tag:blog.news-record.com,2008:/staff/voice/30 2008-07-25T08:05:03Z Pull up a chair and join the discussion with the News & Record's Editorial Board. Movable Type 3.34 tag:blog.news-record.com,2008:/staff/voice//30.26289 2008-07-25T08:00:50Z 2008-07-25T08:05:03Z

Winning a public records suit can leave plaintiffs with high legal bills. That should change, and more should be done to resolve disputes out of court. Even citizens who can beat city hall often can’t afford the cost. If a...

News & Record http://www.news-record.com Winning a public records suit can leave plaintiffs with high legal bills. That should change, and more should be done to resolve disputes out of court. Even citizens who can beat city hall often can’t afford the cost. If a local government breaks the state’s public records law, the only remedy may be for someone to file a lawsuit. Going to court is expensive, though, and even if the plaintiff wins the case he may be stuck with thousands of dollars in attorneys’ fees. That discourages most people from even trying to beat city hall. A bill approved unanimously by the state Senate last week would have changed that. When it reached the House, however, it was sent by Speaker Joe Hackney to a committee with orders to kill it. Hackney could have done that in response to objections from local governments and public hospitals that don’t want to give up their advantages. But he deserves the benefit of the doubt. Legislators were trying to wrap up their session and go home. There wasn’t much time to give the bill full consideration. Supporters should try again next year. The measure’s key passage said the court shall order defendants to pay “reasonable attorneys’ fees” to plaintiffs successfully compelling the disclosure of public records. That’s a perfectly fair premise: The ones who violated the law should compensate those who forced compliance. But that wasn’t the only helpful portion of the legislation, introduced by Sen. David Hoyle, D-Gaston. It would create an “Open Government Unit” in the N.C. Department of Justice with the mission of educating the public and government agencies of their rights and responsibilities under the public records and open meetings laws; moderating or mediating disputes about public records and open meetings and issuing advisory opinions; and collecting relevant state laws, regulations and court rulings. This service could resolve conflicts before citizens are forced to file lawsuits. Surely, a city, county or state agency would respond positively if advised by the Justice Department that requested records must by law be provided to the public or that meetings must be conducted with doors open. Going to court would remain an option, but it should be an avenue of last resort. If they are forced to take that route, however, and they eventually prevail, citizens should expect to recover the money they spent fighting city hall. The only regret in such a case would be that taxpayers likely would bear the cost of their government’s refusal to abide by the law. In instances like that, voters would have to exercise one more right: changing the people who run city hall. It’s a shame there wasn’t time to pass this bill now. There won’t be any excuse next year. ]]> tag:blog.news-record.com,2008:/staff/voice//30.26290 2008-07-25T08:00:08Z 2008-07-25T08:05:03Z

Sidney Lowe II’s 15 months won’t be easy time after all. Superior Court Judge Henry Frye Jr. sentenced Lowe July 15 to a term at the Guilford County prison farm — extraordinary leniency considering the young man’s participation in armed...

News & Record http://www.news-record.com Sidney Lowe II’s 15 months won’t be easy time after all. Superior Court Judge Henry Frye Jr. sentenced Lowe July 15 to a term at the Guilford County prison farm — extraordinary leniency considering the young man’s participation in armed robberies last year. Frye was criticized for appearing to favor a defendant with a famous father and prominent attorneys, but he might not have done Lowe such a good turn. Sheriff BJ Barnes refused to place Lowe at the farm, a minimum-security facility meant for the least dangerous offenders. “I don’t put violent offenders at the farm,” he said Wednesday. “I can’t afford to have people out there who could be a problem.” That’s his call. Judges aren’t responsible for handling prisoners; sheriffs are. Barnes knows that neighbors of the Gibsonville-area outpost don’t want it occupied by felons who could pose a threat if they decided to simply walk away one night. Maybe Lowe wouldn’t pose a problem, but if he could serve his time there so could others convicted of serious crimes, and the sheriff would have to raise the facility’s security level. Instead of the farm, Lowe has been locked in the jail in downtown Greensboro, a much more secure facility. It’s also crowded, noisy and frightening. Lowe, “scared out of his mind,” his lawyers said, was caught with a make-shift knife he fashioned for self-defense. He’s in an isolation cell but can look forward to bunking with seven other men in a cell designed for four. The jail isn’t meant to house long-term prisoners. Lowe probably would be better off in the state prison system. Even in a maximum-security facility, he might more room and access to exercise and recreation opportunities. If Lowe spends 15 months in the jail, he’ll serve hard time. tag:blog.news-record.com,2008:/staff/voice//30.26266 2008-07-24T08:00:59Z 2008-07-24T08:05:03Z

The additional local levy can help pay for bond projects and relieve pressure on the property tax, but supporters have to push that argument to voters. Guilford County residents should reconsider a local sales-tax increase, but commissioners must give them...

News & Record http://www.news-record.com The additional local levy can help pay for bond projects and relieve pressure on the property tax, but supporters have to push that argument to voters. Guilford County residents should reconsider a local sales-tax increase, but commissioners must give them good reasons to reach a different conclusion than they did May 6. On that date, voters resoundingly slapped down a proposed quarter-cent sales-tax hike. Given the clear sentiment they expressed, it looks foolish for commissioners to put the same measure on the ballot only a few months later. But six of them decided last week to do exactly that. Let’s call Billy Yow, Mike Winstead, John Parks, Kay Cashion, Paul Gibson and Linda Shaw bold rather than foolish. They believe the issue is important enough for another try, and they’re willing to risk the possible political consequences of asking the voters again. For Parks and Gibson, the repercussions could be immediate. The two at-large commissioners face opposition in the November election. Yow doesn’t, having defeated his only challenger in the Republican primary, but critics are wondering why one of the most conservative commissioners has pushed so hard for a higher sales tax. That’s the wrong way to look at this measure. True, approval by voters would raise the sales tax enough to generate an estimated $16 million in additional annual revenue for Guilford County government. The money would come out of people’s pockets every time they made a purchase for most items (not food or medicine). Yow contends, however, that the $16 million would be used as alternative revenue, not extra revenue. Commissioners could hold down property taxes by an equal amount. The net tax burden would not increase, but it would be shifted a bit from property owners to consumers. All property owners are consumers, but not all consumers are property owners. Nor do all consumers who make purchases in Guilford County live in the county. The sales tax captures revenue from nonresidents. Voters on May 6 approved more than $600 million in bond projects but no means of paying for them except raising property taxes, which commissioners did in the new budget. Some would like another funding stream. The only way they’ll get it is to lead a campaign informing voters of the need for greater diversity of tax revenues to relieve the strain on property owners whose incomes don’t keep up with tax rates. Commissioners aren’t allowed to make a legally binding guarantee that new sales-tax money will pay off school bonds or prompt a cut in the property tax rate, but they should tell voters that’s what they plan to do. If they lead an effective campaign, and stake their credibility on the outcome, voters should trust them with a small sales-tax increase. ]]> tag:blog.news-record.com,2008:/staff/voice//30.26273 2008-07-24T08:00:53Z 2008-07-24T08:05:03Z

The fallout from the nation’s financial-sector woes has landed uncomfortably close to home. Buffeted by a staggering second-quarter loss of $8.9 billion, Charlotte-based Wachovia Bank is slashing more than 10,000 jobs and shedding the mortgage unit blamed for the red-ink...

News & Record http://www.news-record.com The fallout from the nation’s financial-sector woes has landed uncomfortably close to home. Buffeted by a staggering second-quarter loss of $8.9 billion, Charlotte-based Wachovia Bank is slashing more than 10,000 jobs and shedding the mortgage unit blamed for the red-ink tidal wave. With deep Triad roots, Wachovia continues to employ 3,000 workers at its high-performing wealth-management division in Winston-Salem. Before the 2001 merger with First Union, the bank was headquartered there. In just a few years, what many people still see as their hometown bank has grown into one of the nation’s largest banking conglomerates. So when an old friend encounters rough sledding, loyal customers take particular notice. While acknowledging that troubled times require painful steps, new CEO Robert Steel on Tuesday assured that the average customer won’t be affected. And he reassured Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines of the bank’s strong commitment to a continued community presence. Yet some financial analysts speculate that sinking stock-share values make Wachovia a future target for sale or takeover. If that were to happen, the state’s position as a thriving financial center would markedly diminish. But for the present, Steel’s aggressive strategies for restoring Wachovia’s tarnished luster should pay dividends. Those cost-cutting measures, however, will come at a steep human price. In-state employees will be among the thousands who will lose jobs. Unfortunately, some lessons must be learned the hard way. Wachovia wasn’t alone in taking advantage of lax government oversight to make risky home loans. In retrospect, they should never have been made. Now, that poor judgment is taking its terrible toll on too many lives. tag:blog.news-record.com,2008:/staff/voice//30.26245 2008-07-23T08:00:22Z 2008-07-23T08:05:13Z

The state Department of Transportation is supposed to clear up roadblocks, not act like one. But N.C. DOT might end up standing in the way of progress at one southeast Greensboro intersection. The staff of New Zion Missionary Baptist Church...

News & Record http://www.news-record.com The state Department of Transportation is supposed to clear up roadblocks, not act like one. But N.C. DOT might end up standing in the way of progress at one southeast Greensboro intersection. The staff of New Zion Missionary Baptist Church would like for the state to close the highway-style exit ramp from East Lee Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. As they see it, sealing it off would facilitate construction of the church’s $24 million sanctuary, housing development and retail district proposed for that location. Granted, convenience is an issue. At a hearing Monday evening, a majority of speakers favored keeping the ramp open. But with financing already in place, church leaders understandably want to move ahead. They argue that their ambitious project will complement other improvements in the nearby Ole Asheboro, Southside and Arlington Park neighborhoods. City Transportation Department workers say eliminating the ramp, more aptly designed for suburbia, won’t hinder access between MLK Jr. Drive and Lee Street. In fact, plans in the works call for two new links connecting those busy thoroughfares. Based on what was said at the meeting, city officials will get together with residents and church leaders, but ultimately it’s N.C. DOT’s call. Closing a highway ramp is a rare occurrence, yet it does happen. For safety reasons, the state has done just that at several antiquated U.S. 29 entrance-exits between Bessemer Avenue and Florida Street. Making a similar move for economic reasons can also be justified. And convenience notwithstanding, proponents make a convincing case that closure would be a catalyst in reviving an area that still could use a boost. tag:blog.news-record.com,2008:/staff/voice//30.26244 2008-07-23T08:00:02Z 2008-07-23T08:00:03Z

The two finalists for Guilford County superintendent offer very different credentials. The school board should lean on public opinion when deciding. Electing Maurice Green is “probably a no-brainer for Greensboro,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board member Trent Merchant said Monday. Maybe we...

News & Record http://www.news-record.com The two finalists for Guilford County superintendent offer very different credentials. The school board should lean on public opinion when deciding. Electing Maurice Green is “probably a no-brainer for Greensboro,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board member Trent Merchant said Monday. Maybe we just have to think harder here in Guilford County, but the choice between Green and Shirley Prince doesn’t look like an easy call at all. School board members should take their time, and listen to the public, before picking one or the other as the new superintendent of Guilford County Schools. While both offer outstanding credentials, Green and Prince couldn’t differ much more in their backgrounds and experience. Green’s not an educator and never taught. A Duke-educated lawyer, he left a large Charlotte firm to become the school system’s general counsel. Now he’s deputy superintendent and chief operating officer. Prince began her career as a high school teacher, then held administrative jobs in New Hanover and Gaston counties before Scotland County hired her as superintendent in 1999. She was named the state’s Superintendent of the Year in 2007, impressive recognition. But her system serves only 6,700 students, less than one-tenth as many as GCS. She would supervise more employees than that here. Both Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Scotland County school systems, like Guilford’s, are struggling to raise academic achievement. Preliminary reports show that only 23 percent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools and 35 percent of Scotland schools made Adequate Yearly Progress goals in 2007-08 under the federal No Child Left Behind requirements. Forty percent of Guilford schools reached the standard. Everyone who follows public education knows that schools contend with terribly difficult challenges that hinder classroom gains. Many children live in poverty, lack a stable home environment and speak English as a second language, if at all. School leaders must find new ways to reach them. Charlotte-Mecklenburg has worked aggressively to encourage its best teachers to work with its lowest-performing students, offering substantial bonuses and salary supplements. Scotland County divides its one high school into four freshman academies and other “small learning communities,” each one with a particular academic focus. In its statement introducing the candidates, the school board didn’t say what accomplishments raised Green and Prince above other applicants. The public can form its own ideas from 5-7 p.m. today at the central office on North Eugene Street. After that, the board should pause long enough to receive and digest feedback from constituents. It’s good to present the finalists to the public but ultimately pointless if public opinions aren’t considered when the board makes its choice. The decision is too important, and affects too many people, to make in haste. On paper, the candidates present a striking contrast: a career educator from a small district or a lawyer/administrator from a large system. It’s anything but a no-brainer. ]]> tag:blog.news-record.com,2008:/staff/voice//30.26225 2008-07-22T09:11:03Z 2008-07-22T10:01:17Z

Congratulations to the Guilford County Board of Education for identifying two superintendent candidates and scheduling meetings Wednesday giving community groups and the public opportunities to meet them. The board should consider the feedback it gets when making its final decision....

Doug Clark http://www.news-record.com two superintendent candidates and scheduling meetings Wednesday giving community groups and the public opportunities to meet them. The board should consider the feedback it gets when making its final decision. Although many public bodies name their top three or four candidates, this is still an improvement on those selection processes where the new chancellor/police chief/city manager is announced and no one knows who else was in the running. There are some fairly obvious observations about Shirley Prince and Maurice Green. First, both come from North Carolina systems, raising the question of whether a "national search" was necessary. Second is race and gender. GCS won't have another white male superintendent. Going further back, did the predecessor school systems ever have a black or woman superintendent? (Lilly Jones was interim superintendent of GCS between Jerry Weast and Terry Grier, and many thought she should have been given the permanent job.) Third is the contrasting backgrounds of the two finalists. Prince has been a career educator, beginning as a classroom teacher. Although she moved up into administrative positions fairly quickly, she's been superintendent for the past nine years in the tiny Scotland County system. She's done well enough there to be named North Carolina's Superintendent of the Year for 2007, but the question is whether she could handle the immense demands of running a system with 10 times as many students (albeit with plenty of administrative assistance). Green, meanwhile, is a Duke-trained lawyer who was pursuing what appeared to be a fast-track legal career until he veered into public education as general counsel for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, later rising to deputy superintendent. That gives him big-system experience, but many teachers and principals here might be disappointed if they have a superintendent who's never personally dealt with classroom issues. Furthermore, it's not clear that CMS has gotten a better handle on the educational problems besetting GCS. Currently, administrators have proposed cutting 331 jobs, including teaching and principal positions, in response to budget constraints. Those are just some initial thoughts. We'll try to write something more coherent for Wednesday. What's your opinion of the finalists?]]> tag:blog.news-record.com,2008:/staff/voice//30.26213 2008-07-22T08:00:55Z 2008-07-22T08:05:03Z

A new bill passed by the General Assembly balances the need to get tougher on gangs with the need to keep youth out of gangs in the first place. Not everyone agrees about the extent of the gang problem in...

News & Record http://www.news-record.com A new bill passed by the General Assembly balances the need to get tougher on gangs with the need to keep youth out of gangs in the first place. Not everyone agrees about the extent of the gang problem in North Carolina. But nearly everybody seems to agree that there is a problem, and that without purposeful measures now to stunt the growth of gangs, they’ll only get worse. So it’s encouraging that the General Assembly has passed legislation that should help attack street gangs at their roots. The bill is tough and compassionate, harsh and forgiving. It balances the need to go hard and decisively against gang leaders with the equally important need to choke off the supply of gang members. On the punitive side, the bill ramps up enforcement tools and penalties. It gives authorities the power to seize gang property. It makes it a felony to threaten a member who wants to leave a gang or someone who helps that member leave a gang. It also makes it a felony to threaten or retaliate against a former gang member and to recruit or force someone younger than 16 to join a gang. Yet it exempts from felony charges gang members younger than 16. It also allows first-time offenders a chance to erase gang convictions from their records if they steer clear of trouble with the law for at least two years. Some lawmakers believe that’s being too lenient. “Those provisions ought to allow us to capture some of the younger individuals who, quite frankly, are at the root of these problems,” Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger, a Rockingham County Republican, told The News & Observer of Raleigh. Other lawmakers worry that the bill could have unintended consequences. “I hope it will be enforced in a way in which people are not going to be penalized because they look different,” state Rep. Alma Adams, a Greensboro Democrat, said last week. But Adams added she believed in the need for the law. “I think we listened to the pulse of the community,” she said. And the bill does seem sufficiently sensitive to the need to combat gangs from both the enforcement and prevention perspectives, including $10 million to fund intervention programs. More problematic is its potential impact on state prisons, which already are desperately overcrowded. The bill provides no funding to make extra space. As for the bigger picture, it depends on whom you ask concerning the severity of the gang problem. The Governor’s Crime Commission cites more than 550 gangs in the state with nearly 15,000 members. But the Washington-based Justice Policy Research Institute said in a 2007 report that “data support no evidence for the notion that North Carolina is experiencing a gang crisis.” And interestingly, a consultant’s report on the Greensboro Police Department questions the resources being devoted to the department’s new, 17-person gang unit, suggesting that it be cut to eight. Still, the whole point is not to wait until the problem becomes unmanageable. This legislation should help see to that. ]]> tag:blog.news-record.com,2008:/staff/voice//30.26215 2008-07-22T08:00:36Z 2008-07-22T08:05:03Z

A couple of members of Congress want us to once again drive 55, or maybe 60, on the nation’s interstates in order to conserve fuel. Veteran Virginia Sen. John Warner has said that he’ll introduce legislation to reduce the speed...

News & Record http://www.news-record.com A couple of members of Congress want us to once again drive 55, or maybe 60, on the nation’s interstates in order to conserve fuel. Veteran Virginia Sen. John Warner has said that he’ll introduce legislation to reduce the speed limit once the Energy Department determines the most efficient speed to drive. Freshman Rep. Jackie Speier from California already has put in a bill. It would lower the speed to 60 mph in urban areas and 65 mph in rural ones. There’s no doubt that a lower speed limit would help America conserve fuel. Studies show most vehicles run less efficiently at speeds over 60. It’s estimated that Americans saved some 167,000 gallons of gas a day when the interstate speed limit was 55. We’d save even more now, because more vehicles are on the road. But do we need Congress to mandate this? Drivers already can drive 55. All it takes is for them to lighten up on the accelerator pedal. What we do need Congress to do is to work with the president in shaping an energy policy that aggressively encourages development of alternate forms of energy and transportation, ones not dependent on oil. A protracted debate over a lower speed limit — and that’s what would happen if the drive 55 idea gains traction — would divert our nation’s leaders from this vital task. There may come a time when slower interstate speeds need to be ordered. If, for example, terrorism or a Mideast crisis seriously disrupted oil supplies, conservation would become essential, as we likely would have to rely on the limited fuel in the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve. But that’s not the case now. Gas is expensive, but it’s flowing freely. Ordering vehicles to slow down on interstates wouldn’t help America become more energy-independent. It wouldn’t change the fact that most U.S. vehicles are still being run on an imported and finite — and therefore vulnerable — energy source. Driving 55 would reduce most people’s gas bills. But drivers don’t need an act of Congress to make that happen. tag:blog.news-record.com,2008:/staff/voice//30.26201 2008-07-21T08:00:00Z 2008-07-21T08:00:03Z

Food for thought, quick and over easy. Smothers gets the go-ahead When election filing began for High Point City Council offices July 7, Becky Smothers was waiting for advice from a key person in her life. She got it later...

News & Record http://www.news-record.com Food for thought, quick and over easy. Smothers gets the go-ahead When election filing began for High Point City Council offices July 7, Becky Smothers was waiting for advice from a key person in her life. She got it later that week. “Go ahead and run,” her doctor told her. She is. Smothers filed last Monday to run for her third consecutive term as mayor, and sixth overall. She’s battled, and apparently beaten, a rare form of breast cancer. Her latest tests came back clean, the 69-year-old Smothers said last week. That’s good news for her and her family, and for High Point. Smothers has been a strong leader, performing her duties with vision, energy and remarkable candor. She also showed courage, grace and humor in facing her health crisis. Whether they decide to re-elect her or not, voters should be pleased her name will take its customary place on the ballot at least one more time. On the street where you live Google Maps Street View provides photographs of streets and properties bordering them in parts of 43 states. It debuted in May 2007 featuring five cities. Sometime this spring, Greensboro was added to the mix. Photographed streets are marked in blue on Google Maps. Zoom in, and you can “walk” down the street. A panoramic feature provides a 360-degree view, allowing a relatively good look at houses or other buildings. Many parts of Greensboro still haven’t been photographed. Sunset Hills and Westerwood are in Street View; Irving Park and much of southeast Greensboro aren’t. Much of downtown can’t be seen. Vehicles with panoramic cameras mounted on their rooftops take the photos. Internet sites (www.gstreetsightings.com, googlesightseeing.com, streetviewgallery.corank.com) have sprung up to document the more interesting street views — such things as homeless people, sunbathers, possible robberies in progress. We couldn’t find much of interest in our area, but we didn’t think the boss wanted us to spend too much time looking. Let us know if you find something. The tool is great for Realtors. Larry Story of Coldwell Banker is one who makes his customers aware of it. Still, we have mixed feelings about the venture. Burglars, at least those who are Web-savvy, must love this. And does the whole world need to know what your house looks like? It feels too much like sitting naked in front of the window. Google has removed photos because of security concerns — no domestic violence shelters appear — and there is a way to petition Google to remove items. Stars show that school matters A couple of former University of North Carolina basketball stars are role models — in the classroom. Sean May and Marvin Williams were teammates on the Tar Heels’ national championship team in 2005, then left school early to pursue professional careers. Both continue to work toward earning their degrees in summer classes, however. They may be millionaire athletes, but they appreciate the value of an education. That’s a great example to set for young people, who may not excel in sports but can build a successful future if they keep at their studies. Evident progress A new state crime lab opened last week on West Meadowview Road in Greensboro. Why that’s a big deal is because it accelerates the flow of evidence from the state to local law enforcement, and in turn should help investigations and court cases move faster. Crucial evidence in the past has stalled at the Raleigh crime lab because of the sheer volume. The Greensboro lab will process evidence for about 6,000 cases a year. Among the types of evidence it will analyze are fingerprints, blood-alcohol levels and drug samples. DNA and firearms evidence still will go to the Raleigh lab. Greensboro’s lab may not turn around the damning evidence in the span of an hour, counting commercials, as they do on TV’s “CSI.” But it’s a critical, and very welcome, additional resource. ]]> tag:blog.news-record.com,2008:/staff/voice//30.26192 2008-07-20T08:00:00Z 2008-07-20T08:00:08Z

Should North Carolina allow drilling off its coast? Gas prices are high -- and likely to go higher. Oil production may have peaked globally. Would it help to allow drilling off our coastal waters? Or would this be too little,...

News & Record http://www.news-record.com Should North Carolina allow drilling off its coast? Gas prices are high -- and likely to go higher. Oil production may have peaked globally. Would it help to allow drilling off our coastal waters? Or would this be too little, too late? Or do you think it would wreak havoc environmentally and destroy coastal tourism? tag:blog.news-record.com,2008:/staff/voice//30.26202 2008-07-20T08:00:00Z 2008-07-20T08:00:08Z

Here is some background on a pair of failed single-sex plans in Guilford County. From the News & Record (Dec. 12, 2005) Parents cool to proposal for single-gender schools By BRUCE BUCHANAN AND JENNIFER FERNANDEZ Staff Writers GREENSBORO — A...

News & Record http://www.news-record.com Here is some background on a pair of failed single-sex plans in Guilford County. From the News & Record (Dec. 12, 2005) Parents cool to proposal for single-gender schools By BRUCE BUCHANAN AND JENNIFER FERNANDEZ Staff Writers GREENSBORO — A proposal to turn Hampton and Washington elementary schools into single-gender schools isn’t proving popular with some of the people who would be affected by such a change. “You can’t keep changing everything without fixing the root of the problem,” said Donna Wilson-Brown, president of Hampton’s PTA. She said staff turnover has been the school’s biggest problem. Superintendent Terry Grier introduced several ideas for new magnet school programs to the Guilford County Board of Education last week. The board would have to approve any new programs, and district officials insist no decisions have been made. School board members will discuss the issue more Thursday. The biggest proposed change would be to turn Hampton and Washington into all-boys and all-girls schools with students required to wear uniforms. Wilson-Brown said she was disappointed that district officials haven’t solicited input from parents at the two schools. Grier said parents will be consulted if the district decides to pursue the plan. “Fixing the system is not separating them,” said Paula Ritter-Lipscomb, youth development coordinator at Wiley Elementary School, which was mentioned as an opt-out school for students who don’t want to attend a single-gender school. Ritter-Lipscomb said her job puts her in contact with families from all three schools. The district needs to make sure struggling schools have the right teachers and adequate materials, she said. “Until the community wakes up and gets behind us, we’re going to be facing this for a while,” Ritter-Lipscomb said. Both east Greensboro schools, which serve almost exclusively low-income African American students, have experienced their share of academic struggles and internal shakeups in recent years. Washington is on a watch list for failing to meet federal Adequate Yearly Progress testing goals for three consecutive years. Last year, the school had three principals, and every third-, fourth- and fifth-grade teacher was new to the school at the start of the 2004-05 school year. But Washington officials are taking steps to improve their school. The school recently hosted an alumni reunion, and school leaders have recruited community volunteers to serve as tutors. Washington hired an experienced principal, Grenita Lathan, in January. Washington parent Tamara Davis said she might have supported a radical change two years ago. But she said she would oppose such a change now because the school is on the right track. “Washington has come a long way,” Davis said. “They’re doing so much more and so much better.” Hampton also has seen a slew of changes in recent years. In 2001, the school adopted an extended-year program with Saturday classes based on the KIPP Academy in Houston. President Bush has touted KIPP’s success in educating an almost exclusively poor, Hispanic student body. But most of Hampton’s neighborhood students chose to leave the school after the extended-year program started. So district officials dumped the program last year and replaced it with a leadership magnet program, although they kept the year-round calendar. Wilson-Brown said a better solution would be for Hampton to become a traditional neighborhood school and for the district to recruit high-quality teachers and principals who want to stay. Like Washington, Hampton has seen its share of instability. The school has had four principals since 2001; the latest, Michelle Thigpen, came to the school in September. Single-gender education has long been a staple of private schools, but all-boys and all-girls public schools are rare . Their popularity is growing, though. There are 193 single-gender public schools in the United States - up from four schools eight years ago. Grier started the first single-gender public schools in the state two years ago by founding the all-girls Middle College at Bennett and the all-boys Middle College at N.C. A&T. However, these small schools cater to a specific type of student - those who have struggled at traditional high schools. There are no other single-gender public schools in the state. “I’m so glad they’re doing this at the elementary school level,” said Leonard Sax, executive director of the National Association for Single Sex Public Education and author of the book “Why Gender Matters.” Sax said recent research shows that young boys and girls have basic biological differences that affect the way they learn. For example, he said boys often learn better if they are able to stand up and walk around. Girls also often develop reading and math skills at an earlier age than boys, which can make boys feel inferior. But Sax said training teachers in gender differences is key to making single-sex schools work. He said he has been in touch with Guilford County Schools officials about possibly offering staff training. “Just putting boys in one school and girls in another doesn’t accomplish much,” he said. ]]> From the News & Record (Dec. 20, 2005) Single-sex schools plan is no more By BRUCE BUCHANAN Staff Writer Guilford County Board of Education members Monday night rejected an idea — at least for now — to make two east Greensboro elementary schools single-sex. Board members didn’t vote, but no one expressed support for making Hampton and Washington all-boys and all-girls schools. Instead, board members agreed by consensus to allow Washington to continue as is at least for another year after hearing strong opposition from Washington parents and staff members. The board didn’t make any decision about Hampton. District officials have said if the board creates a school for one gender, it would have to do so for the other. Given that Hampton parents have expressed displeasure with the proposal, the board seems unlikely to make it a single-gender school next year. However, the school still could divide boys and girls into different classrooms. Board Chairman Alan Duncan said he wants more input from Hampton parents and employees before making any decision. District officials recently suggested that Washington and Hampton could be converted into single-sex schools. The schools are close together in east Greensboro; both serve almost exclusively low-income, African American student bodies. Washington and Hampton have experienced staff turnover and academic woes in recent years. Superintendent Terry Grier said the schools haven’t performed well enough and changes need to be considered - particularly since schools now must meet certain test score goals under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. To illustrate the problems at the two schools, Grier said every third-, fourth- and fifth-grade teacher left Washington last year. That prompted board member Deena Hayes to say, “Maybe you didn’t pick the right people to be there.” “If you want to be argumentative, we can be,” Grier replied. “We’re not blaming anyone.” Other board members and parents expressed skepticism of the single-sex school plan. A large group of Washington parents and staff members attended the meeting Monday to ask board members to reject any plan to make their school single-sex. Some grumbled audibly when Grier spoke about potential changes and the consequences of failing to meet federal test score goals. Schools that fail to meet these goals face an escalating list of sanctions. Washington supporters said several efforts are in place - including a new reading curriculum and after-school activities - designed to improve student performance. “There hasn’t been enough time for any of that to show the kind of results we are looking for,” Hayes said. Also at the meeting, board members tentatively approved a calendar for the 2006-07 school year. Under the calendar, school would start Aug. 25 and end June 8. The board will take a final vote on the calendar in February, after the public has had the chance to offer feedback . The calendar will be posted on the school district’s Web site. ]]> tag:blog.news-record.com,2008:/staff/voice//30.26188 2008-07-19T08:00:00Z 2008-07-19T08:00:04Z

Saturday's lead editorial. “One young life = one five-day vacation” That’s how one blogger described the punishment meted out to Jerry Dawson, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer involved in the Taser-related death of a teenage grocery store worker on March 20....

News & Record http://www.news-record.com Saturday's lead editorial. “One young life = one five-day vacation” That’s how one blogger described the punishment meted out to Jerry Dawson, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer involved in the Taser-related death of a teenage grocery store worker on March 20. Darryl Turner, 17, died after being Tasered twice by Dawson. One Taser discharge Dawson gave Turner lasted 37 seconds. A standard discharge lasts about five. An autopsy determined that Turner died from heart irregularities. A police department review commission determined that using force to subdue the unruly clerk was appropriate, but the amount of force used wasn’t. The CMPD banned lengthy Taser discharges in 2005, after studies pointed out their problems. Dawson was suspended for five days without pay and has been ordered to receive more Taser training — a punishment that is little more than a wrist slap. Letting police review boards determine disciplinary action for officers is problematic. At the least, it causes the public to question the fairness of such procedures. The Dawson case also highlights the need for all law-enforcement agencies to ensure that their officers are well-trained in using Tasers before they begin carrying them. Tasers are a good tool for law enforcement. They enable the police to subdue people without the use of deadly force and, when used correctly, they are a more humane alternative to such things as nightsticks or pepper spray. A Taser’s effects usually end when the discharge ends. When used as intended, in a short, five-second discharge, few, if any, problems result. Complications arise, as a study by the National Institute of Justice says, through the devices’ “continuous or repeated discharge.” Research has found that prolonged Taser use can cause heart and respiratory problems. In one study, researchers used Tasers on 11 pigs for 40 seconds each: Two of the pigs died and the survivors were left with heart irregularities. With High Point officers beginning to use Tasers next month, most Guilford law-enforcement agencies will be using these devices. The agencies’ Taser training needs to include information on times when Taser use went bad. Officers need to learn about the Florida man who died after being Tasered 12 times and the South Carolina man who died after being Tasered for two minutes and 49 seconds. They need to learn about 17-year-old Darryl Turner, killed at his grocery store job after being Tasered twice for 42 seconds. Arming officers with the facts should mean fewer such tragedies. ]]> tag:blog.news-record.com,2008:/staff/voice//30.26189 2008-07-19T08:00:00Z 2008-07-19T08:00:03Z

Saturday's First-Person column. I admit, my dream for the past two years was to wake up on my birthday and find a plum-colored PT Cruiser with a big, red bow wrapped around it sitting in our driveway. To my dismay,...

News & Record http://www.news-record.com Saturday's First-Person column. I admit, my dream for the past two years was to wake up on my birthday and find a plum-colored PT Cruiser with a big, red bow wrapped around it sitting in our driveway. To my dismay, I discovered on my last birthday that I would continue to borrow my mother’s tan, clunky (well, I think it is), decade-old, Buick Park Avenue. Recently, as I concluded the N.C. graduated licensing program after two years, I couldn’t help but consider how I still didn’t have a car as a 17-year-old. When I’m a senior this fall, my parents will continue to take me to and from my private boarding high school, where there are no school buses due to the low number of commuting students. I will continue to be squeezed into their already-stressed schedules. Worse, I will witness my school parking lot continue to be filled with my classmates’ new cars. But I’ve realized that not having my own PT Cruiser before graduating high school isn’t so dreadful after all. Discovering the insurance my parents were already paying so I could drive their cars was startling, and these rates would almost double if I got into an accident. As well, it can cost almost $600 to have a car on a college campus. And, with the price of gas on the rise, affording a car and college tuition in a year would prove difficult for me and my family. Is owning a car as a teen worth that feeling of independence that accompanies the car’s enormous price tag? It’s an investment parents should not need to make in a day and age when every teen expects a car upon receiving a license. It is true that some teens don’t depend on their parents to help fund their cars, but as young students, it’s difficult finding a job that pays thousands of dollars. Maybe on my 18th birthday, when I blow out the candles on my cake, I’ll wish for an iPhone instead. — Rebecca Kabatchnick, editorial intern ]]> tag:blog.news-record.com,2008:/staff/voice//30.26157 2008-07-18T08:00:00Z 2008-07-18T08:00:03Z

Friday's lead editorial. Guilford County voters had more to decide on May 6 than their preferred candidates for political offices. They were asked to say yes or no to proposed borrowing for schools, parks, GTCC and a jail. The bond...

News & Record http://www.news-record.com Friday's lead editorial. Guilford County voters had more to decide on May 6 than their preferred candidates for political offices. They were asked to say yes or no to proposed borrowing for schools, parks, GTCC and a jail. The bond referenda followed a healthy debate about the county’s spending priorities. Greensboro voters will have an opportunity to consider bonds for proposed city projects in November. State legislators also plan to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars for similar projects from Cullowhee to Elizabeth City. But they’re not asking for voters’ approval. Nor did they invite much of a discussion. Instead, contrary to the intent of the N.C. Constitution, they padded the 2008-2009 budget with debt, piling future liabilities on taxpayers without their consent. Dentistry schools at East Carolina and UNC-Chapel Hill, $138 million; a pharmacy facility at Elizabeth City State, $28 million; a general classroom building at N.C. A&T, $20 million; a library at N.C. State, $109 million; a classroom and office building at UNCG, $43 million; a health-education center at Western Carolina, $10 million; and additional outlays at other UNC campuses, for prisons, judicial facilities, ports, parks, historic sites, the zoo and more. It all adds up to $857 million. “When you look at the actual projects, it’s hard to argue they’re not worthwhile,” Rep. Hugh Holliman, D-Davidson, told the News & Record’s Mark Binker last week. Sen. Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, looked at it another way: “It’s like we’ve got a credit card, and we just continue to max it out.” In fact, the borrowing is accelerating. The new budget nearly doubles in one year the total state debt accumulated without voter approval. That’s not meant to happen, according to the constitution, which gives the General Assembly “no power,” with limited exceptions, to contract debts unless authorized by voters. The exceptions, however, have been stretched by legislation enacted within the last few years. Consequently, a state bond referendum hasn’t been put on the ballot since 2001. Lawmakers find it more expedient to proceed on their own authority without asking the people they represent for permission. Unfortunately, that approach denies citizens the chance to decide for themselves whether projects are worthy. It reduces opportunities for public discussion. Who in Raleigh, after all, took time to explain to anyone why the state should borrow $45 million for a health care and mental-health facility at the Correctional Institute for Women or asked for anyone’s opinion? Who made a case for $11 million for a storage facility at the N.C. School of the Arts? Voters’ voices counted in Guilford County, and they made wise decisions in regard to local bond proposals. It’s a shame legislators don’t think North Carolina voters deserve to be heard. They must see their constituents as people who are supposed to pay but have no say. Maybe voters should remember that when they choose their representatives in November. ]]>