FAITH & FAMILY
Challenger Community News • t hec hallengernews.com •JANUARY 17, 2018
Oracle Charter School Hopeful Appeal Will Keep School Open
O
racle Charter School serves 311 students on Delaware Ave. 90% are African American, 95% live at or below the poverty line, and all call the school home.
The SUNY Charter Schools Institute has recommended non-renewal for the school’s application for a five-year renewal of its charter. The school is appealing that recommendation and hopeful the actions of the new board and new school leadership after receiving a report highlighting areas for growth will prove the viability and success potential of Oracle. “We recognize there are areas in which we can grow, and we are taking aggressive measures to do that,” said Board Member Pastor George Nicholas. “It’s not just lip service, for each growth area we have systems and specific measures in place to better equip teachers, to identify student needs sooner and to improve our instructional program. We’re not just hoping, we’re executing against a plan and are already in a very different place as an institution.” Board Co-Chair Dr. Ramone Alexander added, “From the board perspective, we’ve moved quickly to act upon the recommended areas for improvement. We have a new school leadership team, new board co-chairs and a new vision for Oracle. The Oracle today is not the same school it was even a year ago.” Oracle informed teachers, students and parents earlier this week of the non-renewal recommendation and its appeal which will be heard Jan. 25 in New York City. “We know what this school means to its students, alums and to the community. We’re doing everything we can to keep the school open,” said Nicholas.
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Remembering Martha Veasey: "A Great Human Being Who Will Never be Forgotten
B
orn in Johnstown, Pennsylvania to Samuel Ralph and Emma Hemphill, Martha Veasey's family eventually settled in Buffalo along with seven other siblings. After a short marriage and one daughter, Martha chose to focus on her career. She graduated from Sisters Hospital School of Nursing, then worked at Buffalo General for 21 years, eventually becoming Unit Manager. Her continued desire to help others led her to enroll at Canisius College, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Immediately she began working at Canisius as a counselor in the C.O.P.E office, administering both the Arthur Eve and MLK scholarship grants. After finishing her Master’s Degree, Martha was made the school's Director of Community Relations in 1992. Responsibility as Director of Disability Support Services was added to her charge as well. Eugene Marshall at Loyola University in Baltimore, a founding member of "Conference on Diversity and Equity" (AJCUCDE), speaks of working with Martha with great fondness and
By Nanette D. Massey
admiration. "She was always in the background, yet always in the forefront of dealing with issues of support and inclusion at our [28 Jesuit] colleges. Martha was a dear friend, like having a sister in another city. Even after her retirement, I still sent her postcards from every one of our organization's conferences." Her advocacy within C.D.E led to the inception of the Canisius ALANA Student Center, providing extra support for Asian, Latin, African, and Native-American students who might have felt somewhat out of place. Martha was an integral part of managing the college's and community's "growing pains" as Canisius began buying properties in the surrounding Main and Jefferson neighborhood to house students. Student hours and behaviors were clashing with area families. Martha saw to it that the school's plans and local tax payers' concerns were brought into alignment. She welcomed the challenge, saying "I see it as an effort to help Canisius diversify, and as a way of helping the black community retain its progressiveness." Martha and Elverna Gidney, retired U.B. administrator and community activist, co-created Buffalo Education Task Force, through C.A.O. of Erie County, which continues to award scholarships and support to
high school students accepted to college. They commissioned a survey in the early 80's which found that area graduating seniors just were not making it to colleges in acceptable numbers. The harvest of that data produced the Annual College Fair every September, and January's Annual Scholarship Fair connecting families with the information and resources needed to rethink the possibility of higher education's fit in their lives. Ms. Gidney remembers that Martha "was an eloquent speaker and a beautiful woman who came from a great legacy of community activists within her family." She was the recipient of Canisius' Martin Luther King Award in 1992. After years of loyal and dedicated service, Martha retired from the college in 2007. Martha was also heavily involved in many projects and societies that cared for the Buffalo community including the Hamlin Park Community and Taxpayers Association, and the Martin Luther King Project of WNY. Former colleagues and associates knew her to be a valued sounding board post-retirement. "She was a great woman, leader and mentor who will be sorely missed," says U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Western District of New York, the Hon. Hugh B. Scott.
Martha Veasey
After a prolonged illness, Martha Veasey passed away January 1, 2018. She is survived by her daughter Deborah (Garthel), grandchildren Jaeda, Jesse, Elise, and Mitchell; great-granddaughters Amerie and Olivia, sisters Shirley and Bernice, brother David, a host of beloved nieces and nephews and extended family, and special friend William Bailey. Adds Sababu Norris, current administrator at ALANA, "It's great that the Challenger will highlight a great human being. Because of this and more, Ms. Martha Veasey will never be forgotten." “Knowing when to stop, you can avoid any danger.” -Tao Te Ching
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Community Partner Meeting - January 22, 2018
The Buffalo City School District’s Department of Student Support Services is pleased to invite you to our Community Partner Meeting being held January 22nd at 3:30p.m. at PS #95 Waterfront School, located at 95 Fourth St., Buffalo 14202. This will be an opportunity to update, communicate, collaborate and involve you and your organization on our collective work in support of our neediest students and families. We look forward to your participation. Agenda items include an update of Student Support Services. Please register at: https://ny01913551.schoolwires.net//cms/module/selectsurvey/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=126 For questions or concerns please email Nicole C. Bycina, ncbycina@buffaloschools.org
Code of Conduct Public Forums- January, February, March 2018
We also invite parents and concerned community members to join us at one of the below public forums to share your feedback on the Buffalo Public Schools’ Code of Conduct.
•January 13th: 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. East High Community School 820 Northampton St., 14211 •January 25th: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Seneca Babcock Community Center 1168 Seneca St., 14210 •February 8th: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. The Belle Center 104 Maryland St., 14201 •March 3rd: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Lafayette High Community School 370 Lafayette Ave., 14213 •March 8th: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Northwest Community Center 155 Lawn Ave., 14207
For questions or concerns please email Heath Frisch, hhfrisch@buffaloschools.org