It may take more than a village – “it’s going to take a city,” said Roanoke City Schools superintendent Rita Bishop of the effort needed to keep education going in the right direction. Bishop made that remark at the second annual Blessing of the Schools, held this year at William Fleming High School last Sunday.
Congregations in Action – CIA – a six year old coalition of local churches and synagogues that have joined together to support Roanoke City elementary schools, sponsored “Blessings,” held in the auditorium at the year-old William Fleming campus. A handful of Pastors, Reverends and Rabbis led prayers during the 45-minute meeting, which also included a keynote address by Roanoke City Manager Chris Morrill.
Currently CIA member congregations and its members support eight elementary schools in Roanoke City, offering on site tutoring and mentoring, conducting school supply drives, even sending food home on the weekends with kids who might be facing several days without a decent meal otherwise.
“It’s necessary for the faith community to be part of the school system,” said Central Church of the Brethren pastor Tim Harvey during his opening remarks. Harvey wants to see more schools covered than the eight assisted now: “I am convinced those numbers will grow.” He also mentioned an informational meeting for those interested in finding out more about Congregations in Action on September 29th at 10 a.m. at Grandin Court Baptist Church.
Currently there are three CIA chapters (Old Southwest, Northeast and the Raleigh Court area), each working with about nine congregations and several schools. Highland Park, Round Hill, Fishburn Park and Wasena are among the elementary schools attended to. There are no current plans to take the CIA program to the middle or high school levels.
City Council and School Board members joined about 100 others at Blessing of the Schools, where Rita Bishop called Congregations in Action “a model for public education,” when it came to community involvement. In a school system where she said just 30 percent of the students may not qualify for a free or reduced lunch, the superintendent called the CIA effort an antidote to “poverty of the soul…those are the people who just don’t care. I appreciate you more than you ever know.”
Fleming student Devonte Saunders followed Bishop with a song from the podium. “Dare to Dream… and Walk with Pride,” sung the sweet-sounding Saunders, who received a standing ovation for his efforts.
City Manager Chris Morrill, six months into his job, hailed the “sense of optimism and commitment,” he noticed from Congregations in Action members, as they “support our most challenged schools.” He also issued a call to Roanokers at large: “it’s now time for the community to commit to a much greater involvement. The faith community [can be key]. We must encourage individuals to be passionate about our schools.”
Morrill pledged to work with City Council, the School Board and others, like CIA members, “to weave a cocoon of faith and support.”
The event ended with blessings from a half dozen faith leaders in the Roanoke Valley. “We want to be part of the solution,” prayed Pastor Art Good (Valley View Wesleyan), “to bring about that change.” Reverend Sandy Webb of St. John’s Episcopal Church noted today’s “challenging times, [where] children are being written off. May that never happen here.”
Senior pastor Jim Crockett (Westhampton Christian) had a practical request in mind. “We pray that no teacher, school employee or administrator may fear for their jobs.”
The pastor from Central Church of the Brethren was feeling pretty good about the work done by CIA in Roanoke City schools so far: “this kind of partnership with community leaders and churches can exist,” said Tim Harvey.
By Gene Marrano [email protected]
I fail to understand the continued cheerleading of the Roanoke City School System. As I have watched children go through this pitiful excuse for education, the system has proven itself to be a bastion of poltics, misdirection and lies. Ruffner existed for years, covering only half of the curriculum taught at Breckenridge or Madison.
If the system did not know this, why did intense tutoring begin the first week of the past school, after Ruffner’s students has been spread around the city? Fights are not handled by resource officers, but “internally” to avoid recording the incident. The first day of school last year, one fight at Madison created so much blood, the school maintenance crew was called in early. Other than lip service to “just say no” there are no more drug dogs, searches, etc to avoid the presence of illicit drugs. Most students can tell you where to find marijuana, etc, if you ask….if apprehended, these incidents are handled internally, too. We went through hearing after hearing over Round Hill and Huff Lane. The superintendant and others had already decided what to do, and had their full plan drawn up before the hearing at Breckenridge, the last day of school ( a choice day to limit attendance). After the president of the school board admonished, sternly, no further comment when the school board meeting started, the superintendant divulged..septic tank problems at Huff Lane. Oh my, that would cost too much. When in reality, Huff Lane has had plumbing problems for over 5 years. Nobody discussed, for the first second, about using Ruffner as an alternative. Explain to me how $400,000 spent on Round Hill saves the city money. Oh, it will next year, but the push was to save money now. At the same meeting, you know…the one about saving money..the school system folks talked about the new elementary school near Preston. $6million. We all know how that goes. $6mil, now, $12 mil when done. BUILDINGS DO NOT EACH KIDS. STANDARDS, GOOD TEACHERS, SUPPORTIVE PARENTS AND AN ADMINISTRATION DEDICATED TO THESE PRINCIPLES, TEACH KIDS. Our system is awash in the expense and degrading ridiculousness of tutoring, peer promotion, teaching adult children, poor standards, extreme behavior issues, and too many parents who think the school system is merely a baby sitting service. When SOL’s start, the school year ends. Days of non-testing are filled with students sitting idly watching the latest DVD, or playing video games accessed in violation of the city’s own IT regulations, or they do nothing at all. Sometimes an entire month of potential class time is lost because of ridiculously poor planning and a total lack of desire to do something different. The opportunites are plentiful without spending one dime, the lack of initiative is shameful.