Pastor Pleads for Participation

Get involved in community education forums
By Alonzo Braggs
Times Columnist

There is an effort in our community to bring about a matter of healing, restoration, education and illumination. This is the effort of the Wilson Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. This community organization has partnered with the Wilson County Schools to achieve the aforementioned.

On one side you have elected officials, administrators, educators and support staff who have the responsibility to develop our children one-third of the day for five days a week. The other two-thirds of those days, and the other two days are the responsibility of the parents and community.

The bottom line is that the total community is legally, morally, socially and godly responsible for the qualitative development of each child in our community, and this must be done fairly and justly.

Given these conditions, it is the constitutional duty of this branch to be actively involved from an educational perspective in the extended community of Wilson County. Thus, we have entered into this joint venture with the school system. We have aligned ourselves with them to help them as they serve the community. We seek to be a direct communications link to the community for the following purposes: ensuring that matters of grave concern reach all; personnel and their positions are known, and they are held accountable; policies, procedures and protocols are known and understood.

In this effort, the branch has requested to utilize forums in addition to regular board meetings to publish issues and concerns of the community and feed the community the policy response governing those matters, along with shared thoughts from the panel. This arrangement is a tremendous vehicle to ensure that any subject can be addressed and the facts relative to that subject published. Under the format of these forums the community will be heard, a response will be published, and this will help shape the awareness of policies and procedures for all. It also empowers and equips those who seek justice in addressing violations of policies and procedures. It enables the community to demand policy changes where and when needed or desired.

Having experienced the first forum, it was necessary to go back to the table and reformat. The objective is to make the formats more audience involved and not a viewing of the participants. The next forum will be Aug. 12 at Forest Hills Middle School at 7 p.m. The focus for this forum will be the duties and responsibilities of the school board, central office, and the local schools. We will also address policies and protocols for resolving complaints and concerns.

All candidates for the school board are asked to be present so that the community can place faces with names. This will help the candidates also better understand what their potential duties may entail.

I am requesting that all questions be submitted to the following e-mail address for compilation and submission to the board before the forum: wilsonbranchnaacp@yahoo.com. Please make these submissions no later than Thursday.

Finally, let me be clear. This is a joint venture where both entities bring their best efforts to the table, for the community. This partnership does not alter the school system in any manner from aggressively doing its job. There is no conflict of interest. On the other hand, it does not stop the branch from aggressively addressing any and all issues brought to its attention for assistance and resolution. The winner in this joint venture is the community. There are no losers!

 The NEXT FORUM MEETING is scheduled for August 12 @ Forest Hills Middle school at 7pm.

*This article appeared in the Wilson Times Columns section Tuesday, July 20, 2010