Marlow Artis...High School Dropout?

Last summer, I was asked to portray a high school student for Cumberland County Schools' Dropout Prevention Initiative.  I was pleased to act alongside Associate Superintendents Dr. Mary Black and Dr. Joseph Locklear, Dr. Ron Goldbolt (Retired Administrator), and Chip Lucas (Executive Director of Career and Technical Education).

Click on the link below to witness our Academy Award Worthy Performances!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPWGyVEEkAE

Special Thanks to Natasha Scott (Executive Director of Student Services) and Nakol Lovett (CCS Videographer), and remember to stay in school!

South View District Pep Rally!

Today, faculty and staff members from across the South View District met at South View High School to jump-start the 2013-2014 Academic School Year.

In between eating doughnuts and winning prizes, I interviewed Dr. Frank Till (Superintendent of Cumberland County Schools), Ms. Rose Ferguson (Principal of C. Wayne Collier), and teachers (including my kindergarten teacher - Ms. Hall!).  These individuals shared their thoughts about this upcoming year.

Take a look at some of the highlights!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXhXkNbQZvY

Fayetteville Art Teacher Needs Kidney

Caroline Capino, Art Teacher at Sherwood Park Elementary

This evening, I was watching ABC11 Eyewitness when I saw a moving report about Caroline Capino.  She is an Art Instructor at Sherwood Park Elementary (Cumberland County Schools) ,and she is in desperate need of a kidney!  Despite her ailment, she is back to work where she is very much committed to her students and school.  Have a great year, Ms. Capino!

Click below to view her complete interview with ABC11 Eyewitness News.  Also, be sure to visit her Facebook Page as well to lend your support!  Have a great school year, Ms. Capino!

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9213195

https://www.facebook.com/Kidney4Me

NC Educator of the Month

Peggy Raymes, Principal of Margaret Willis Elementary

I am officially naming Peggy Raymes as our first Educator of the Month!  I am thoroughly impressed with Mrs. Raymes because she has no problem speaking up for teachers all over North Carolina!  She is elegant, knowledgeable, and honest!  The faculty, staff, and students of Margaret Willis are so blessed to have such a FIERCE principal!  Go Mrs. Raymes!

Click on the link below to watch her interview with the TV Station - WRAL.

http://www.wral.com/cumberland-principal-s-letter-to-mccrory-goes-viral/12798132/

Raymes vs. McCrory!

Recently, Margaret Willis Elementary Principal Peggy Raymes (Cumberland County Schools) took North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory to task!  She is not pleased with his decision to give huge pay raises to staff members with the Department of Health and Human Services while teachers are forced to make due with less.

Read the open letter to find out what she says exactly (below).

 

Dear Governor McCrory,

I am the principal at Margaret Willis Elementary school in Cumberland County. I have a dedicated staff that has been working “on their own time” this summer to be ready for our boys and girls next week. They have not been paid to attend training or prepare classrooms during their ” vacation.” They do this because they are dedicated professionals who see the big picture, when it comes to the impact and the value of public education, on our future. I am concerned that the 2 young men referenced in this report have been awarded substantial pay increases because of their job performance. I am extremely discouraged that these 2 young men were given those pay increases when I have teachers in my building who have been working for 8 years, and are still only receiving a ” 3rd year ” teacher salary. I am struggling to understand what type of job performance constitutes a 37% salary increase, when the students at my school, (with a free and reduced lunch population of 80%), have made high academic growth for the past 5 years on our NC End of Grade tests. Would that type of job performance not warrant some type of salary increase? As a veteran educator with 30 years of experience, and as a Commissioner from Stedman, N.C. I would respectfully like to request the opportunity to sit down and talk with you, Governor; but what I would really like to happen, is for you and my legislators to come and spend one day at Margaret Willis Elementary School, or any public school in NC, for that matter. I believe that after that encounter you would be able to find alternative measures for balancing the state budget. I do not believe you are the kind of man who would sacrifice the future of the children of our state, but I do believe that you are listening to advisors who do not have a clear picture of the benefits of a sound and free public education; nor do they understand the impact their recent decisions are having on our schools, and ultimately the future of our state. So, my question, Governor McCrory….do we give 37% pay increases to young men who worked for your campaign, or do we pay the teachers in North Carolina a fair wage? I look forward to hearing from you.

Respectfully,

Peggy Raymes

Principal

Margaret Willis Elementary School

Post your thoughts!

Model Classroom!

I am super excited about the 2013-2014 Academic School Year!  For the second year in a row, I was asked to host a Model Classroom Presentation for the new Middle School Teachers of Cumberland County Schools.

My room is bright and bold (just like me)!  I believe that too many of our middle school classrooms are brown, black, and gray.  Color is conducive to learning.

A room waiting for children!

My desk is hidden behind the bookshelf (which is alright because I'm never at my desk).   The yellow boxes are used to submit assignments (current work in the top tray & missing work in the bottom tray).

Reading Corner - Making reading comfortable and fun.

I utilize the containers at the top to house library folders.  The folders include reading levels (STAR Reports), book reports, and other library materials.

I morphed these picture frames into my Word Wall.  They were originally black so I covered them with contact paper and fabric.

I wholeheartedly believe in posting an Agenda and your Focus Standard each day.

Marlow Artis, Model Classroom Facilitator (that's me)!