Photos/Video: NC House Rep. Shelly Willingham Swearing In Ceremony Saturday January 10, 2015

Click on photo to view more photos
In this photo Judge Quentin Sumner (left), Alethia Willingham (center)
, Rep. Shelly Willingham (right)

image

Click on photo to watch video
In this photo Judge Quentin Sumner (left), Alethia Willingham (center), Rep. Shelly Willingham (right)

image

George Zimmerman arrested on suspected domestic violence

(CNN)George Zimmerman — acquitted by a Florida jury over the death of Trayvon Martin — was arrested in Florida on suspicion of aggravated assault and domestic violence with a weapon, local authorities said.

The 31-year-old Florida resident was arrested Friday by police in Lake Mary at about 10 p.m. and booked into the John E. Polk Correctional Facility, according to that facility’s website. That facility, like its website, is run by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.

It all came about after Zimmerman allegedly threw a wine bottle at a girlfriend, his lawyer Don West told reporters. (Source: Read more)

2015 College Round-Up Weekend of Events Robert H. Whitehead Scholarship Banquet/College Round-Up

The Black Heritage Museum & Cultural  Center, Inc.  

2015 College Round-Up™ Weekend of Events

Friday, March 13, 2015

Join Us for the

Robert H. Whitehead

Scholarship Banquet

6pm to 9pm

Double Tree Hotel

651 N. Winstead Avenue

Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804

Donation: $35

Saturday, March 14, 2015

2015 College Round-Up Event

Edgecombe Community College Tarboro Campus, Tarboro, NC 27886

9am – 3pm

Keynote Speaker Durham, NC native

clip_image002

Dr. N’Krumah D. Lewis, Ph.D

Distinguished author, entrepreneur and social activist

Autobiography

“Becoming A Butterfly” From Prison to Ph.D

 

“LET’S MAKE PRINCEVILLE GREAT AGAIN” 130th Year of Incorporation Week Long Celebration


 
“LET’S MAKE PRINCEVILLE GREAT AGAIN

Greetings,

The town of Princeville, North Carolina will celebrate its 130th year of incorporation the week of February 2- 8, 2015.  Princeville is the oldest town incorporated by blacks in America. Our rich history has brought us to a week of festivities. Our Mayor, Bobbie Jones and the Commissioners are all excited and anxiously await the celebration.   

Our desire is to bring back former citizens and honor the current.  We are planning to have activities from the youngest to the oldest citizen.  Attached for your review is a listing of our scheduled activities for the week.  

 

Your support in our endeavor is greatly needed.  Your kind donation(s) will initiate the beginning to a great week of historical renewal.  Please make checks payable to:  The Town of Princeville, 201 S. Main St., Princeville, NC 27886 C/O 130th Birthday Town Committee.  If you have any clarifying questions, please feel free to contact our Chair of this event:  Dr. Glenda Lawrence-Knight at 252-538-1384.

 

 

MONETARY CONTRIBUTION ___________ (amount)

Will be accepted up until the week of the event and this contribution will provide assistance with the weeks’ expense including but not limited to:  food, decorations, equipment, advertising, accolades, transportation, facilities, etc.

 

SOUVENIR BOOKLET

________$75.00 Full Page    __________$50.00 ½ Page    _______ $25.00 ¼ Page

___________$10.00 Patron names ______________Business Cards $15.00

Please be sure to attach with your check how you would like to see your ad in the Souvenir Booklet from your selection above or send to: TIPSINC6774@aol.com. 

 

SPONSORSHIP

_______ $250 to sponsor a table for the 2/7/15 Saturday banquet is available as long as they last.  Please ensure that there are tables remaining by calling the Princeville Town Hall at (252) 823-1057 or the Chair at the number above before sending money. 

 

 

Sincerely,

Princeville 130th Birthday Committee:

Dr. Glenda Lawrence-Knight, Chair

Mr. Bobbie Jones, Mayor

Dr. Delores Porter

Commissioner JoeRoam Myrick

Ms. Yolanda Thigpen

Ms. Denese Tyson

Ms. Tyronda Whitaker

 

 

 

130TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

“OLDEST TOWN CHARTERED BY BLACK AMERICANS”

Let’s Make Princeville Great Again

February 2-8 2015

Monday, Feb 2

6PM                       Formal Opening:  Charge for Peace & Proclamation

                               Princeville Town Hall

 

Tuesday, Feb 3

10AM – 12PM      Senior Citizens Day

                               Princeville Senior Citizens Building

 

Wednesday, Feb 4

6pm-8pm             Night for Prayer

                               Princeville Town Hall

 

Thursday, Feb 5

6PM                      Historical Tales, Poetry & Play

                              Princeville Town Hall

 

Friday, Feb 6**      

6PM                      Talent/Fashion Show

                              Princeville Elementary School

                               ** Admission Fee $5.00

                                         Food items will be available for purchase…

 

Saturday, Feb7**
6PM                       Banquet

                               St. Luke Church

                               **$25 per Ticket or $250 per Table

Tickets can be purchased from any Birthday Committee Member or at

The Princeville Town Hall                           

 

Sunday, Feb 8

9AM-10AM          Praise & Prayer:  Mount Zion Church

11AM                     Church Service:   Macedonia Baptist Church

           

“ALL CITIZENS ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO HELP CELEBRATE 130 YEARS AND COUNTING!!!!!”

 

Note: Donate and/or Participate! Tell them you seen this message on The DCN TV

 

 

Homegoing Celebration For Mary Sharpe Famer Rocky Mount NC

My condolences goes out to Lori the entire family of the late Mary Sharpe Farmer Rocky Mount NC.                                                                                                                                         

Script.: Read Eccles. 3 and know, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”

Song: Praying For You – William Murphy

The Obituary

More Obituaries

Homegoing Celebration For Thomas Williams Jr. Pinetops NC

My condolences goes out to the entire family of the late Thomas Williams, Jr. Pinetops NC.

I have being knowing Big Boot nearly all of my life. I used to prepare his garden when I was a little boy. I went to school with some of the children.

Script.: Read Eccles. 3 and know, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”

Song: Praying For You – William Murphy

The Obituary

More Obituaries

NAACP Chapter Bombing in Colorado Springs Deliberate: FBI–NewsWeek

A homemade explosive Tuesday blew up outside the Colorado Springs, Colorado, chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in what the FBI has called a deliberate incident, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The chapter’s offices, as well as Mr. G’s Hair Design Studios barber shop located inside the building, sustained minor damage from the explosion. No deaths or injuries have been reported.

Witnesses reported hearing a “loud boom” around 10:45 a.m. local time. “There was smoke everywhere, the building on the side was burnt,” one onlooker told local television station KDVR. The Los Angeles Times reports an improvised bomb appears to have been positioned against the outside wall of the building on South El Paso Street. It was placed right next to a gasoline can, but the latter didn’t burst during the explosion, according to FBI spokeswoman Amy Sanders. (Source: Read more)

Freedom Of Speech!

Freedom of Speech comes with a price and sometimes it can be a hell of a price? Are you willing and ready to pay the price, because if not, then you better sit down and shut the hell up! Curmilus Dancy II The Political Agitator January 8, 2015

Rev. Al Sharpton said it best in 2005 while addressing the NC NAACP State Conference of Branches during our State Convention Greensboro NC. His message was, If You Scared, Say It Rev. Al Sharpton Four Seasons Greensboro NC 2005” I love this speech and go back and look at it from time to time when I need some to be reminded of what is real and what is perceived. The mess that we are facing today was some of the same mess he addressed.

Photo in Klan-like garb leads to threats against Nash Central High students – WRAL

Rocky Mount, N.C. — Six students are being escorted to class at Nash Central High School, officials said Tuesday, after a photo of them wearing what some say are Ku Klux Klan-style hoods made the rounds on social media.

The controversial photo first appeared on Instagram when the school was on Thanksgiving break. Parents of the six girls in the photo then notified Nash Central High officials that the girls had been threatened because of it, Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools Superintendent Anthony Jackson said.

A investigation by the Nash County Sheriff’s Office determined that the girls did nothing illegal, and school district officials said they didn’t break any school rules. But that hasn’t eased tensions in the community. (Source: Read more)

Nash Central High School Students KKK Activity – Defend The White Girls All You Want

I am going to represent all children, the children who spoke out against the girls actions. It was not Rev. William J. Barber II President NC State Conference of Branches, Rev. Andre Knight local Branch Presidents, myself and others who was 1st offended by the actions of these girls. It was the students who seen the Instagram photo and spoke out against it and some have felt they have been mistreated for expressing their concerns. We as adults are representing these students however all students will benefit from the school following their own policies and procedures in which we feel they have not done so. All we want is for the school to follow their own policies and procedures and the rest will take care of itself.

Now if anyone white, black, brown and other have a problem with this then they too have issues. The issue here is about the school system following their own policies and procedures because I recognize and understand we are dealing with the actions of some children who has created this mess, but they are of age and should have known better.

I have 2 daughters so I can sympathize with the parents of these girls but what I will say is that if these were my children I would want the issue dealt with in a fashion so that it will be a teachable moment for all children that may make a bad choice in the future.

The Klan of the 1960s has parallels to today’s tea party

The Political Agitator response: Just a few miles away Johnston County is known for the signs home of the KKK. But right here at home the KKK mentality has been real all of my 52 years from what I have been told and from what I have seen for myself since I have been of age. KKK of 1960’s, I was born in 1962 so folks that is why I can relate. So does the hats in this article look something similar to the hats in this article: Party Hats? So The Girls Over At Nash Central High School Said Their Hats Were Party Hats! What Do You Think?

What should we make of the fact that the North Carolina of the fictional Mayberry and The Andy Griffith Show was once also home to 10,000 very real and dues-paying members of the Ku Klux Klan—more than all other Southern states combined?

At first, the black-and-white images of the Klan parading in Salisbury or meeting at Memorial Auditorium in Raleigh seem out of an antiquarian past, irrelevant to our time. But as William Faulkner, chronicler of the South, memorably said, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

As if channeling Faulkner, the story told by Klansville U.S.A., a new television documentary produced for the “American Experience” series on PBS, isn’t from the 19th century, when the KKK was created by defeated Confederate soldiers. Nor is it from the early 20th century, when the KKK arose again to enforce segregation. Rather, this is the KKK of the 1960s that came from the grave and took shape, especially in North Carolina, in opposition to the civil rights movement. (Source: Read more)

Nash Rocky Mount Public Schools Website–What’s Going On?

Service Temporary Unavailable!

The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems. Please try again later.

  Jakarta/ISAPI/isapi_redirector/1.2.32 ()

Try it now!

http://www.nrms.k12.nc.us/

PBS – Black Issues Forum Policing And The Black Community Rocky Mount Police Chief James Moore & Chris Herring ED of the Institute For Homeland Security & Workforce Development at NCCU

Recent cases of police killing unarmed blacks Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and the young boy Tamir Rice raised public furor over equal justice. Rocky Mount’s Police Chief James Moore and Chris Herring Executive Director of the Institute for Homeland Security and Workforce Development at NCCU share what both law enforcement agencies and the public can do to build trust and safety for everyone.

Click on photo to watch video.

image

Congressman G.K. Butterfield Takes Helm of the Congressional Black Caucus

clip_image001


 

For Release:  Immediate

 

 

Date:  January 6, 2015

 

Contact: Kezmiché “Kim” Atterbury            

             Office:    (202) 225.3101               


Butterfield Takes Helm of the Congressional Black Caucus

Full Remarks Included

 

WASHINGTON, DC – This morning, Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) was sworn in as the 24th Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) during a ceremony hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) at the U.S. Capitol.  The historic ceremony marked the induction of the largest class in the CBC’s 44-year history, which includes five new members of which 20 are women.

 

During the event, Chairman Butterfield recognized Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, and Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn, who were all in attendance, and welcomed Representatives Alma Adams (NC-12), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Brenda Lawrence (MI-14), Mia Love (UT-04), and Stacey Plaskett (USVI) to the Caucus.

 

Over the next two years, Chairman Butterfield will lead the Caucus, also known as the “Conscience of the Congress” in carrying out its mission of empowering the African American community and addressing its legislative concerns.

 

In his remarks, Butterfield outlined the CBC’s focus for the 114th Congress to include:

 

·        Criminal justice reform;

·        Reducing poverty;

·        Safeguarding social safety net programs;

·        Creating educational opportunities;

·        Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities;

·        Restoring section 5 of the Voting Rights Act; and

·        Ensuring corporate diversity.

 

Butterfield said, “We are ready for these fights.  The fight for the future is not a black fight, a Democratic or Republican fight; it is a fight that all fair minded Americans should promote.  We need to use political means, policy and legal means, to reduce racial disparities and move closer to the day when all African Americans will benefit from fairness and justice and realize the American dream.”

 

The Chairman’s full remarks follow.

 

 

Swearing-In Speech for Congressman G. K. Butterfield, the Chairman-Elect of the Congressional Black Caucus for the 114th Congress

“Respect the Past, Confront the Future: Building an America That Works For All of Us”

 

 

               Let me begin by thanking Congresswoman Marcia Fudge for her friendship and leadership, and for taking the Congressional Black Caucus to higher heights.  Someone asked me a few days ago if I thought I could fill the shoes of Marcia Fudge.  No one in their right mind should ever believe they can fill the shoes of Congresswoman Marcia Fudge!  Marcia is a unique leader who commands respect.

 

To the Dean of the CBC and the House of Representatives, Congressman John Conyers, Jr., my other colleagues and their families, CBCF Chair Congressman Chaka Fattah, CEO Shuanise Washington and your team, and the congressional staff, thank you for all you do. 

 

Thank you to my friend and former law partner, Judge Jim Wynn, for administering the oath.

 

To Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, thank you for your leadership and your friendship.

 

Assistant Leader, Jim Clyburn, the CBC is honored to have one of your caliber among us.

 

Thank you to the hundreds of friends who are viewing this ceremony at watch parties in my district, and to my family– a small number of whom are here today.  I ask my daughter, Valeisha Butterfield Jones, to stand.  I ask my cousins and their spouses to stand.  Thank you for supporting me.

 

               It is one of the highest honors of my life to start the daunting process of leading a Caucus that has a legacy of advocating for African American interests.  Our 46 members hail from 22 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands; representing more than 30 million people.  We are 23 percent of the House Democratic Caucus and 10 percent of the House of Representatives.  CBC members hold seven Ranking Member full committee leadership positions.  We are one of the largest Caucuses in the House of Representatives, and I’m proud to say that we have 20 women members!  All of our new members are women!

 

               The composition of our Caucus brings a diverse set of experiences and viewpoints to address the unique challenges of African American communities.  Every day, members of this Caucus go beyond their constitutional duties to lead in their communities.  They are making a difference in the lives of millions of people.  My colleagues are smart and intelligent legislators.  Each of them was elected to Congress because they prepared themselves, served their community, and knocked down barriers. 

 

               I am also mindful that we were elected to Congress because great men and women, over the past 150-plus years got their hands dirty (some gave their lives) to empower future generations.  During the Reconstruction and Post-reconstruction era, 20 African Americans served in Congress.  They advocated for educating the children of the former slaves.  They advocated for building black high schools and colleges.  They advocated for jobs and decency.  They even sought to make it a federal crime to lynch.

 

               The work of these twenty Reconstruction Congressmen was too visionary for the “Southern power structure.”  And so, in 1900, Southern states passed Literacy Tests and the poll tax as devices to prevent black people from voting.  And now, in the 21st century, efforts are still afoot to disenfranchise African American voters.  As a consequence of the literacy test and poll tax and acts of sheer violence, black political participation ended in 1901 when Congressman George H. White (from NC-02) stood in the well of the House at the close of the 56th Congress and said: 

 

“Mr. Chairman, the Negro asks no special favors, but simply demands that he be given the same chance for existence, for earning a livelihood, for raising himself in the scales of manhood and womanhood, that are accorded to kindred nationalities.  Obliterate race hatred, party prejudice, and help us to do the greatest good for the greatest number.  This, Mr. Chairman, is perhaps the Negroes’ temporary farewell to the American Congress; but…phoenix-like he will rise up some day and come again.”

 

               As we stand here now on the dawn of a new Congress, the 114th Congress, we must tell the full story – for many Black Americans, they are not even close to realizing the American dream.  Depending on where they live, an economic depression hangs over their head, and it is burdening their potential and the potential of their children.  Black America is in a state of emergency today as it was at the turn of the century!

 

               My message to those across the country who are tired of business as usual and for those who want to hold our country accountable for treating you with disrespect, I hear you.  The CBC hears you.  America hears you.  The world hears you.  That is why the theme today is so important:  “Learn from our past, but boldly confront an uncertain future.”

 

               The CBC was formed in 1971 because its founders understood that Black lives matter.  Black boys matter.  Black girls matter.  The Black family matters.  The Black church matters.  Black America in its totality matters.  In 2015, we are still fighting generations of discrimination.  We are fighting generations of indifference on the part of those in power.  The statistics tell the story:

 

                 Twenty-five percent of black households live below the poverty line as compared to eight percent for white households.

                 One out of three black children lives in poverty. 

                 African Americans are twice as likely as whites to be unemployed.

                 African Americans earn $13,000 less per year than their white counterparts.

                 The unemployment rate of African Americans has consistently been twice as high as for whites over the last 50 years.

                 For every $100 in wealth of a white household, the black household only has $6 in wealth.

 

               What is this if it’s not an emergency? 

 

               America is not working for many African Americans and we, as the Congressional Black Caucus, have an obligation to fight harder and smarter in the next Congress to help repair the damage. 

 

               My leadership of this Caucus will be influenced by my experiences growing up in a segregated South.  Jim Clyburn often says that, “we are the sum total of our experiences;” and that is so true.  My life’s experiences are similar to many of my colleagues.  We saw racism at its worst. 

 

               In my hometown of Wilson, North Carolina, the railroad tracks divided our town; a town where 23 miles of unpaved streets greeted black citizens every day.  They were relegated to second class citizenship.  Our mothers and fathers; grandmothers and fathers; our aunts and uncles worked every day to support the Jim Crow economy. 

 

               I recall so vividly wealthy white citizens (each morning) driving into our neighborhood to transport black women to the paved streets on the west side of town to do domestic work for a few dollars per week.  I recall white farmers driving onto our street corners at 6 a.m. to transport black laborers to the tobacco fields to harvest the crops for 50 cents per hour.

 

               I recall the structurally inferior black schools and how great black educators were paid less than their white counterparts.  Because of these unbearable conditions, my generation escaped the south as quickly as it could; most went to the North; some to college and some to the military.

 

               Those experiences have helped mold my perspective and make me determined to fight every day to expose and defeat racism and discrimination wherever it may exists.  And so if anyone has any doubt that this Chairman and this Congressional Black Caucus will have any reluctance to fight for our communities – you are mistaken.

 

                 You will see the Congressional Black Caucus make criminal justice reform a centerpiece of our work.  There is a well-founded mistrust between the African American community and law enforcement officers.  The statistics are clear.  Video clips are clear.  We recognize that the overwhelming majority of law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities.  Unfortunately, there are some officers who abuse the sacred responsibility to protect and serve by using excessive, and sometimes deadly force when a less severe response is warranted.  The CBC will seek legislative action to reverse this terrible trend.  Let me also be clear.  To reform the “law enforcement system” will not reform the “criminal justice system.”  The CBC will address outdated sentencing laws, unethical prosecutors and communicate the importance of criminal defendants having competent counsel.

 

                 You will see the Congressional Black Caucus fighting for Targeted Funding for Persistent Poverty Communities.  There are 384 counties in the United States where at least 20 percent of the population has been living below the poverty line for the last 30 years.  The Congressional Black Caucus will be strongly advocating the “Clyburn 10-20-30 Plan,” which would direct that at least 10 percent of an agency’s grants and discretionary budget be targeted to these counties.  This is not a partisan issue.  More than 24 million Americans live in these counties.  And the truth is that Republican members represent more of these communities than Democratic members.  We will call on the Republican Conference to join with the Democratic Caucus and the CBC to pass legislation that will address persistent poverty in America.

 

                 We will continue to fight against any additional efforts to reduce the deficit by dismantling the social safety net that our communities depend on and programs that create jobs for the unemployed and underemployed.  Irresponsible budgeting in this Congress will be met with dogged resistance.

 

                 The CBC understands that nothing is more important than an education system that works for black children and an education system that demands excellence.  We will propose and support legislation to enhance educational opportunities for African American students and strengthen our 105 Historically Black Colleges and Universities who educated black children when other institutions were closed.  We will continue to push for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education for young African Americans, and provide retraining for adults in the 21st century workforce.

 

                 On June 25, 2013, the US Supreme Court suspended the use of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of an outdated formula.  The absence of Section 5 protection allows states to pass discriminatory laws that disenfranchise African American voters and other groups.  Partisan redistricting schemes have been enacted with impunity.  We will continue our fight to restore Section 5.

 

                 We will evaluate whether American corporations who depend on government contracts and tax preferences are making a serious diversity effort in Board Rooms, executive suites, and the workforce.  We will look at whether corporations are investing in underserved communities.  And if they are failing, we will expose it and insist on change.

 

               We are ready for these fights.  The fight for the future is not a black fight, a Democratic or Republican fight; it is a fight that all fair minded Americans should promote.  We need to use political, policy and legal means to reduce racial disparities and move closer to the day when all African Americans will benefit from fairness and justice and realize the American dream.

 

               I issue a call to action for an “All Hands on Deck” strategy where the CBC will:

 

1)      Work with our allies in Congress, and in state and local government, to push for policies that will close racial disparities especially in wealth, education, health care, and in the criminal justice system.

 

2)      We will work with grassroots organizations.  We will work with National Black Organizations and with the faith community.  We will gather data, educate the public and organize masses of people to promote our agenda.

 

3)      We will work with the legal community to pursue a legal strategy to reverse some of the most egregious laws.

 

4)      And we will push for full participation in presidential, state and local elections with the goal of electing people at every level that share our values.

 

               This is our all hands on deck strategy through which the CBC and its allies will promote a progressive agenda.  As we begin our work, we will continue the struggle to provide leadership and make a difference for those whom we represent.  May God continue to bless our communities with talented leaders as you see on this stage today.  And may God continue to bless each of you. 

 

               CBC, it’s our time to make a difference.

 

 

http://cbc-butterfield.house.gov

Press Release: Edgecombe County Public Schools “Sliding into Homebase’s Schoolnet Assessments”

clip_image002

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Monday, January 5, 2015

Sliding into Homebase’s Schoolnet Assessments

Tarboro, NC: Edgecombe County Public Schools (ECPS) is continuing to implement a new instructional improvement system provided by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in 2015. Home Base is a statewide, instructional improvement system and student information system for teachers, students, parents and administrators. Teachers who use Home Base have access to student data and learning resources to help improve educational outcomes for students. Students are able to access their assignments, grades and learning activities. Parents also have access as they can view their child’s attendance and progress. Not only does Home Base put data and resources at the users’ fingertips, it does so with single sign-on access to the integrated system made up of the following components: Learner Profile and Student Information; Standards & Curriculum; Instructional Design: Practice & Resources; Assessment; Data Analysis & Reporting; and Professional Development & Educator Evaluation.

The District has given formative assessments to students through the Homebase Schoolnet program this fall. According to Janet Morris, the ECPS Testing & Accountability School Director, “Although the system had some problems statewide during our elementary/middle benchmark administration, Schoolnet continues to allow easy access to resources enabling classroom teachers to make more informed instructional decisions about the needs of their students. The Schoolnet system… integrates assessment, curriculum, instruction, and reporting/analysis in a single platform.” This holds many benefits for ECPS stakeholders who have increased the use of assessments and real time data to drive instruction in Schoolnet.

This powerful data tool helps parents, students and teachers view a “real-time” glimpse of what students know and are able to do. Parents can use the “Parent Portal” to review incorrect answers from their child’s test and quizzes from home. Teachers can use the Item Analysis features to determine what percentage of their students answered each test problem correctly. This also allows teachers to determine why students selected the wrong answer. In the review of the assessment, the students can discuss why the items are tricky, how to eliminate certain answers and steps they use to solve the problem. Having the students use this data to teach each other is a powerful outcome of using Schoolnet; it builds classroom cohesion with a stronger focus on learning.

ECPS stakeholders are increasingly integrating data driven practices into the school environment due to the implementation of this program and the professional development provided. At this time 98% of the teaching staff have been trained on how to create questions and assessments using Schoolnet in their goal 1 training. In goal 2 training, teachers learn to analyze data and find resources to help them reteach standards. The final goals focus on continuous analysis of data and building lesson plans within the program. This should equip teachers and other stakeholders with skills and strategies to personalize learning for students while using time-saving data to drive the instructional focus.

If you are interested in learning more about or need more information on SchoolNet or any HomeBase program, please contact ECPS Homebase Director Yanisha Mann (ymann@ecps.us).