School board modifies public input policy – Source: The Rocky Mount Telegram

Those wishing to address the Nash-Rocky Mount Board of Education during one of its regularly scheduled public meetings now have to sign up by noon the day of the meeting.

The board used to allow the public to sign up any time prior to the start of the meeting. The policy was enacted this summer. (Read more)

 

Edgecombe to hold superintendent forum; Nash board to discuss budget – Source: The Rocky Mount Telegram

The Nash-Rocky Mount Board of Education will hold a work session at 6 p.m. Monday in the Central Office in Nashville. The Edgecombe County Board of Education also will meet thirty minutes later in the board room in Tarboro at 412 Pearl St. (Read more @ The Rocky Mount Telegram)

Note: The Agenda for Edgecombe County Public Schools meeting:

Regular Meeting of the Edgecombe County Board of Education

Edgecombe County Board Rooms

412 Pearl Street

Tarboro, NC 27886

April 19, 2010

AGENDA

6:30 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. PUBLIC FORUM (OPEN SESSION)

(1) Call to Order of Regular Meeting of the Board

(1.1) Pledge of Allegiance

(2) Public Comments on the Desired Characteristics of the New Superintendent

7:00 P.M. REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING

(2.1) Public Comments Not Related to the Superintendent Search

(This time for public comments has been established for citizens who desire to address the board and who register prior to the start of the meeting. The Board has established a 3-minute time limitation for comments to be taken into consideration by the Board. Public comments must relate to items on the agenda. Feedback will not be given during the Board Session. If a response is necessary, the Board will respond within ten working days. Thank you. [Edgecombe County Board of Education Policy 2210])

(3) Recognition

(4) Approval of Agenda

(5) Approval of Open Session Minutes

(6) Items for Information

(6.1) Tenure Eligibility List

(7) Committee Reports

(8)A. Consent Items (One Motion Approval)

(8.1.A) Approval of Payroll Calendars for 2010-2011

(8.2.A) Approval of Field Trips

(8)B. Items for Action

(8.1.B) Approval of Lighting for SouthWest Edgecombe High School’s Baseball Field

(8.2.B) Approval of Participation in Professional Learning Community (PLC)

Development Grant

(8.3.B) Approval of Memorandum of Agreement for Participation in NCVPS GO LIVE

(8.4.B) Approval of Cooperative Agreement Between Edgecombe County Board of

Education and NC Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services

(8.5.B) Approval of Participation in NC Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention Survey – Gang Assessment Edgecombe and Nash Counties

Motion Required: I make a motion under the North Carolina Open Meetings Law, Sections 143-318.11 (a) (1), (a) (3), and (a) (6), to go into Closed Session to consider personnel matters, to consult with the attorney to preserve attorney-client privileged information, and to prevent the disclosure of student records rendered confidential under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. 1232g, and the disclosure of personnel records rendered confidential under G.S. 115C-319 through 321.

CLOSED SESSION:

(9.1) Personnel Management

(9.1.1) Listed Personnel (Contracted, New Hires, Resignations, Retirements, Substitutes, Transfers, Leave Requests, etc.)

(9.1.2) Extra Curricula Activities Personnel

(9.2) Student Management

(9.2.1) Student Transfers

(9.3) Review of Closed Session Minutes

(9.4) Superintendent Search

OPEN SESSION:

(10) Approval of Closed Session Items:

- (10.1) Personnel

- (10.2) Closed Session Minutes

(11) Board Correspondence

(12) Items Brought by Board Members or Superintendent for Consideration/Discussion

(12.1) Graduation Ceremonies – Request of Board Attendance Roster

(13) Adjourn

Posted on web site at www.ecps.us

Diane C. LeFiles
Community Relations Director
Edgecombe County Public Schools
412 Pearl Street or P.O. Box 7128
Tarboro, North Carolina 27886
Office 252-641-2651
Cell 252-903-0244
www.ecps.us

Forum eyes state of the community – Source: The Rocky Mount Telegram

The Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce will hold the 11th annual State of the Community Forum & Luncheon on April 27 at Nash Community College Business & Industry Center — Brown Auditorium. (Read more @ The Rocky Mount Telegram)

Note: This should be quite interesting:

1. Education and Technology Initiatives presentations that will cover Nash and Edgecombe Counties.

2.     Community Initiatives presentations

The forum presentations will conclude at 12:15 p.m. and will be followed immediately by the Luncheon that will feature a special presentation and keynote speaker on job creation and economic development.

School district kids still getting spanked – Source: The Rocky Mount Telegram

The days of taking a hickory paddle to an undisciplined student’s rear end aren’t in the past.

In terms of corporal punishment administration from October 2009 to January 2010, the Nash-Rocky Mount school district ranked second in the state with 296 spankings. Robeson County followed with 167 spankings. Burke County took the No. 1 spot with 325 spankings. The three districts together account for more than 50 percent of the corporal punishment administered in North Carolina. (Read more @ The Rocky Mount Telegram)

County taps financing for new high school – Source The Rocky Mount Telegram

NASHVILLE – Nash County leaders firmed up funding and financing options for several county capital projects, including a new Rocky Mount High School. (Read more @ The Rocky Mount Telegram)

I Read A Letter In The Daily Southerner Written By Dr. Evelyn Johnson About “Morals And Values, Oh My”

First of all I didn’t need to stumble across this because I am fed up with what is going on in Tarboro/Edgecombe County. I am sick and tired of folks acting as if they are all about the children and Tarboro/Edgecombe County moving forward when they are holding us just where we are.

I called in to a local radio station on yesterday releasing my frustration about what is going on around us.

I want to address the following statement from Dr. Johnson’s letter to the editor, “For years we’ve developed beautiful plans illustrating how schools, churches, communities work together. It sounds good, but why is it so difficult to get the groups to form teams that continuously work cooperatively to improve the community?”

The schools: We have many issues and they are not only issues with our children but with some educators as well. Now so many folks talk about what the parents and children are not doing, well I don’t meet that description so I am going to talk from an involved parent position.

I have been actively involved as an advocate for children long before I had a child in the system. Many folks said in the early 90’s I ought to be glad I didn’t have a child in the system.

I have served on the school’s PTO, School Improvement Team, Board of Education Advisory Committee, Closing the Achievement Gap Committee and other school related initiatives. I have attended the school board meetings faithfully over the years until I just got fed up with going when many times there were no other parents present. The schools say they want parental involvement but I came to the conclusion years ago that is a damn lie.

Look at the age of the school board members and how long they have been on the board. Look at how many of them have children in the system and if they do not, are they really fighting for other folks children.

The churches: I have not seen the churches truly involved over the years. But when there is an issue at the school some pastors will get involved as if they are concerned. Hell they knew there were issues before they were asked to get involved but have chosen to be a safe Negro.

What programs are set up in the local churches to help the youth? Every now and then things are put in place for the so-called at-risk children when in fact all of the children are at-risk. Hell we as black men are at-risk.

Communities: I am going to incorporate community organizations into this category. What is going on in our communities to help our children? What are the community based organizations: School Alumni groups, NAACP, Fraternities, Sororities, Masons, Eastern Stars and others doing to help the children during the school year? It is good to give out scholarships at the end of the school year but the children catch hell all year long.

Where is the retired educators in the communities? What are they doing?

Hell we have allowed other folks to do things in our school system and the Alumni groups set back and didn’t say a word. Look at G.W. Carver in Pinetops. They took the gym and made it an auditorium with carpet throughout the whole gym. They were talking about naming the gym after a white P.E. teacher and I said what in the hell has he done in the community? Hell I don’t even think he lived in the area. I spoke to the Alumni President at that time and asked them why they were not involved in what goes on at the school. Hell for a long time there were no picture of the black principal Samuel A. Gilliam in the school.

I had joined the Alumni as an associated member but dropped out after the 1st year because I had a problem with attending meetings at the school and no Alumni members attended so I had to fight these devils all by myself.

The children: The children are crying for help especially those who are not on the at-risk list. They are being ignored as if they are like we are, I got mines so let the others get theirs. The children want to go to school in a safe and productive environment. They want to learn however they want to be taught and challenged as well. Some of these children who are not at-risk come from some single family homes and other just like those we label at-risk.

My question, in my dealings with the school system serving on the PTO, School Improvement Team and etc., Community Organizations and etc. is when are we going to change the way we do things. We continue to do the same old b.s. and keep getting the same results. I am convinced many don’t want change.

We use our children. During events like Dr. MLK Celebrations and other we use our children to write beautiful essays and they get their moment of fame for a day or 2. During the main event breakfast, banquet and/or etc. the top prize winner get to read their speech and sometimes the 2nd place does but the 3rd place do not. Hell one time a year these children will be recognized but if they are not the top prize winner they are really a nobody.

How many times do we see the children being invited to speak to a standing room only gathering be it during the Dr. MLK Celebrations, NAACP, other organizational banquets and/or etc?

Why we can’t come together? Because the adults are stuck on damn titles. I am so and so, Rev., Rev. Dr., Dr., President, Chair and this and that, while we are losing our children.

Morals: The children are watching us. They see how damn ignant we are. We support adult criminals but yet our children are just doing children things and we write them the hell off.

We allow certain folks in our communities for example, a so-called Rev. to attack one of our young leaders and we sit back silent. We allow the news media to help push the agenda to destroy our leadership and we sit back silent. Not only did he attack that leader but continuously keep confusion in meetings throughout the county. The person is now the chair of the Edgecombe County Human Relations Commission under the direction of the Edgecombe County Commissioners which is now a black majority. What in the hell kind of message are we sending to our children?

But when we as a black people try to get something in the local newspapers that will send positive messages to our communities they will not print that.

For instance this letter to the editor from Dr. Johnson a former Edgecombe County Educator made the paper because it is about a little black child and she talks about how we are not together. In my opinion if the racist newspaper thought for one minute that black folks are going to come together they would not have printed it. I say this strongly because of my dealings with the paper and from tracking the local newspapers in the area. I have talked to many black folks who have written letters to the editor and they were not published.

I am convinced that the leaders I have dealt with since the 90’s are not going to come together. I know all of them and what they are all about and the results are in.

Dr. Johnson I read you,  “Tarboro/Edgecombe County:   How many more headlines do we need to read about the enemy preying on our youth before we make some changes?”

But my question is, “Why should it take a headline for us to get it?” We all know what is going on in our communities that we live, work and play but we wait for the headlines. I am aware, I talk to people all the time so therefore I am not moved by headlines alone but by that which I see in the community, that I know and that I hear from people weekly.

I have decided that I am going to change the way I do things.

Curmilus Dancy II – DCN Publisher

 

The North Carolina Committee on Dropout Prevention Schedules Meetings

The North Carolina Committee

on

Dropout Prevention Schedules Meetings

The North Carolina Committee on Dropout Prevention will meet via Webinar on Monday, Nov. 2, from 2:00pm – 3:00p.m., to review the evaluation of 2007 and 2008 dropout prevention grant programs.  Members of the public who would like to attend may register at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/377029616 .

The North Carolina Committee on Dropout Prevention will also meet Nov. 16-18 at Wake Technical Community College, Western Wake Campus located in Millpond Village, 3434 Kildaire Farm Road, Cary. Agenda items include awarding 2009 grants and review of a procedures manual. The meeting will begin at 10:00a.m on Nov. 16 and 9:00a.m on Nov. 17-18.

For more information on either of these meetings, please contact Debora Williams at dwilliams@dpi.state.nc.us or 919.807.3925 or 919.807.3912.

North Carolina – Education Lottery Money Is Given To Students Entering Colleges

I know it to be factual that some students receive college scholarships from the lottery because my child did. I will continue to participate in the lottery because not only will my few dollars help my child but other children as well. This is a worthwhile investment. Lottery funds are helping our children so for all the naysayers who say monies do not go towards education, I beg the differ. C. Dancy II DCN Publisher

Lottery Transfers Over $115 Million to Education Fund

RALEIGH- Today, the North Carolina Education Lottery (NCEL) transferred over $115 million to the State Education Lottery Fund. This transfer brings the overall tally of funds that the NCEL has generated for the education fund to over $1.25 billion. 

“All of us here at the NCEL are so pleased that we have been able to continue to generate good sales and once again transfer a substantial amount to the designated education programs,” said Tom Shaheen, NCEL executive director. “We are only able to accomplish this with the help of our hard working retail partners and the citizens who play our games.” 

The NCEL made the electronic transfer to the Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) this morning. 

The Lottery Act designates that 50 percent of proceeds is to be split between pre-kindergarten programs for at-risk four year olds and class size reduction in the early grades; 40 percent to school construction; and 10 percent to college scholarships. 

Since inception (March 30, 2006) through Oct. 21, 2009, the NCEL has surpassed $3.9 billion total gross sales with anticipation of surpassing $4 billion in November. Over 95 cents of every dollar is returned to North Carolina in the form of beneficiary programs, prizes and retailer commissions.

…

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Edgecombe County – Schools DropOut Rate In The News Again

The dropout rate has been an issue among some of us who have been actively engaged in our local school systems in the Twin County for many years. Now see what a national non-profit group is calling for.

 

Education – Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools Board Meeting This Week

I attended the Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools Board of Education Meeting on this past Monday after attending a meeting the previous week whereby Rev. Ethan Arrington pastor of New Destiny Church held a meeting at St. Luke Church in Nashville NC. The church was filled and many spoke of the issues they had with the Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools system. They named several schools.

I attended and videoed the BOE meeting this past week. As usual Rev. Robert Bynum board member (black male) always ask the right questions and say the right things.

It was so funny that one of the other black board members came up to me after the meeting and said, “What are you doing here, working?” Come on now that person know that I video for myself and don’t get paid to do it so I don’t call it working.

Video of the meeting coming soon.

Speaking Truth To Power – President Obama Speech to Students

So what was the damn problem with this speech? I didn’t read it yesterday because I wanted to see it on video since I would be at work during the time it would be shown live. The message was right on target. C. Dancy II – DCN Publisher

See related:

Twin Counties – President’s school address draws GOP fire

Press Release – Pitt County: Coalition President Condemns PCS Decision on Obama Address to Students

Twin Counties – President’s school address draws GOP fire

What a damn shame. All through school I was told that we all could be President even the black man. Now that we have an intelligent black man as our 44th President, racist white folks and safe Negroes are showing just how ignant they are. I am talking about the safe Negroes in the GOP especially. This shows me that these folks are inferior of an intelligent forward thinking black man. C. Dancy II – DCN Publisher

When students return to school in the Twin Counties on Tuesday, they’ll be greeted with a message from President Barack Obama about the importance of education and hard work in achieving their dreams.

But conservative critics say Obama’s planned televised address to schools is a veiled attempt to indoctrinate students with a left-leaning political agenda. (The Rocky Mount Telegram)

See related:

Some classes will listen to speech

Nashville NC – School system downsizes central office staff

Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools has downsized its central office administrators by reassigning staff to positions throughout the district — a move approved during a Monday board of education meeting.

It’s another change in a series of many as funds are cut, state budget uncertainties loom and the district attempts to keep in line with its mission of educating every child. (Rocky Mount Telegram)

Nashville NC – School district to recognize outgoing board member

This is quite interesting. I can remember going to the board meetings from time to time and Horner was a character. He also attended atleast one NAACP forum. C. Dancy II – DCN Publisher

Nash-Rocky Mount school board member Rick Horner is moving from Bailey to Wilson, and consequently ending his 14-year tenure serving the district.

Horner, who will be 52 on Thursday, will be recognized for his service during tonight’s board meeting. Horner said he ran for the seat because he felt he needed to stand up for people. (Source: Rocky Mount Telegram)