Saving our Schools, a Report

The first Saving our Schools forum was held Nov. 13 at Southern Durham H.S. from 7:00 - 9:00. The event was sponsored and planned by the Young Democrats of NC, and major congratulations are due to Zack Hawkins and Melissa Price.
State Senator Floyd McKissick moderated the event for panelists Dr. June Atikinson, Superintendant of Public Instruction, Donald Berringer, Durham County NCAE, and Durham County School Board members Minnie Forte and Steve Schewel. The attendance was probably less then hoped for, but about 25-30 people were there to soak up the comments from the panelists and to ask them a few questions at the end of the procedings.
I was quite impressed with the knowledge, caring and committment levels of all the panelists. After a couple years of negative news concerning the Durham Bd. of Ed., Forte and Schewel were a breath of fresh air. I was further impressed with the level of funding the schools in Durham obviously enjoy, at least compared to my home, Person Co. One of the Durham folks commented that they were able to put an "extra" nurse in place at Southern H.S.; we have two nurses for the whole of Person County.
Some quick takes:
Frequent high stakes testing was viewed by all panelists as a bad thing, though assessment in general was viewed as necessary.
Statewide drop out rate was a major concern. Dr. Atkinson spoke of instilling the college dream in children as early as possible.
Durham county seemed to have very good programs worked out in collaboration with Duke and NCCU. They also had, or would soon have, "academies" for the construction and medical science professions.
Dr. Atkinson viewed technology as useful especially as regards connecting with today's students, e.g. having teachers give lectures as podcasts or in some other downloadable format.
Training new teachers and retaining the ones we have were mentioned as priorities on a couple of occasions. Improving teacher pay was mentioned as well.
Mr. Berringer stressed reducing class size and allowing elementary teachers some quality planning time.
Dr. Atkinson, Ms. Forte and Mr. Schewel all made mention of forming partnerships with parents and the greater community. Durham Co. has a full time parent liason, and they send a bus out to collect parents on conference days. The idea of a parent getting on a bus to go to a school conference still brings a smile to my face. No excuses!
The Manning decision was mentioned along with school accountability. Forte and Schewel were positive about it since being on Judge Manning's radar was the impetous for much of the improvements they have made in Durham recently.

I am glad I attended. Being around people who care about schools and our future, the children, is refreshing, as is having close contact with state and community leaders who are working to improve our schools. I am doubly pleased the the YDs are the ones getting these discussions going. If I recall correctly, YDs are planning six or so more of these Saving our Schools forums in various locations across NC. Please keep your eyes and ears open and attend one of these events when convenient; providning young people with an education is a necessity, making that a quality education takes commitment from the whole community.

Thanks for reading.

Mike

Some Comments from Kerouac

Just before the publication of On the Road made Jack Kerouac famous, he spent a summer on Mt. Desolation as a fire lookout. Desolation Angels (1965) is one of his autobiographical novels that he wrote about the year in his life that followed his summer of solitude. Though known primarily and rightly for novels that are full of parties and wild travels and certainly rather apolitical, Kerouac was too well informed, too aware of the world around him, too well read, to keep the occasional political comment from creeping into his spontaneous prose.
I just finished reading Desolation Angels, and the following passages brought to mind the cliche "the more things change, the more they stay the same."
The passage reminding me of things staying the same is:

"As far as I can see this Forest Service is nothing but a front, on the one hand a vague Totalitarian governmental effort to restrict the use of forest to people, telling them they can't camp here or piss there, it's illegal to do this and you're allowed to do that, in the Immemorial Wilderness of Tao and the Golden Age and the Milleniums of Man - secondly it's a front for the lumber interests, the net result of the whole thing being, what with Scott Paper Tissue and such companies logging out these woods year after year with the "cooperation" of the Forest Service which boasts so proudly of the number of board feet in the whole forest (as if I owned an inch of board altho I can't piss here nor camp there) result, net, is people all over the world are wiping their ass with the beautiful trees-"

The passage below indicates for me a profound change in the United States. Kerouac was, is, very American, and he sometimes displayed a certain optimism, IMHO, regarding America as a whole. This change is the cancer that eats at our democratic souls.

" And I know American is too vast with people too vast to ever be degraded to the level of a slave nation, and I can go hitch hiking down that road into my remaining years of my life knowing that outside of a couple fights in bars started by drunks I'll have not a hair of my head (and I need a haircut) harmed by Totalitarian cruelty - "

The link for these two passages is the word "Totalitarian". While I do not believe that the United States is anything like a totalitarian society, the NeoCons and their toadies, without apology or embarrassment, have pushed the USA down that Road way farther than is necessary, decent or ethical. Our Constitution has been bent and twisted in their rush to power and their wish to consolodate that power. Thier intended destination would be a United States cast in darkness, spreading its malignant policies through out the world; certainly Jefferson, Washington and Madison, and the other framers would not approve. I would add Jack Kerouac to that esteemed list; that NeoCon Road would be one Road that Jack would not wish anyone, or any country, to travel.

Thanks for reading,
Mike