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A project team of 3 people hardly represents what families attending the school want. There only has to be one hint of race and everything becomes a racial issue in this county as the e-mail stated. Some people would have nothing if they didn't constantly harp on race.

Contrary to what some individuals think, the name of a school is not that important to most students. Ask any student the history of the name of their school and see how many can answer that question.

I believe Garth commented in the paper about so much time being spent on naming a school when there are other important educational issues to address. I totally agree.

Heck name them Public school #1, 2, 3, 4, 5 like some cities and see who really cares.

If the board is going to choose a name, do so once it's on the drawing board at the inception of the project. This is how private, commercial buildings/projects are named. This way there will be no confusion. Just name the school and get it built on time.

I personally do not see anything wrong with the current policy except that the board does not want to follow it.

The naming of the school should be at the beginning of the project, but the community which the school serves should still have the greatest input...not the board!

Also, I think it would be very appropriate to reserve this name for the airport area High School.
It just seems like it would fit the aviation theme.

Garth is right. What an total wast of time.

Even Allen Johnson blogs about school names, but he will NEVER blog about discipline or the lack of it which is chronic problem in our schools today.

It is flustrating to have people think the Project Name is the real name. I agree 100%. The BOE created this mess and it needs to be fixed immediately. The use of the name "Northern Elementary School" is very confusing. A lot of people will head for the Northern Guilford High School campus. If you like "Northern Elementary School", you must concede that the center of the world in Greensboro. We had several good names offered for that school. If Randall Jarrell is not acceptable, the logical name would be Ronald McNair Elementary School. The problems the BOE had with Reedy Fork would not surface in any other community. Six BOE members have state in open session that they will never vote for another directional school. Will they keep their word or will the flip-flop? Who knows. The name of the school is very important. More for adults than children. It tell about their core values. It tells about their heart and soul. It is a foundation for learning and academic achievment.

It is flustrating to have people think the Project Name is the real name. I agree 100%. The BOE created this mess and it needs to be fixed immediately. The use of the name "Northern Elementary School" is very confusing. A lot of people will head for the Northern Guilford High School campus. If you like "Northern Elementary School", you must concede that the center of the world in Greensboro. We had several good names offered for that school. If Randall Jarrell is not acceptable, the logical name would be Ronald McNair Elementary School. The problems the BOE had with Reedy Fork would not surface in any other community. Six BOE members have state in open session that they will never vote for another directional school. Will they keep their word or will the flip-flop? Who knows. The name of the school is very important. More for adults than children. It tells about their core values. It tells about their heart and soul. It is a foundation for learning and academic achievment.

It is flustrating to have people think the Project Name is the real name. I agree 100%. The BOE created this mess and it needs to be fixed immediately. The use of the name "Northern Elementary School" is very confusing. A lot of people will head for the Northern Guilford High School campus. If you like "Northern Elementary School", you must concede that the center of the world in Greensboro. We had several good names offered for that school. If Randall Jarrell is not acceptable, the logical name would be Ronald McNair Elementary School. The problems the BOE had with Reedy Fork would not surface in any other community. Six BOE members have stated in open session that they will never vote for another directional school. Will they keep their word or will the flip-flop? Who knows. The name of the school is very important. More for adults than children. It tells about their core values. It tells about their heart and soul. It is a foundation for learning and academic achievment.

Joe and I will never agree on the importance of a name for a school, but most of all the lack of respect for the names of our schools with directions. I am extremely proud to have graduated from NWHS. No more nor no less than someone that graduated from Page/Andrews etc. It is disrespectful to think we aren't proud of our schools just because they have the name that shows location.

I think that Joe over estimates the fact that the name will bring pride, I think the pride comes from what you do inside the building and the fact that it was 'your' school.

I also don't think that kids in most of our schools know anything about who their school was named for, nor does it help with education.

What does instill pride (IMO) is the quality of education, sports, extra's and all that the kids are involved in while going to school.

What Joe and I can and do agree on is that this process is ridiculous and needs to be changed. To allow 40 minutes for people to talk about a name is a huge waste of time. I would like to see that many people get involved and excited about the sad state of education that our county is in and actually have a special time to talk about programs, incentives, budget talk etc. To give a special time about the alloted 45 minutes of public opinion is not needed.

I agree that the area that the school will serve should have the biggest impact on the name, but it is obvious that the BOE doesn't always agree with that, so figure out a bunch of great names, put them in a hat and draw.

Let's spend that time on EDUCATION!

Joe the things you say amaze me. I'm surprised you're able to walk through the front door with your ego. First you stand up at a BOE meeting and gloat: "I am so proud to have named blank # of schools in Guilford County" - I can't recall the number. My jaw dropped....I couldn't believe with all the issues in the school system all you could think about was your greatness in naming schools. Then you turn on the BOE (which amazes me too) and say by them voting for Reedy Fork, (not against Ronald McNair) that they are saying Ronald McNair is "lacking in educational qualities" and the "BOE does not care about excellence anymore than a billy goat", you state in the comments for people to go get the tapes...well I hope they do, and they will see that the BOE never even came close to insinuating such a thing. And then you state the above. Do you honestly think the name on a building will make these students core values the same as that name on the building?? Man you are in a dream world. Wake up! I went to Greensboro City Schools that are named after people ( I guess - I honestly don't know where the names came from), and I have no idea who they were or what their values were. But I know I loved my schools and represented them well. Their names had nothing to do with my core values. The teachers, coaches, administrators, peers and my family taught that....not a name on the building. If you want to do something for our children, get involved in important issues like the budget, grades, bussing, school violence etc etc.... and stop creating all of this controversy. Like I said in another post....it's time for you to retire from BOE meetings, you create so much UNNECESSARY controversy for our schools and communities. Go back to you district and stay our of ours.

Debora, ditto, ditto, ditto on what you said.

I like the idea of putting the names in a hat. There could be a total list of names that many people agree on. Make a list. Cut the names up. Put them in a hat and the next school put on the drawing board gets that name. The people who live in the community near the school should have the most input on a name. School board members come and go but many in certain communitees will have 2 or 3 generations attending the same school.

"It is a foundation for learning and academic achievement."......Joe S

Example: Dudley, Smith, Andrews. All named after someone. All on Judge Manning's watchlist.

You can't judge a book by it's cover. It's what's inside the book that matters. The name of a building is just that, a name on a building. What goes on inside and what results from what goes on inside is what's important. In the end, it's the results that matter.

Joe, why do you care so much about the name of a school where you don't even live?

and speaking of names...who the heck is

Nanny Do Dick and what kind of name is that for a library

I would love to be a fly on the wall when the students say that name

Teacher: "Where were you?"

Student: "I was at Nanny Do Dicks"

right.....

What library is named "Nanny Do Dicks"- I don't remember anything about that, but perhaps I zoned out!

Thanks for the comments. I always sign my name. It would be nice it you did the same. I agree 100% with Debora. It not essential to have an inspirational name. But since is costs nothing, why not find one. One of the reasons that drives is that when I talk with people in other counties in NC, they sort of laugh at so many directional schools. When you talk with admissions personnel at colleges, they seem to remember the names Page, Ragsdale, Andrews, etc. The eyes seem to glaze over when you start talking about directional High Schools. The reason I am interested in schools all over the county is that in the Southeast part of the county, we have not have a new school in 45 years. We have no schools to name and many other areas need some help. When you go to a Project Team meeting and the community only has 2 people, you begin to wonder whether there is real interest in the community. Most of what was said above I did not say. I did say I was proud of the fact that I was the first person in Guilford County to publicly ask for the naming of a school after John Kernodle. If you can remember, I wanted, what is now Pilot, named for him. However, Weast had made a secret deal with Jefferson-Pilot Ins., and it could not be done. My record is long and I am proud of it. Site based managment led to the downfall of our system. We need more not less people speaking out for quality education. When you don't sign your name, it looks to all that you have something to hide. Is that a good example for our children?

The idea of having some names on the shelf, preapproved is an idea I like and can endorse. It is unfair to have to bring back time after time names like Edward R. Murrow, Dolley Madison, Ronald McNair and David Caldwell. To those that say names don't matter, I would say that "everything matters". We want to improve the system. You can work on a couple of things or you can work on everything. I believe the chance for success is better if you work on everything at the same time. However, I may be wrong. If I am, I will try to get on the right track. Best regards.

The local community should have the biggest input into the name. One idea I would suggest is how school leadership teams are elected . Letters sent out to the parents of the children who will attend the school. Two letters, the 1st to ask for suggestions, then send out another letter out for votes. The highest numbers of votes wins.

I cant believe I am wasting my time writing this......)

If the BOE really wants to name a school after someone who embodies the spirit of education and community, they should rename EP Pearce to Leslie Dunn. She was the "real deal" and has inspired more children of this county than McNair and Pearce put together.

Not to worry.

Shortly names will not be important as students
will no longer be able to handle reading and speeling

"Most of what was said above I did not say"?? Hmmmm..... someone must be using your name in these post, because those were the exact words taken from your post in Thinking Out Loud.

Debora,

It's the name of the library at Dudley High School

It's Nanny Do Dick or Nanny McAdoo Dick

Either way it's a very strange name IMO

It's not Rocket Science,

That name is no stranger than "It's Not Rocket Science." Again you Grier Haters make me laugh with your contradictions! Ha Ha Ha.

Joe,

I support your efforts to name schools. Keep it up. You are an asset to Guilford County and your integrity and commitment should not be questioned, especially by these Johnnie Come Lately Grier Hating, segregationist, entitled, ethnocentric, selfish, uninformed SW people masquarading as reformers.

The Real Truth

Morgan/Jennifer

This person is name-calling again. If you allow him to start, the other side will join in and we all know how that goes.

Stop The Insults Real Truth,

I didn't call you names I just described your attributes. Why do you have a problem with simply pointing out your position in an efficient manner? You support segregation, you have no empathy, understanding or respect for contrary positions or people of different ethnic ot socio-economic status, you hate Grier. You've said it all just not as directly. So whats wrong with me cutting to the point?

The Real Truth

You have no idea who I am or how I think. You seem to have a serious mental problem that starts with paranoia. You should be banned from this site if you aren't smart enough or intelligent enough to add to the conversation without calling people names. How old are you?

Interesting that the school board already has a name picked out for discussion for the northern area high school..Randall Jarrell. Did the community come up with the name or did a board member?

Randall Jarrell was submitted by Joe Stafford (I believe) or maybe Hal (can't remember his last name)-- he was Poet Laureate for US. The community members wanted Northern to made a link with the middle and HS. The public sent in 14 no's for Jarrell, 5 for Northern and a few other comments. My guess is that they will go with Jarrell no matter what the public thinks. They were embarrassed about Reedy Fork and it seems that the BOE is more concerned with what they want than what the public wants. Listen to many say that they will never name a directional/location name again.

If that is the case, then they have to change their policy since the policty clearly states that location/directional names have preference.

Debora,

Naming of the school should rest on the merits of the name. It is not supposed to be a popularity contest. Have you examined his work? He personifies excellence. I salute the School Board in trying to get names that advance education. What is wrong with that?

The board spends an excessive amount of time on issues that are not related directly to education and they make up their board policies as they go.

I wish they would spend this amount of time figuring out how to keep guns and gangs out of our classrooms.

This BOE has shown very little interest in core educational issues. I suspect they feel that any discussion will step on the Supt.'s toes.

I don't have anything against Jarrell, but the policy states "Any Project Team or community group recommendation should be based on broad support of the affected community....Preferably, schools may be named in accordance with a geographic location or similarly site-specific identifiers, such as roads, streets, subdivisions, or communities; however, individual or family names may be offered for consideration as outlined in Section III.

What I am saying is that if the board wants to ignore the affected community then they need to change their own policy.

I don't have a child going to this school, so I have stayed out of the discussion. I am only commenting on the policy and the facts that have happened up to this point

Joe,

I had three students from three different schools
tell me that they could name students that carry
guns to school on a regular basis. They have seen the gun.

Why do they not say anything...duh? No one does anything about it. If they say anything, they will become the target.

How do we get the message across to the board that ignoring this and sweeping it under the rug is not working? We have had four formal Guilford County students murdered this summer between the ages of 15 - 19.

How is this going to overflow into our schools this fall?

Morgan

Real Truth who always lies about people doesn't know needs to be banned from this site. She is a big troll who's only here to stir the pot. Obviously she has many mental problems. She's downright scary.

If the policy says it is OK to name schools after subdivisions then why the big problem with Reedy Fork? It was the perfect name for a school in that area. I think the existing policy works..no need to change it. Just teach the BOE members to follow it.

As for those who oppose directional names or that want names that "advance education" just look at Welborn Middle School. I had two kids go through that school and nobody in our family knows anything about the person it was named after. I know that when the school was most successful it was called Northeast Junior High School.

Maybe we should change the name of the country, state, city and county to reflect geography: "North-Central Mid-East Coast, West of Olden Places of Origin, Far East of Even-Older Places of Origin".

The names we are content with for other places come from specific individuals: "Green(e')sboro(ugh)", of course; and the (potential, at least) heir, rather uncermoniously beheaded, to our former monarchy: Lord "Guilford" (his mother's name, actually, while his father's was Dudley, coincidentally).

Do we now feel no person can live up to their illustrious names we have chosen to stick with the compass as our guide? Maybe we need to name a school or two after some of the dead soldiers in Iraq. Or at least one of the generals there. Oh, yes, we usually reserve that for winners. Except Lee.

As for monarchs? King George still reigns.