New school superintendent Dr. Anthony D. Jackson has hit the ground running with many new and innovative ideas in the works for Vance County Schools. These ideas put into motion will focus on ensuring that all children receive the absolute best education they can receive while attending the Vance County Public School System. Two major ideas involve safety and instructional changes at schools.

As a top priority, the system will focus on improving safety in all of our schools. Beginning next school year, all schools will be equipped with state-of-the art access control equipment at the main entrance. This will require all school visitors to show ID, and to state their business, prior to being allowed in. Additionally, for the first time, state certified School Resource Officers (SRO’s) will be assigned to each of the middle and high schools in the system.

The district is also launching an alternative program for students who have had disciplinary problems or not met success in the regular school program.  The focus of the program is to support students as they work to develop the skills needed to return to their regular learning environment. Dr. Jackson believes that students who misbehave should face consequences for their actions but should still be afforded the opportunity to continue their academic progress while working to address the reasons they were suspended from their school in the first place.

Dr. Jackson said, “We don’t want kids to go home and just sit around. This doesn’t correct or even come close to addressing what caused them to be sent home in the first place. We want the issues to be addressed and we want students to learn from the consequence, so that they may return to school a better student and hopefully a better person. We want them to grow as individuals.”

To support parents, the district is also planning to open a Parent Support Center this fall.  The Parent Support Center will serve as a central place for parents to support one another with resources and training to help them navigate the school experience.  A special feature of the Parent Support Center will be parent training.  This training – Parenting Partners – will be delivered by other parents going through the training. It is designed to help parents develop the skills and access the tools to best help their children.

Dr. Jackson is also a big advocate of the arts. Jackson said, “I was surprised to find that we were not offering music and art in all of our elementary schools.” As a passionate believer in the power of the arts, Jackson understands that in order for students to realize the importance of music, art, and theatre they must be exposed to these art forms as early as possible.

He promised parents that “music and art will be offered in all elementary schools next year, and in all middle and high schools the following year.” He also hopes eventually to incorporate drama into that equation. He said, “McGregor Hall in Downtown Henderson is a great asset to the community and our children.  We have a responsibility to begin building the next generation of lovers and patrons of the arts to sustain and keep this community treasure alive and viable”.

When asked what the greatest challenges for our school system are, Dr. Jackson said he felt that mindset is the biggest obstacle. Three major mindset obstacles are “getting people to really believe that we can change, celebrating what we’re already doing well, and coming to consensus on what needs to be done to make positive change happen.”

Dr. Jackson comes from a background of 28 years as an educator. He started his career as a teacher in Wake County teaching vocal music at Enloe High School and Sanderson High School. He was an assistant principal at Sanderson High School and Leesville Road High School before becoming the principal at Durham High in Durham, NC, Mt. Vernon Middle School and Glen Lea Elementary School in Richmond, VA followed by serving as the Chief Administrative Officer of the Arts and Technology Academy Public Charter School in Washington, DC.

He served in several senior leadership positions at the district level prior to being selected as the superintendent of the Henry County Public Schools in Martinsville, VA.  Dr. Jackson also served as superintendent of the Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools in Rocky Mount for four years prior to coming to Vance County this past August. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from East Carolina University, a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from N.C. Central University and a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from Walden University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Jackson feels that his greatest strengths lie in implementing innovation to support student learning and challenging the status quo to improve systems and outcomes.

Staff Writer for WIZS

Congratulations to Carnetta Thomas, principal of L.B. Yancey Elementary School!  She has successfully completed work for her doctoral degree.

Thomas learned in early January that she had met all requirements to earn her doctorate in Education in Curriculum and Instruction. She received her degree through the University of Phoenix with most work done online.

“I am really happy about this,” Thomas said. “I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It was not easy at all.”

Like most educators who seek their doctorate, Thomas was working full time when she began work for the degree in January of 2011. During the almost five-year period to complete the required work, Thomas became assistant principal for a year at Pinkston Street and was then assistant principal at Zeb Vance Elementary for two years before becoming the principal at L.B. Yancey this school year.

Her dissertation was about parent involvement in public schools with a focus on the need to develop partnerships with parents. Thomas interviewed 10 parents at Zeb Vance Elementary to do her research.

“I focused mostly on low-performing Title 1 schools and learned that we have to inform our parents,” Thomas added. “We have to look at our parents as a partnership for our schools. We have to communicate with one another. Many of our parents really don’t know what to do. We also have to make them feel warm and welcomed!”

Thomas also stated she received lots of support from colleagues, including Valerie Hairston, counselor at Zeb Vance, who was “a great reader,” and Dr. Jacqueline Crosson at Pinkston Street, who went through the doctoral process at the same time.

“I received so much positive support,” she noted.

(WIZS News received this information in a press release dated February 5, 2016.  While it was broadcast at that time on 1450 AM, this is the first time it has been published on wizs.com.)