Celebrating
BlackHistory
Serving DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale Counties
Volume 18 Number 22
www.ocgnews.com
february 15, 2013
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Obama’s Decatur visit inspires push for quality education By Valerie J. Morgan
DECATUR—President Barack Obama’s Valentine’s Day visit to Georgia gave DeKalb County the lift it needed, shining the spotlight on teachers and beaming preschoolers who warmly welcomed him to the city of Decatur. The President’s visit came as Michael Thurmond started his first week on the job as interim superintendent for the troubled DeKalb County School District, which is fighting to get off probation and address critical deficiencies cited by its accrediting agency. President Obama was in town to tout his plans to expand high quality pre-kindergarten programs to children across America. He praised College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center in Decatur as a shining example of what is working in America. He visited some of the school’s classrooms, stopping to play educational games with 4-and 5-year-olds, and even giving his famous fist bump to one little boy. The City Schools of Decatur district also was acknowledged by the President. “As I said on Tuesday night, that education has to start at the earliest possible age. And that’s what you have realized here in Decatur,” President Obama said, referring to remarks he had made during his Feb. 12 State of the Union Address. Mary McMahon, a teacher at College Heights, introduced President Obama before he spoke at the recreation center. “I hope he had as much fun as we did, because we had a blast today,” she said as fellow educators cheered her on. Congressman Hank Johnson, who represents Georgia’s 4th District, said he was pleased to hear President Obama mention Georgia as being ahead of the curve in early childhood education during his address to the nation. Johnson said,
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President Barack Obama prepares to address an enthusiastic crowd at The Decatur Recreational Center
Spelling Champs Conyers siblings build legacy as word warriors By Joshua Smith
CONYERS—The Duncan family has a spelling addiction. On the way to school, on the way to practices, on the way home, they’re spelling. So, for 13-year-old Jazz Duncan, winning the Rockdale County Spelling Bee on Feb. 7—her third year in a row—was no pressure, just another day in their world. “This is what we like to do. We’re often calling out random words to each other. Our whole family stays on the hunt to test each other,” said Jazz, whose 15-year-old brother, Jaire, and 10-year-old sister, Zora, are spelling bee champs in their own right. With Jazz Duncan’s recent win, a sibling from the Duncan family has won the Rockdale County bee trophy for six years running now. Jaire, now in 10th grade at INSIDE
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L-R: Spelling masters Jazz and Zora Duncan show off their trophies.
Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology, was the first spelling champ in his family. He won the county spelling bee three years in a row when he attended Memorial Middle School. Jazz, an 8th grader at Memorial Middle School, followed in her older brother’s footsteps, also winning three years consecutively. And young Zora, a sixth grader at Memorial Middle School, followed in Jazz’s footsteps. Last year, Zora placed second at the county’s Spelling Bee. She’s looking forward to Jazz going off to high school next year with the hopes of replacing her as the new champ. Jazz’s entrance into high school will mean the two sisters will no longer have to slug it out at the middle school with one another. “We both push each other to stay on top. We think of different words randomly and have fun with it,” said Zora. “Sometimes, we make each
Photo by Joshua Smith/OCG News
other nervous at competitions because we both know the other one can spell so well.” Heather Duncan often coaches her children. She says they are so successful in competing because they don’t just try to cram words in for memorization but rather make the words a part of everyday life. “With school work being first and then other activities like dance, we spell whenever and wherever we get the chance to,” said Heather Duncan. The sisters don’t just spell. They compete in reading bowls, play soccer and are avid dancers, with moves in the styles of ballet, tap, modern and of course, jazz, the form of music that the older Duncan sister was named after. The two girls enjoy playing the piano and just having fun together as sisters when they are not spelling. The victories don’t always come easy, even if the word is spelled right.
Photo courtesy of www.iShootAtlanta.com
“My husband, David, and I have had to protest on the County and State level with certain words and procedures. We keep the rules and regulations with us to make sure,” said Heather Duncan, who admits that oftentimes when her children compete, they’re among the few African Americans participating. “The higher up you go in competition, yes, you do see fewer and fewer African American students.” But Heather Duncan says she believes it’s not because African Americans are not talented in that arena. Excelling in sports is just pushed more, she said. “We have great minds in the African American community. We just need to showcase them for the brilliant minds they are,” said Heather Duncan. In addition to the county’s spelling bees, Jaire and Jazz have also won the National Beta Society’s state spelling competition in past years. The family’s focus is now directed on Jazz’s next competition: She competes on Feb. 23 at the Regional Bee at Mundy’s Middle School in Jonesboro. Jazz is currently the reigning two-time champion for the regional competition. If she wins, she will be the three-time champion for both the County and Regional Bee. The winner of the Regional Bee will go on to spell against the best in Georgia at the State Spelling Bee on March 15, at Georgia State University in Atlanta. Jazz has placed in the top five before. Jazz has never won the state title but she is motivated to do just that. “I would love to see the Capitol and compete in Washington, D.C.,” said Jazz Duncan.