Tag: Education

Local districts continue response to Newtown tragedy

January 7, 2014 Brody No Comments

This article appeared in The Herald-Sun in December 2012:

Orange County Schools may take the unprecedented step of putting school resource officers in elementary schools in the wake of Friday’s shootings in Newtown, Conn.

For at least this week, before breaking for the holiday, law enforcement officers are on campus in collaboration with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and Hillsborough Police Department. But they could become as permanent as the SROs already found in middle and high schools.

“They will be providing an increased presence through the end of the week,” said Michael Gilbert, OCS public information officer. “Over the break (Superintendent Patrick) Rhodes and the (Board of Education) will be discussing the possibility of placing SROs in our elementary schools with our local law enforcement agencies.”

In a statement issued to parents, Rhodes wrote: “We are all deeply saddened by Friday’s tragic incident in Connecticut. While we hope such incidents never happen, Orange County Schools and our law enforcement partners view the safety of our children as our top priority.”

He outlined several steps taken to improve school security and emergency response planning, such as:

— Site-specific school safety plans.

— Specialized training in threat assessment.

— Crisis response measures.

— Regular presence and close monitoring of schools by the Sheriff’s Office.

— Full-scale and tabletop drills with law enforcement and emergency responders.

— Video surveillance in all schools.

Journalism, Non-Fiction, Sample News Articles

State may consider 11 new charter schools in Durham

January 7, 2014 Brody No Comments

This article appeared in The Herald-Sun in January 2013:

DURHAM — Public charter schools in Durham could more than double in the next two years.

As of last week, the state Department of Public Instruction had received 161 letters of intent for new charters. Of those, 11 are in Durham, including one virtual school. It’s not quite the same as filing an official application – those aren’t required until March.

But the numbers still give Natalie Beyer pause.

“To me, it comes to a question of what our vision for all our local schools is, and to me this feels very chaotic,” said Beyer, a member of the Durham Public Schools Board of Education. “If the state board granted 10 additional charters to join the 10 already promised here, we’d be closing doors of existing schools.”

Journalism, Non-Fiction, Sample News Articles

Learning Life

November 2, 2013November 2, 2013 Brody No Comments

This article appeared in The Herald-Sun in 2012:

By Wes Platt

Jackie Tobias leads the way, walkie-talkie in hand, down the stairs and through the corridors of Riverside High School.

On a recent morning, the nearly 1,750 students are swarming through the halls of this Durham public school between classes, although some linger in pairs and trios, talking together or listening to iPods with their white earbud cords dangling. They’ve got about five minutes to reach their next class.

“Keep moving,” Tobias urges, firm but not impatient. She’s smiling. “If they’re not moving, they’ll never get where they’re going on time.”