INSIDE Goochland students celebrate Arbor Day > page X
Volume 57, Number 18 • May 6, 2010
The Spring Festival!
Issues of equal opportunity raised at school board workshop Some say needs of black and gifted children not being addressed By Amy Condra acondra@goochlandgazette.com
Photo by Ken Odor
Contestants put their hands behind their backs getting ready for the pie eating contest at the Spring Festival last Saturday.
Festival. Taking a brief break toward the end of the day in the foyer of the Goochland Parks and Recreation Building, Director Derek Stamey and Marketing and Special By Ken Odor Events Coordinator Michelle Swalin jodor@goochlandgazette.com appeared tired but pleased. It was warm, but a steady breeze kept “It was the epitome of a beautiful day the weather from being a negative at in Goochland County,” said Stamey, who the annual Goochland County Spring praised his staff of paid and volunteer
4000 attend Goochland County’s annual event
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Calendar Classifieds County News
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Letters Education Opinion Sports TV Listings
6 5 6,8 9-10 11-13
workers for a good team effort. Swalin said they had extra volunteers show up on festival day to pitch in. A few changes were evident at this year’s event, with the Friends of the Goochland Library book sale and arts and crafts vendors moving inside the gymnasium and foyer of the Parks and
SPORTS Goochland baseball glad to be home > page 9
see Spring Festival > page 1
At last Tuesday’s school board workshop, a representative from the NAACP said that he is concerned about the education that black children are receiving in Goochland County. Sekou Shabaka said that the county’s black students do not receive the support they need to raise test scores and reduce dropout rates. Statewide tests show that achievement gaps between white and black students have been steadily narrowing over the past three years. But for black students at Goochland Middle School the pass rate fell from 83 in 20078 to 75, or below the standard, in 2008-9. According to the Virginia Department of Education,
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math skills fell among all students at GMS, but stalled math proficiency by black students was cited as a failure by the school to achieve adequate yearly progress. Shabaka has approached the schools in the past to discuss ways of improving academic achievement for black students, but is still, he said, waiting for the matter to be addressed. The NAACP is hoping to partner with the schools to create a comprehensive plan that includes measurable objectives, goals and accountability. “The NAACP has been coming before this body and the school board for about 10 years,” said Shabaka. “We don’t want to be negative or adversarial, but we want to do something differently.” “Children have different learning styles, different cultural backgrounds, and we simply have to get serious about that,” he added. “I hope see School board > 1
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west SERVING EASTERN GOOCHLAND AND WESTERN HENRICO
Walk for Sudan at Christ Episcopal Church