franklinton and Franklin County school
boards outlined their needs just several months ago.
According to Commissioner James Hunt, who contested
Goswick's reasons for objecting to approval of funds for
revitalization, it had been Goswick who led the battle against
providing funds for health and safety needs for schools because of
You're the guy that was supposed
to be going down'
the manner in which already allocated funds had been expended.
Goswick's earlier position was in obvious conflict with his statements
at Monday's meeting, Hunt contended.
If this indeed was the content of the discussion held in the closed
session of the board, then the discussion itself was probably outside
the bounds allowed by the open meetings statute, which provides
specific interpretations about what can be discussed in a closed
session of the board.
If that is the case, then it appears that the only reason that the
matter was handled in closed session was to prevent the public from
observing debate among members of the board. When the board
resumed its open session later on that particular evening, it appeared
to the public that no debate had occurred.
But since the statute does not provide any punitive damages to be
assessed for discussion of items in closed sessions, other than
reversal of any decision reached and to require that it be done over,
the public can expect more of these sessions every time the heat
becomes too great, politically, for issues to be discussed in open
session.
The public will be the winner, eventually, as members of
committees, commissions, or councils "tag" each other at a later
open session of a governmental meeting all of which is
reportable to the the public.
And if anyone expects to see the media overlook the exchange and
pretend it didn't occur, they've got another think coming. At the
present time, it's our turn to laugh.
? FPJ
CLIFF BLUE .
People & Issues fc?B
CP&L SALARIES. ..In an arti
cle on Carolina Power & Light
Company salaries a few days ago.
Utilities Commission Chairman,
Robert K. Koger, told CP&L Ex
ecutive Vice President, that it
"might behoove you to look at the
possibility that stockholders pay a
share of executive salaries (rather
than ratepayers)."
Chairman Koger has put me to
thinking. It is the officers of the
company, or a committee from the
board, that recommends the
salaries of all big companies that I
know about.
We feel that the shareholders
should pay modest salaries, but
not "big" salaries like some of the
executives are making. Officers of
corporations like CP&L and Duke
are not "one gallus" gentlemen.
If the directors wanted to enrich
the salaries of the top officers and
make it public, our horse-back opi
nion is that there might not be
anything wrong in that. Just a
fleeting thought!
BILLY GRAHAM.. .Right
much has been said over television
and in the newspapers about Billy
Graham's visit to Russia. I'm glad
he went and I feel that he con
ducted himself very well. Some of
the clergy and others have been
quite critical of Graham's visit and
his comments at the conclusion.
Number one: We want to avoid
another World War, and if one
breaks out, it will be hard to keep
the United States from becoming
involved. We hate to imagine what
these two nations with the latest in
deadly bombs might do to each
other.
It's just possible that Billy
Graham might be the person to
prevent an all-out collision.
We have great confidence in Bil
ly Graham. We don't believe he,
with God's help, would go wrong,
or do wrong!
TAR HEELS. ..We were check
ing over Tar Heel congressmen as
to how many were Tar Heel born.
We found that two congressmen
and one U.S. Senator were born
out of state.
Jesse Helms was born in Union
County, graduated Monroe High
School, Wingate College and
Wake Forest University. Home
now in Raleigh.
John P. East, born in Illinois,
graduated University of Illinois
Law School; Law degree, Universi
ty of Florida.
L.H. Fountain, born in
Edgecombe County; educated
public schools in Edgecombe;
UNC. Chapel Hill. A.B. & J.D.
degree.
Charles O. Whitley, born in
Siler City, educated Siler City
Schools; graduate. Wake Forest &
George Washington University.
Ike Franklin Andrews; born in
Bonlee, Chatham County; attend
ed Bonlee High School; Fork Union
Military Academy. Virginia; Mars
Hill College; UNC graduate. B.S.
& L.L.B. degrees.
S.L. Neal, born in Winston
Salem; attended University of
California; graduated University
of Hawaii.
Walter Eugene Johnston, 111,
born in Winston Salem; attended
Duke University; graduated Wake
Forest. CPA certificate 1963.
Charles G. Rose. Ill, born in
Fayetteville; Davidson College,
B.A.; UNC Law School. L.L.B.
W.G. (Bill) Hefner, born in Ten
nessee. Professional background:
President WRKB Radio Station,
Entertainer, Harvesters Quartet,
Television Performer.
James G. Martin, born in
Savannah, Ga.; graduated, Mt.
Zion Institute, 1953; Davidson
College 1957; Princeton Universi
ty, PhD.
James Thomas Broyhill, born in
Caldwell County; Lenoir Public
Schools; graduated Lenoir High
School. 1946; UNC 1950, B.S.
Degree in Commerce. 10th Con
gressional District.
William M. Hendon, born in
Buncombe County; David Millard
Junior High. Lee Edwards High
School; graduated University of
Tennessee. B.A. & M.A
"Man oflan miitiki notoriety for fama, and would rather
ba ramarkad for thair vioat and fo4lta than not to ba
notioad at alii" Harry S. Truman
?
It's a Small W orld I
By Bill Lindau
In recent months I've been
writing editorials saying "nice"
things about the Hoke County
school system.
Well, enough people are throw
ing the bricks at the administra
tion. so I feel somebody should say
something "nice," just to balance
the picture. Besides. I prefer
writing editorials about the bright
spots in the world in general. For
one thing I don't know enough
about the grim stuff (like the
Falkland Islands mess, or the U.S.
economy mess, or the school prayer
bit) to write an intelligent analysts
and take sides. Regardless of what
critics say, I certainly do allow a
little ignorance to keep me from
running my mouth. Of course, the
catch is I don't always know that
I'm ignorant.
I leave the grim stuff, unless
there's no way out of it, to the daily
newspapers' editorialists, except
when there's no way out of it. The
people who read The N-J also read
these dailies (though it pains us to
admit it), and those editorial
writers have much more time to
study their subjects to write intelli
gently about them.
And somebody ought to do it.
Somebody ought to write the
cheerful stuff, too, which is what I
try to do.
I believe if I read nothing but the
dailies and saw and heard nothing
on television but the news on
television 1 believe that after a few
weeks of it I'd just go and hurl
myself into a vat of Jergens Lotion
and soften myself to death (that
"method" I stole from TV comedy
writer Jack Douglas. He said the
essence of it in his appearance on a
"Tonight" show about 20 years
ago).
Anyway, to put a reverse twist on
the late W.C. Field's immortal
comment, "Anybody who hates
small boys and dogs can't be all
bad," I'll thow in this argument
about writing "nice" editorial: any
school system that allows has its
kindergarten kids lu see life start in
a mere egg. and achieve the _
technical skill to make prize-win- I
ning exhibits of carpentry, elec
tronics and electricity for a district
wide show, and the enjoyment of
singing and playing the beautiful
music beautifully, and help men
tally and or physically handicapped
live and enjoy living as fully as they
can can't be all bad. I could toss in
a half dozen (at least) more
examples, but those do the job.
(Those would include giving the !|
students the knowledge and ability
to practice the old tradition arts of
reading 'riting and 'rithmetic.)
? ? ?
All this was inspired by experi
ences I've had in the past several
weeks, going out and taking pic
tures at school, as 1 have said
before.
The most recent was the time at {?
Upchurch Junior High School. I
went there to get a picture of the
chorus, directed by Anne Freeze,
rehearsing for last Saturday's per
formance. I took the picture (after
first getting the Good Witch to
stoop a little so her feet wouldn't
show -? those sneakers or socks
without sneakers didn't seem to go
with that beautiful, full length
gown she was wearing). Then 1 sat
down to wait for a sheet of v"
information to be fetched. So Mrs.
Freeze resumed the rehearsal. The
soprano soloist, who appeared to be
about 14 or IS, started singing. It
was incredible. She sounded like an
experienced, excellent professional
concert singer. But then Mrs.
Freeze stopped her and gave her a
brief example of the way the
singing could be improved. The
effect likewise was incredible. She _
sounded like a brilliant concert I
star who is the excellent teacher of
the excellent professional concert
star.
Then the chorus started singing.
The effect was the same. Beautiful.
And all that was just a rehearsal.
Letter To The Editor
Editor, The News-Journal
1 want to thank the nice people
on Donaldson Avenue who assisted
me Friday after I had a minor
biking accident.
I have no idea of their names,
but they were certainly kind and
solicitous to me and I want them to
know how much 1 appreciate this.
1 believe it is reflective of the nice
people we have in our community
that these folks would take the time
to help me. - . I .
Thank you,
Sonya A. Falls
Puppy Creek Philosopher
Dear editor:
Up to now the United Nations
hasn't had any luck preventing
wars. It passes resolutions against
them but nobody pays any atten
tion.
There's an area however where it
might function better. Instead of
trying to prevent wars it could try
scheduling them.
Like it is, Iran and Iraq were
doing very well on TV with their
war until the Mideast flared up and
took away their ratings. Then the
Falkland Islands came along and
took away the Mideast's ratings.
Have you considered what a
predicament there'd be if a fourth
war broke out and here we are with
only three networks? A war without
TV coverage is hardly worth fight
ing, yet networks can cover just so
many at one time.
Here's where the UN comes in. It
should schedule wars. Assign num
bers to countries mad at each other
and make them wait their turn.
Start a war out of turn and you get
no TV coverage.
Also, you've got to remember a
network's evening news program
lasts only 30 minutes. It's impos
sible to cover three wars in that
span of time and leave room for
wrecks, floods, tornadoes. Con
gress. State Legislatures and other
disasters.
Therefore ABC, CBS and NBC
ought to get together and divide up
the wars. One take Iran-Iraq,
another take the Mideast, and
another the Falkland Islands.
Like it is, with all three trying to
cover three wars at once, no telling
how much domestic news they have
to leave out. Congress could vote
itself another raise and you'd never
see it on your TV screen.
Yours faithfully,
J. A.
iBrowsing in the files
1 of The Nows-Journal
25 years ago
Thunday, May 23, 1957
The Hoke County board of
commissioners at their meeting
Monday discussed the county road
system with the State Highway
Commission and voted to ask that
the Raeford-Vass road, through the
reservation, be dropped from the
county system and map.
? * ?
Hoke County Highway Main
tenance Supervisor Luke Powell
said this week that the highway
department has tentative plans to
close a section of highway 401 for
several days next week in order to
repair the bridge over Rock fish
Creek north of town.
? ? #
Gerald Wright, Johnny Mc
Phaul, Billy Lester, Derry Walker
and Miss Peggy Parks who attend
East Carolina College are at home
for the summer.
* * *
Mrs. Sam Hiser will exhibit the
work of her art students Wednes
day afternoon from 2:00 until 5:00
o'clock In the Fellowship Hall of
the Presbyterian Church.
15 years ago
Thursday, May 25, 1967
Raeford Jaycees complained this
week that they were excluded from
entering a softball team in the
church softball league and that
three other teams were denied
access to the United Fund sup
ported program.
Mrs. Willie Peele McPhaul,
teacher at Raeford Elementary
School for the past 17 years, died of
a heart attack Wednesday morn
ing.
* * ?
Leonard (Zeke) Wiggins, 28, has r
been employed by Raeford Police *
Department and will begin his
duties there June 1, according to
Chief L.W. Stanton.
? ? ?
Report of a three-way study of
Raeford's allegedly pressing sewer
problem is expected to be presented
to the town board when it meets the
first Monday in June, Town Man
ager Ed Williams said this week. *