Tag Archive for: #vancecountyschoolboard

Ayana Lewis Appointed To Fill School Board District 4 Seat

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The Vance County Board of Education has appointed Ayana Lewis to serve in the District 4 Board seat after the recent resignation of Edward Wilson, who had served since 2012.

Lewis, a Henderson native, will be sworn in at the board’s next meeting on Feb. 12 at 6 p.m., according to information from VCS Chief Communication Officer Aarika Sandlin.

Lewis, a Democrat, had filed for the District 4 seat and would have been on the ballot in November. Wilson did not file for re-election.

Lewis has close to 20 years of education experience, having previously served in Vance County Schools as Gear Up’s assistant coordinator, as well as bookkeeper and first grade teacher.

She and her husband are co-founders of the Abria Chase Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to the memories of two of their children who lost their lives in a house fire.

Lewis helps other parents who have lost children and she and her husband received the Community Excellence Award from the Full Effect Church of North Carolina in 2023.

Lewis received her bachelor’s degree from N.C. Central University and a Master of Art in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health from Wake Forest University.

TownTalk: Oxendine Is A New Face On School Board

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The Vance County Board of Education will feature two new faces following last week’s midterm elections – Omega T. Perry and Randy Oxendine.

Perry is the pastor at Cook’s Chapel AME Zion Church and has a Sunday morning program on WIZS.

Perry ran unopposed for the school board seat, and Oxendine won the District 2 seat over his opponent Charlie Baskerville, Jr.  When Oxendine’s wife, Darlynn, decided not to seek another term on the school board, her husband decided to take a crack at it.

When he spoke with WIZS News during last Tuesday evening’s election coverage, Oxendine, himself a longtime educator with Vance County Schools, said he felt like he already has established a relationship with existing board members and looks forward to his new role as board member.

“I believe I’m just stepping in and rolling with it,” he told John C. Rose about his election victory.

Of particular concern to him is the diminishing enrollment in three elementary schools in District 2 – New Hope, E.O. Young and Carver. Lower enrollments mean that teachers like the physical education teachers, for example, must travel among the three schools for their instruction.

“I would love to see more students (at these schools so) we could get more money to provide full time people at those schools,” Oxendine said.

Over their years in education, Oxendine said he and his wife have seen many high school students head off to college, where some play sports and get recognized for their efforts. One former student invited the couple recently to attend her induction into the N.C. A&T State Hall of Fame.

He said he would like to institute some type of hall of fame for Vance County, where students and athletes could be recognized for their outstanding talent and effort, “so younger people would have someone to look up to.”

 

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TownTalk: School Board Approves VCS Strategic Plan

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The new Vance County Schools logo was officially unveiled Aug. 1, and school officials took time at Monday night’s school board meeting to share a bit about the meaning behind the color scheme and the graphics.

“The new logo represents the pathway options that students may choose as the letters v,c and s can all be traced in the image,” according to information in the VCS Board Briefs document. There’s a color gradient that moves from greens to blues and that represents the personalized education and pathways available to students, the statement explained.

The school board also approved the 2022-2025 strategic plan, which includes a revised vision and mission for the 16-school district, which serves about 5,000 students from preschool through high school.

The four-point plan lists equity, innovation, high performance culture and experiential learning as driving forces to inform the work of schools, staff and district leadership.

“Vance County Schools provides an adaptable educational setting where learning is a catalyst to the pursuit of dreams in an evolving society,” the vision statement reads.

And the mission states: “Vance County Schools is committed to providing broad experiences and opportunities to stakeholders that enable them to compete globally.”

Visit https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/ to learn more.

Town Talk 01/09/20: District 3 School Board Challenger Sean A. Alston, Sr. On-Air

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Sean A. Alston, Sr., candidate for the Vance County School Board, and Jason Spriggs, Alston’s campaign manager and recently elected Henderson City Councilmember, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Thursday at 11 a.m.

Alston is running against incumbent Dorothy Gooche for the District 3 School Board seat in the March 3, 2020, primary.

Sean A. Alston, Sr. (pictured above) is running against incumbent Dorothy Gooche for the District 3 Vance County School Board seat in the March 3, 2020, primary. (WIZS photo)

“I’m running for the school board because I would like to be a bridge between the schools, the families and the teachers,” Alston said. “I want to be a part of a system that is already great.”

As the owner of Atwoz Bail Bonds and a bondsman for 20 years, a full-time student at NC Central University and a volunteer with the school system, Alston said he stays very busy.

“I go to school full-time, work full-time, am a husband full-time and father full-time,” Alston said. “I stay active.”

Alston received his associate degree in Criminal Justice from Vance-Granville Community College, an accounting degree during his time as a Material Control Accounting Specialist while in the military and is currently working towards a bachelor’s degree through Central.

Spriggs, who met Alston while campaigning for City Council, said Alston has what it takes and is making the right moves in his own campaign approach. “Sean is already in the school system. He’s been at the games and sponsoring different events in the school system for years now. He’s already doing the work of someone who cares about the children. Now, he’s trying to take it to a different level.”

Emphasizing his desire to be a bridge between Vance County youth and the board that enacts policy, Alston said, “I want to take my mishaps in life and let the kids know there is more to life than the streets, there is more to life than being a part; you have to make your own path.”

To hear the interview with Alston and Spriggs in its entirety, including discussion on recent events involving the school system, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

(This is not a paid political advertisement. Incumbent Dorothy Gooche is invited to participate in an interview of equal time with WIZS.)

#VANCECoProud School Board 2018 Standing Committees Set

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— courtesy Vance County Schools

At Monday night’s Vance County School Board meeting, the board’s Standing Committees for 2018 were set.  The committees for 2018 include: Building and Grounds, Ruth Hartness as chairperson, with Dorothy Gooche and Ed Wilson as members; Community and Business Relations, Gooche as chairperson, with Margaret Ellis and Clementine Hunter as members; Curriculum, Wilson as chairperson, with Gooche and Gloria J. White as members; Finance, White as chairperson, with Hunter and Darlynn Oxendine as members; Personnel, Ellis as chairperson, with Hartness and Wilson as members; and Policy, Oxendine as chairperson, with Hunter and White as members.

Vance County Schools Committee Meetings

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Vance County Board of Education Committee Meeting Dates:

  • Building & Grounds, Thursday, August 24th, 8:30 am
  • Curriculum, Thursday, August 24th, 9:15 am
  • Policy, Wednesday, August 30th, 5:30 pm
  • Finance, Wednesday, August 30th, immediately after Policy
  • Personnel, Tuesday, September 5th, 8:30 am

All meetings are held in the ASC Superintendent’s Conference Room, 1724 Graham Avenue, Henderson.

Emeron Cash Honored by local Educators

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Members of the Vance County Board of Education were joined by people from throughout the school system and local community in honoring Emeron J. Cash Sr. on December 12 as he retired after 24 years of service on the board.

They attended a nice reception held in the Administrative Services Center prior to the board’s regular monthly meeting to pay tribute to the former teacher, coach and retiring board member. During the reception and at the beginning of the meeting, colleagues, educators and friends visited with Cash, his wife, Patricia, and their son, Chris. They all praised a man who has dedicated his life to helping youth across Vance County and beyond.

Gloria J. White, chairwoman of the board, presented Cash with a resolution by the board recognizing his many contributions. She also joined Superintendent Anthony Jackson with

giving him a handsome, framed collage featuring his many achievements over the years. He also received a wooden, rocking chair with the school system’s seal engraved on the headrest. Vance County Commissioner Dan Brummitt gave Cash a framed certificate of appreciation from his board.

White led comments shared with the audience at the meeting in praising Cash as a great colleague and someone who truly cares about children and education.

Cash thanked everyone for their support over the years and for the many gifts he was presented.

Chris Cash also spoke and thanked everyone for their great relationships and positive work with his father.