Editorial
Mentors
The
flow of good news continues about rising test scores in North
Carolina’s public schools. The most recent report from the National
Assessment of Educational Progress, issued by the U.S. Department of
Education, shows that North Carolina’s fourth- and eighth-graders
are scoring above the national average in math tests and are posting
some of the best scores in the nation. We are well on our way to
having the best schools in the nation.
Classroom teachers, of course, deserve most of the credit for the
improvement in student academic achievement. Many other groups also
deserve our thanks for the outstanding improvement in the public
schools, including teacher assistants and principals. And now another
group is receiving some belated attention for the critical work it’s
done in the schools — the business community.
Later this month, the state Department of Public Instruction, the
State Board of Education and Gov. Mike Easley will honor 29 businesses
and business organizations that have partnered with local school
systems to provide mentors and other services. The Governor’s
Business Partnership Awards were created to recognize outstanding
sustained business and alliance partnerships that have significantly
improved student performance. The winners are:
Alamance County School-to-Careers Partnership; Athens Drive High
School Business Alliance, Wake County; Bandag Inc., Granville County;
Bayer Corp., RTP; Camden County Education Foundation Inc.; the
Charlotte Chamber of Commerce; Cleveland Pines Nursing Center in
Shelby City; Communities in Schools of Brunswick County; Durant Road
Middle School Business Alliance, Wake County; The East Carolina Bank,
Hyde County; First Union Corp., Mecklenburg County; General Dynamics
Advanced Technology Systems, Guilford County; Greater Durham Chamber
of Commerce; Greater Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce; Havelock
Chamber of Commerce; IBM Corp., Durham County; Jefferson Pilot
Financial; Kobe Copper Products, Stokes County; Laurinburg/Scotland
County Area Chamber of Commerce; Craven County Partners in Education;
PSNC Energy; Sara Lee Hosiery, Forsyth County; Smith Systems Inc.,
Transylvania County; The United Way of Greater Greensboro; Union
County JobReady Inc.; Watauga Education Foundation; Wilson Education
Partnership; WSOC-TV Channel 9, Mecklenburg County; and the Yadkin
County Chamber of Commerce
Charlotte Mayor Patrick McCrory will receive the Outstanding Local
Official Award, which was created to honor an individual who makes a
significant community impact through collaborative efforts. He is
being recognized for initiating the Mayor’s Mentoring Alliance, 50
youth-serving and non-profit organizations that meet with him
bi-monthly to discuss children’s issues and work together to find
solutions and encourage mentoring.
The Governor’s Business Partnership Awards will be presented during
ceremonies Sept. 20-21 at the Sheraton Imperial hotel in Research
Triangle Park. -- Steve Tuttle
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