Wayne Week — Sept. 15, 2024

N E W OL D NORT H M E DI A PR E SE N T S A W E E K LY N E WS M AG A Z I N E

SE P T E M BE R 15, 2024

N E WOL DNORT H .C OM

Wayne

WEEK

Inch by inch

Wayne County Public Schools is no longer a "low-performing district," but Superintendent Dr. Marc Whichard is still not satisfied.

C OV E R S T O RY B Y K E N F I N E A N D R E N E E C A R E Y

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Survey: More than 1/3 of downtown merchants say parking limits are hurting their bottom lines. p. 1 2

p. 4

A missing 29-year-old from Illinois was last seen in Goldsboro — and her family is worried. p. 8

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CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 15, 2024 Volume 2, Issue 5

NEWOLDNORTH .CO M

EDITORIAL EDITOR Ken Fine EDITOR Renee Carey DESIGN DIRECTOR Shan Stumpf PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Casey Mozingo

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Hallie Hulse Evans ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE McKayla Alves ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Lara Landers

4 Downtown parking data is in

More than a third of downtown Goldsboro merchants say they are hearing complaints from customers and losing money because of parking restrictions in the city's core, but city staff are recommending the policy remains intact.

8 Where is Caitlin Hodges?

Goldsboro police are investigating the disappearance of a 29-year-old woman from Illinois who was last seen in Wayne County, but many who have, over the past few months, come into contact with Caitlin Hodges say she is deep in the throes of addiction and is likely no longer in the area. Her family still wants more answers.

10 Our take PUBLISHER

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CONTACTS EDITORS

kfine@newoldnorth.com rcarey@newoldnorth.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES hevans@newoldnorth.com llanders@newoldnorth.com malves@newoldnorth.com

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The School Report Cards released by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction earlier this month revealed that Wayne County Public Schools is no longer a "low-performing district," but if the community wants significant change in numbers that are still, in our view, nothing to cheer about, it will take an effort from the village WCPS Superintendent Dr. Marc Whichard says he will need to ensure every child has a chance to succeed.

12 Cover story

Wayne County Public Schools is celebrating the fact that several schools were removed from the state's "low performing" list, but Superintendent Dr. Marc Whichard, during a sitdown with Wayne Week, acknowledged there is far more work to do.

20 Spectator

Thousands of local residents and outof-towners converged on downtown Goldsboro Sept. 7 to honor the military — and dance the night away — at the biggest N.C. Freedom Fest to date.

COVER DESIGN

BY SHAN STUMPF

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NEWS +VIEWS Downtown parking data is in

Hundreds of tickets have been issued in Goldsboro’s core since June and more than a third of merchants say customers are upset — and their businesses are suffering — because of two-hour parking restrictions.

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BY KEN FINE

ore than 400 parking tickets have been issued in downtown Goldsboro since a divided City Council voted 4-3 to enforce controversial twohour parking restrictions.

But the number of citations — and the $6,549 in fines collected as a result — is not the only data about the program that will be presented to the board Monday evening.

The results of a survey conducted by city staff will also be shared with council members and their constituents — one completed by nearly 60 percent of downtown merchants that at least one elected official said, “doesn’t look good.”

More than a third of business owners (37 percent) said they have received complaints from customers about the two-hour limit — with 18 percent reporting weekly negative feedback.

And when asked about the “overall impact” the restrictions had on their respective bottom lines, more than a third of business owners (34 percent) reported a “nega-

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tive effect” — with 13 percent characterizing that impact as “significant.”

Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. Executive Director Erin Fonseca, whose organization has championed the parking policy, is among three city leaders who signed off on a recommendation to extend the policy for another three months. (Interim City Manager Matthew Livingston and Interim Assistant City Manager Kelly Arnold are the others.)

But it is conceivable that downtown parking restrictions will not survive that long, as three members of the council — Beverly Weeks, Brandi Matthews, and Roderick White — have made it clear that were it up to them, the city would scrap the parking program altogether.

And District 3 councilwoman Jamie Taylor has made it clear that she would use a data-driven approach ahead of a vote on whether or not to continue to support issuing Continued on page 6

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Continued from page 4

tickets in the city’s core.

The city’s decision to enforce a two-hour parking limit downtown has been a hotly-debated topic in 2024.

Handicapped residents have claimed they have received tickets in violation of North Carolina General Statute.

Business owners have alleged that city employees — and members of the council — are utilizing on-street parking on Mulberry and Center streets after implementing restrictions they said were meant to preserve “valuable” spots for paying customers.

Countless hours have been spent by the council altering the policy — and listening as residents and merchants sounded off on what they have called an “unnecessary” program.

And several board members even, after defending their votes as a way to help businesses make money, removed Saturday — which many business owners said was their busiest shopping day of the week — as a restricted day as a “compromise,” in a move many called “hypocrisy.”

Weeks has been among the most vocal opponents of the parking restrictions — telling members of the board that she has heard nothing but negative feedback from neighbors

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of her two Cry Freedom Missions storefronts since the policy was approved.

“The vendors that we spoke with, the brickand-mortar shops, they are saying, ‘We’re losing business. This is truly affecting our business. Our numbers have dropped dramatically since we’ve had the parking (restrictions) in place,’” she said in July. “I personally think we’ve put the cart before the wheel.”

And White said he believes the council “created a problem.”

• • • The idea of enforcing a parking policy started nearly a decade ago, when, in 2016, the city commissioned a parking study to anticipate future parking demand as a result of the realization of the Downtown Master Plan.

Then, a consultant was hired — a man who, in early 2023, unwrapped that data during a public forum.

He concluded that downtown Goldsboro had exceeded assumptions made about just how much demand there would be for parking on Center and surrounding streets — and presented, to the 50-plus people in attendance, several options he believed could help the city mitigate potential woes for those wanting to eat, drink, and shop downtown.

And while the overwhelming majority said

they would favor regulations akin to what the city rolled out this year, when the signs went up and warning tickets started appearing on windshields, outrage followed.

Young women showed up to City Council meetings to share stories about being accosted and propositioned by “aggressive” panhandlers — both in broad daylight and when they get off from work long after sunset.

Business owners repeatedly stepped up to the podium — painting pictures of decreasing revenue and clients who have told them they plan to patronize other establishments.

Accusations of “selective enforcement” flew — claims that the person handing out tickets was ignoring vehicles that belong to city employees, including City Council- and city-owned vehicles with Goldsboro’s logo affixed to them.

And a petition signed by nearly 100 people — a document containing the names of everyone from real estate agents, tattoo artists, and hair stylists to restaurateurs, landlords, and boutique managers — was submitted to the council.

• • • Whether or not the policy remains intact will seemingly, at this point, fall on the shoulders of Taylor, who spoke to Wayne Week Wednesday after the data was attached to the Sept. 16 City Council agenda.

And while she admitted that she is concerned that more than a third of merchants have reported that the restrictions are hurting them financially, she said she has committed to six months of data collection before she decides whether or not to vote to kill the policy.

“I’m a woman of my word. I said six months and I’m gonna give it six months,” she said.

“And at that point, I’ll vote with the majority.”

That means if more merchants than not say they are negatively impacted by the restrictions, she would support them with her vote come the first council meeting of December.

And her hope is that the data she makes that decision based on is “unbiased.”

“To me, to be totally unbiased, we need to get a company that has nothing to do with this and give us a fair look at what’s happening. I need an unbiased opinion,” she said.

“I don’t want the businesses to be afraid to tell the truth. I don’t want the businesses to be scared of what the DGDC is gonna say or what the Merchants’ Association is gonna say. I want to make sure that the decision I’m making is the best decision for the majority.

If I don’t make the decision that’s based on the majority of the people, I’m no good as a council person.”n

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Where is Caitlin Hodges?

A 29-year-old from Illinois was last seen in Wayne County and her family is worried, but Goldsboro police — who have been criticized on social media for how they have handled her disappearance — say their approach has been just.

BY KEN FINE

I

n the photograph, she is smiling, and a backward baseball hat is keeping her long dirty-blonde hair out of her eyes.

She looks healthy — vibrant.

A typical 29-year-old from the American Midwest.

But back in May, when Goldsboro City Councilwoman and Cry Freedom Missions CEO Beverly Weeks last saw Caitlin Hodges, she was far skinnier than what her listed weight of 135 pounds would reflect.

Her hair was brown.

She looked sick, “like she was starving.”

And despite the fact that Weeks took her into Lantern Inn and bought her a meal — and offered to help her get clean from what she believed, after years of experience, was an obvious addiction — the woman refused.

Members of the former Tent City community say they know Caitlin well.

She is, they say, an addict.

And she was, for a time, living with her boyfriend and his mother in Goldsboro — a fact confirmed by her family.

But nobody who encountered Caitlin in the city since she traveled here from Illinois has seen her since July.

She has, they believe, left the county.

“California. She said she was going to California,” one said.

“I heard she was getting into rehab,” another claimed.

“If I had to guess, she’s with that new guy she took off with,” a third said.

“They could be anywhere right now. And honestly, she was pretty (expletive) up on drugs. If she’s using, I doubt she even wants to be found.”

But that has not stopped her family, or thousands of people on social media, from continuing their search for answers — and criticizing the Goldsboro Police Department for what they say is officers “not taking her disappearance seriously.”

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•

It started in July, when a missing persons report was submitted to the GPD. According to Chief Mike West, within 24 hours, investigators began their work.

They interviewed people who knew Caitlin 8

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and the man she was, at one time, living with.

They concluded that she was in no immediate danger, and posed no imminent threat to the community or herself.

And because she did not meet those and other criteria — including, for example,

on social media — and no press release was issued — when the missing persons report was filed, many of those people determined that the GPD was not doing its job.

So, in order to set the record straight and warn the public that interfering in Caitlin’s

being a minor or an elderly person with cognitive issues — they determined there was no need to ask the public for assistance in finding her.

But then, “misinformation” started spreading on social media.

Family members, local residents, and Internet sleuths started launching their own investigations.

And because no post was made by the GPD

case could hurt the investigation, the department did, eventually, release a flyer and a statement.

“While we understand that the community is eager to help, we must stress that sharing unverified information can be harmful,” the statement read. “Misinformation can compromise the integrity of our investigation and, in some cases, may even jeopardize the safety of others involved. We

ask the public to refrain from posting or sharing speculative information.”

That only made things worse.

Some felt the release reflected an admission by the department that it had not done its due diligence from Day One. In fact, Caitlin’s uncle, Jefferson Holmes, told Wayne Week Tuesday that he still believes the department was negligent.

But West stands by how his investigators have handled the case.

And while he was unable to share too many details about Caitlin’s disappearance because it is an “ongoing investigation,” he did say that his team has done all it can — and will continue to work to ensure that if the young woman is still in Goldsboro, which they have no reason to believe at this point, they’ll find her.

“The investigation doesn’t lead us to believe that she’s in this area.

But I know that there are always going to be people who are going to second-guess the way we operate,” West said. “Victims and families of victims, I guess they always feel that more should have been done or could have been done. I can understand that feeling. But I can assure you that we investigate every case to the fullest of our capabilities and this is no different.”

Because if the missing person were one of his own children, he would expect nothing less.

“We’re doing all that we can do.

You know, we all signed up for this job out of a desire to help others and try to make a difference in other people’s lives and to try to help the people who need help. I know that’s the reason I signed up,” West said. “But I also know that law enforcement has always been thought of in a way that we’re robotic and stoic and we don’t have feelings. Well, I can assure you that’s the farthest thing from the truth. I can promise you — and the victims and the families — we do care.”

So, the work continues.

And should anyone have information about Caitlin or her whereabouts, they are asked to contact Investigator Sturgill at 919-580-4211.n

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{ our TAKE }

EXTRA CREDIT

W

hen you are evaluating progress, sometimes you cannot just rely on black and white, one interpretation, or a single, non-diverging straight line to the desired goal.

Instead, it is a matter of steps and movement and a plan that includes not only a celebration of the micro successes, but a laser focus on what it will take to get to the final step.

That is how we have to look at the future of education — and our youth — in Wayne County.

So, along the path to “better” for our 10

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schools — in this case, to creating better performance, better student outcomes, attracting better staff, and, most importantly, getting more graduates who are ready to take the next steps in their lives — you have to be real, to not get caught up in the giddiness of a step forward when the journey has really only just begun.

There is reason to feel optimistic about the news that Wayne County Public Schools is no longer a low-performing district — that enough schools managed to increase their proficiency scores to change a statistic and a designation that did not accurately reflect

the possibilities that we know are the true measure of this community or its future.

And the person who has been the catalyst to making that happen is the county schools’ new leader, the new superintendent, Dr. Marc Whichard.

We all have to give the man credit where it’s due.

He has more than earned it these last 365plus days.

But Whichard would admit he is not the savior, the be all and end all.

He cannot fix everything that needs fixing in this county — and neither can his teachers

and administrators.

And he also agreed that the small changes that got us out of low-performing status are not enough — not nearly enough.

But this is still a victory.

So, we should be glad that the latest news is good, but we can’t let our guard down.

The job is not done.

The superintendent said it himself.

But as a newcomer to Wayne County, he has not, like us, heard the call for reform before — and the promises that leaders in the district have made, and broken.

He has not watched as power, influence,

and the need to be important took precedence over making the right decisions — over spending the county’s money wisely.

But all of us have had a front row seat.

We have watched the slow disintegration of our school district, a lack of courage to stand for what was right that led to bad hires who stuck around, and nepotism that put underqualified people in jobs that mattered or hid poor performance in the district office because of whom the perpetrator was related to.

And we know we got here because so many people did not care enough to tell the truth — to stand strong when the temptation to sell out for influence, college basketball tickets, or a membership in a boat club at the beach was more important than saying the hard things.

And we are witnessing, now, what the pandemic and a slip away from values and accountability have wrought — the problems in the schools and the alarming changes in our kids that are emblematic of a world whose priorities are all wrong.

Those issues — the deep ones — cannot be fixed by a change in school policy, better buildings, or even a whole slew of dedicated teachers.

That will take a community — and not in the toss-off-flippant kind of way that people say it when they don’t want to be part of the solution, just part of the chorus calling out the problems.

We have children in this county who have the support of their parents, who spend part of every day reading to their children, and imparting to them how important an education is to a future.

They pay attention to grades, and they push their children to take on new challenges — like applying for a special school or signing up for an advanced class schedule.

They will be OK. But then there are the others.

These children come to school without the basics skills to succeed and are behind before they even start.

They don’t have interested and involved parents.

And they don’t get the chances the others do because there is no one to fight for them.

So, when they don’t find consistent rules and accountability — and their schools don’t provide it — they are lost.

And as you have seen over the last year, sometimes, they end up dead or in prison.

High school might even be the pinnacle of their life — the time when they had the attention and the “respect” they needed.

And then, we are left to marvel at what could possibly have gone so wrong in our world that a group of teenage girls doesn’t even think twice about torturing a fellow teen and then executing her and posting it on social media.

The thugs aren’t afraid.

Whichard showed us who he is, and until he shows us otherwise, we will believe him. Now, it's up to us to follow his lead — not in the hallways of Wayne County's schools, but in the village we must take back.

The gang bangers are not afraid.

And the drug dealers and their wads of cash are the new dream for far too many inner-city kids today.

Schools can’t change that.

That is a societal problem.

Tougher laws and rules change that.

Accountability changes that.

Investing the money in safety — and getting more police on the streets to work on prevention and apprehension — changes that.

But we digress.

Back to the schools.

Back to the scores.

What you have to understand about the results you will read today in our cover story is that they were enough to move the needle — but not to make the vast changes that are necessary if we want to ensure every single child in Wayne County has a shot at a productive future.

The district is out of low-performing status, yes — but that was not achieved by a gigantic swing and now the problem is fixed.

It was done by doing what was necessary to move that needle ever so slightly.

So, Whichard promised a one-and-done on the “low-performing” status, and he delivered.

Well, he and a whole lot of teachers and administrators who dug in and pushed delivered.

And with the Air Force watching, and the fate of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in the balance, as well as continuing concerns about students fleeing to private and charter schools, that was a must.

To put it another way, we needed this. Badly.

But we also told you that there is still a lot of work to be done.

Here is why: Sure, in 2023-24, there were some significant gains in proficiency. A couple of schools delivered BIG. But the changes in the Central Attendance District and in most of the low-performing schools were comparatively insignificant — enough to move them up, enough to show “growth,” but not enough to make sure that we have children who can do math, read, and in one very important case, know enough about science.

There are still too many students who cannot read at grade level or calculate a math problem accurately.

Too many children are behind.

And, no, it is no longer the fault of the pandemic.

But the information you really want to look at, the findings that need to be the topic of discussion all over this county but weren’t even touched during the Sept.

9 Board of Education meeting, are the percentage of students who are on track to be prepared for a career or college — what the state calls “readiness,” that measures how a graduate would fare if he or she entered the work world or moved on to pursue a higher education.

Those numbers, which you will find in our cover story package, are dismal — and they matter, a lot.

We don’t just need to see students float by and grab a diploma.

We need to graduate students who have the skills they need to function effectively in their community, to build lives and families or careers.

It matters that so many of them are not ready.

Again, don’t take our word for it. The numbers are there for you to look at in this week’s edition.

During our conversation with Whichard, he acknowledged those CCR percentages — which are significantly below the state average, by the way — were not OK. But the truth is, he cannot fix that — and neither can his staff — no matter how much they want to unless WE get involved.

This community needs tools, strategy, mentors, and yes, money.

Several county commissioners promised that if the district showed an effort at improvement and delivered real, measurable results, that they would consider investing more in WCPS. Well, the district did its job.

A small step? Perhaps. But a step, nonetheless.

Now it’s the county board’s turn.

We need to be competitive.

We need to understand that attracting and

keeping quality personnel, it matters.

And yes, that takes money.

The low biology scores you’ll see in the data? Many of them came in classes that were taught virtually.

Why? Because there are not enough teachers.

Having an adult at a white board in a classroom matters.

This is not a place where a computer screen is just as good and those scores prove it.

You should have seen the look on Whichard’s face when he talked about those virtual teachers. He was disgusted.

He might be the superintendent, but he still has an old-school teacher’s heart.

That’s why he vowed to never again utilize virtual teaching services — a promise the county can help him keep by helping WCPS increase teacher stipends.

Disclaimer: There are no blank checks for anyone these days, so the county schools must continue to examine every expense, every hire, and every way to deliver the best possible education while respecting the taxpayers’ pockets.

And there is no way we should expect commissioners to hand WCPS more money if every ludicrous expense — like our milliondollar Raleigh attorney — isn’t tossed out of the budget or if the BOE decides, again, to spend tax dollars at an out-of-town “retreat” that does not benefit Wayne County businesses or bankroll a board member’s son for landscaping work.

But this first step, this momentum, will continue if the community demands better, the schools and commissioners band together to create better, and we never, ever forget the road ahead has more than a few more stops.

And one last piece of advice for the School Board and those running right now for seats on it — a warning if you will.

When the BOE gets in the way and politics take over, and a board member — or two — spend WAY too much time in the county office messing in areas they ought not to be messing in, all the hard work is for nothing.

We have had that before and we cannot afford to allow power-hungry board members to hurt our schools again or drive us into another multi-million-dollar deficit.

Accountability has to be the watchword moving forward — for everyone.

So, a round of applause for what has been accomplished, and a call for the support and the action needed to make it happen again.

Whichard showed us who he is, and until he shows us otherwise, we will believe him.

Now, it’s up to us to follow his lead — not in the halls of Wayne County’s public schools, but in the village we must take back and strengthen to save the thousands of children who are still slipping through our fingers.n newoldnorth.com

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Inch by inch

Wayne County Public Schools is no longer a "low-performing district," but Superintendent Dr. Marc Whichard is still not satisfied.

BY KEN FINE AND RENEE CAREY

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O

n Sept.11, 2023, members of the Wayne County Board of Education followed along as a PowerPoint presentation revealed that Wayne County Public Schools had earned a “low-performing district” designation from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

At the request of new Superintendent Dr. Marc Whichard, nearly all the district’s principals were in the room.

He wanted them to see the data — to experience a somber moment with the hope that it would motivate them to avoid a similar experience in 2024.

“We will not make excuses,” he told them.

But he also wanted to remind them that in his short time as the leader of WCPS, he had witnessed great teaching — that he believed with “hard work” and adjustments, like allowing students to retake state tests and reworking contracts with international teachers, a quick turnaround was possible.

BIOLOGY

ENGLISH II

North Carolina public schools saw a 0.7 % decrease in grade level proficiency, which is defined, by the state, as earning a Level 3, Level 4, or Level 5 on the state test.

North Carolina public schools saw a 1.2% increase in grade level proficiency, which is defined, by the state, as earning a Level 3, Level 4, or Level 5 on the state test.

53.4 %

59.5%

of N.C. students are grade level proficient.

of N.C. students are grade level proficient.

42.3 %

47.1%

of WCPS’ 1,266 tested students are grade level proficient.

North Carolina public schools saw a

of WCPS’ 1,331 tested students are grade level proficient.

North Carolina public schools saw a

1.9% increase in college and career

1.6 % increase in college and career

44.7 % of N.C. students are

35.9%

readiness proficiency, which is defined, by the state, as earning a Level 4 or Level 5 on the state test.

readiness proficiency, which is defined, by the state, as earning a Level 4 or Level 5 on the state test.

CCR proficient.

of N.C. students are CCR proficient.

33.8 % of WCPS students are

21.9% of WCPS students are

CCR proficient, a 3.7% decrease from 2022-23.

MATH I

CCR proficient, a 3.4% increase from 2022-23.

MATH III

North Carolina public schools saw a 1% increase in grade level proficiency, which is defined, by the state, as earning a Level 3, Level 4, or Level 5 on the state test.

North Carolina public schools saw a 0.7% decrease in grade level proficiency, which is defined, by the state, as earning a Level 3, Level 4, or Level 5 on the state test.

37% of N.C. students

57.6% of N.C. students

39.9% of WCPS’ 1,249 tested

41.8% of WCPS’ 1,160 tested

are grade level proficient.

are grade level proficient.

students are grade level proficient.

students are grade level proficient.

North Carolina public schools saw a 0.3% percent increase in college and career readiness proficiency, which is defined, by the state, as earning a Level 4 or Level 5 on the state test.

North Carolina public schools saw a 1.9% decrease in college and career readiness proficiency, which is defined, by the state, as earning a Level 4 or Level 5 on the state test.

12.9% of N.C. students are CCR proficient.

16.1% of WCPS students are CCR proficient, a 6.5% increase from 2022-23.

34.1% of N.C. students are CCR proficient.

19.5% of WCPS students are CCR proficient, a 3.1% increase from 2022-23.

“We will do the work that needs to be done this year. We are all very clear-eyed about it.

The work will be done,” Whichard said. “For the schools that need to be turned around, we will do that. Our administrators are up to the task. We will get through this. Wayne County is a resilient community. Eastern North Carolina is a resilient part of the state. We are in a position to make great strides.”

And the “journey,” he said, would be “exciting.”

“So, hold your heads up high because if your school earned an ‘F’, if your school earned a ‘D’, if your school earned a ‘C’, you have an opportunity to make strides this year,” he said. “We’re about shouldering up to the plow and accepting responsibility.”

Fast-forward almost exactly a year.

At Whichard’s request, nearly all the district’s principals were in attendance for the Board of Education’s Sept. 9 meeting.

He wanted them, again, to see the data — to watch as a PowerPoint presentation revealed WCPS’ standing.

But this time, he called the names of those principals one at a time — inviting them to approach members of the BOE as he unwrapped the “growth” their respective schools achieved during the 2023-24 school year.

Each received a standing ovation — and then, a handshake — from board members as their fellow administrators cheered them on.

It was a celebration.

WCPS was no longer a “low-performing district.”

Whichard, who, for nearly a year, had assured everyone from local residents to members of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners that the 2022-23 “lowperforming district” designation would be a “one and done,” had delivered on that promise.

But the following day, when he sat down with Wayne Week to discuss the achievement — and the work that remains — he took almost no credit for it.

“We’ve done a lot of work this year. We’ve moved a lot of schools’ letter grades. That’s huge,” he said. “But I didn’t take a single test, and I didn’t teach a single lesson. Our teachers did that.”

W

hether WCPS earned a lowperforming designation the year before he arrived in Wayne County or not, Whichard was confident he could improve the district’s academic standing because after he was hired, he recognized “little things” he believed that, if changed, could make a difference.

One of those changes was ensuring the superintendent was visible — constantly — on the campuses he oversees.

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Continued from page 13

“I know it sounds simple, but it’s being present. I mean, it’s every day. I’m in the schools every day,” Whichard said. “I wear the title of boss. It’s not one where I go around saying, ‘I’m the boss,’ but when the boss shows up, you stiffen up. You pay attention.”

And when a school community — from administrators and teachers to the students, themselves — see the superintendent walking the halls and observing classrooms, they know they will be held accountable.

“You can tell when you walk in a classroom in 60 seconds if it’s effective — if the teacher is on point; if they’re engaging; if they’re nurturing; if they’re paying attention to what’s going on in their classroom,” Whichard said. “Again, it’s the little things. We have outstanding teachers in our district. Hands down. Great people. …

The overwhelming majority of our people are hardworking people. But they need support.”

And like the students they are charged with educating, they need consistency and structure — and a set of reasonable, achievable expectations.

For Whichard, bell-to-bell instruction would be key to ensuring schools showed growth during the 2023-24 school year.

“The bell rings, go inside the classroom, close the door, and teach,” he said. “Again, it’s that simple.”

Discipline would “move the needle,” too.

“A student is disruptive? Call the principal and get ’em out of there so that the teacher can focus on the rest of the students,” Whichard said. “Teachers need to be able to teach.”

But they also need to be held accountable — and to have a leader who is not afraid to get rid of those people who are just in education for the paycheck.

“I’m the first one to laugh with you and cry with you when times are tough and I’ll laugh to celebrate, but I’m gonna be the first one to take this (shoe) and put you out the door if you don’t do what you’re supposed to do,” Whichard said.

And in his view, doing what is expected should not be that hard — as his philosophy is centered around ensuring school staffs were not overloaded with complex demands.

“It’s not complicated. The non-negotiables are very simple. I’m a simple kind of guy,” Whichard said. “If you keep it simple for folks — do a few things really well and don’t overload the plate — good things will happen. You have to do a few things well every single day.”

D

espite Monday’s celebration inside Central Office, 10 WCPS schools remain on the state’s “low performing” list.

And the data, while it generally reflects improvements on the vast majority of the district’s campuses, is far from where Whichard wants it to be.

14

. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

WCPS GRADE LEVEL PROFICIENCY FOR BIOLOGY 2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

Charles B. Aycock High

61%

60%

*

*

53%

55%

49%

Eastern Wayne High

46%

46%

*

*

47%

28%

29%

Goldsboro High

17%

13%

*

*

26%

28%

24%

Rosewood High

60%

48%

*

*

46%

59%

56%

Southern Wayne High

54%

38%

*

*

31%

34%

30%

Spring Creek High

37%

38%

*

*

34%

37%

35%

Wayne Early/ Middle College High

94%

87%

*

*

90%

**

84%

Wayne School of Engineering

83%

85%

*

*

75%

71%

78%

Wayne School of Technical Arts

95%

92%

WCPS GRADE LEVEL PROFICIENCY FOR ENGLISH II 2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

Charles B. Aycock High

55%

57%

*

*

53%

47%

47%

Eastern Wayne High

49%

52%

*

*

43%

33%

46%

Goldsboro High

23%

15%

*

*

19%

19%

23%

Rosewood High

51%

61%

*

*

48%

55%

56%

Southern Wayne High

37%

47%

*

*

37%

32%

35%

Spring Creek High

40%

42%

*

*

40%

33%

50%

Wayne Early/ Middle College High

86%

80%

*

*

89%

88%

79%

Wayne School of Engineering

88%

88%

*

*

85%

79%

95%

Wayne School of Technical Arts

-

-

-

-

-

951%

**

* COVID

** Data not available

The following are the highlights and reflect how WCPS stacks up against the state in the courses used in NCDPI’s accountability model: • Of the 691,208 Math 3-8 students tested in North Carolina, 54.6% of them performed at or above grade level. Of the 7,951 Wayne County students tested, 49.5% performed at that level.

• Of the 691,508 Reading 3-8 students tested in North Carolina, 50.1% of them performed at or above grade level. Of the 7,948 Wayne County students tested, 42% performed at that level.

• Of the 124,319 English II students tested in North Carolina, 59.5% of them performed at or above grade level. Of the 1,331 Wayne County students tested, 47.1% performed at that level.

• Of the 119,645 Biology students tested in

North Carolina, 53.4% of them performed at or above grade level. Of the 1,266 Wayne County students tested, 42.3% performed at that level.

• Of the 94,649 Math 1 students tested in North Carolina, 37% of them performed at or above grade level. Of the 1,249 Wayne County students tested, 39.9% performed at that level.

• Of the 113,269 Math 3 students tested in North Carolina, 57.6% of them performed at or above grade level. Of the 1,160 Wayne County students tested, 41.8% performed at that level.

So, while WCPS students outperformed the state average in high school Math I, they lagged behind in every other subject.

And the “CCR proficiency” data — a metric NCDPI uses to determine whether or not students are ready for college and/or a

post-high school career — was far worse.

(Those percentages were not presented to the Board of Education Monday as WCPS Executive Director of Accountability, Technology Support Services, and Program Evaluation Robert Yancey delivered the district’s results.)

The following data reflects how WCPS stacks up against the state in college and career readiness in the courses used in NCDPI’s accountability model: • In Math 3-8, 36.7% of North Carolina students who were tested demonstrated CCR proficiency. In Wayne County, 29.4% did the same.

• In Reading 3-8, 30.5% of North Carolina students who were tested demonstrated CCR proficiency. In Wayne County, 21.4% did the same.

• In English II, 35.9% of North Carolina students who were tested demonstrated CCR proficiency. In Wayne County, 21.9% did the same.

• In Biology, 44.7% of North Carolina students who were tested demonstrated CCR proficiency. In Wayne County, 33.8% did the same.

• In Math 1, 29.4% of North Carolina students who were tested demonstrated CCR proficiency. In Wayne County, 16.1% did the same.

• In Math 3, 36.7% of North Carolina students who were tested demonstrated CCR proficiency. In Wayne County, 19.5% did the same.

When asked why the CCR numbers were not presented to the BOE or discussed

by Yancey, Whichard talked about the flaws in the state’s model — particularly his belief that comparing a high-poverty school district like WCPS to places like Chapel Hill is out of touch with the reality of the challenges that come with educating students from tough socioeconomic backgrounds.

And he also said that while getting the district out of “low-performing” status was a big deal for the community, he is “no fool,” and understands there is much more work to do.

“We’ve made a lot of big strides in 12 months,” Whichard said. “But we’ve got a long way to go.”

Particularly with the schools located in the Central Attendance District.

“They’re in intensive care and we need to get those patients out of intensive care,” Whichard said. “You’ve got to shoulder up to the plow every day.”

And that is especially true when the population receiving the education Continued on page 16

WAYNE COUNTY REPORT CARD GRADES Here are the letter grades for every qualifying Wayne County public school:

EXCEEDED GROWTH

LOW PERFORMING

Brogden Middle

2023 F

2024 D

Brogden Primary *

2023 F

2024 D

Carver Elementary

D

C

Carver Heights Elementary

D

F

Grantham Elementary

B

B

Dillard Middle *

F

F

Greenwood Middle

C

C

Eastern Wayne Elementary * D

D

Meadow Lane Elementary C

C

Eastern Wayne Middle

F

F

Mount Olive Middle

D

D

Goldsboro High

F

D

Northwest Elementary

C

C

Grantham Middle

F

D

Norwayne Middle

C

C

Northeast Elementary

D

D

Rosewood Middle

C

C

Southern Wayne High

D

D

Spring Creek Elementary

C

C

Tommy’s Road *

D

D

Spring Creek High

C

C

Spring Creek Middle

D

C

DID NOT MEET GROWTH 2023 C

2024 C

Fremont STARS Elementary

D

C

North Drive Elementary

D

F

Rosewood High

C

C

Charles B. Aycock High

MET GROWTH Eastern Wayne High

2023 D

2024 D

Rosewood Elementary

D

C

Wayne Early/Middle College High

A

A

Wayne School of Engineering

B

A

Wayne School of Technical Arts

B

B

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Note: North Drive Elementary School received a letter grade and was, therefore, included, but because the school only servesK-2 and does not test for Math 3-8 or Reading 3-8, WCPS Superintendent Dr. Marc Whichard says that grade is not a true reflection of the school's performance. * Reflects a low-performing school that met growth.

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Continued from page 14

on those inner-city campuses often come from environments that no longer prioritize education.

“It’s not taught at home. We’re gonna be brutally honest here,” Whichard said. “So, if we teach those things — structure or routines and discipline — when you do that, you calm the environment so that kids can focus on what we’re here to learn during the school day.

That’s what we’re doing at Goldsboro High School, for example.”

But redrawing district lines or bussing students from the Central Attendance District to other schools?

That is not, according to Whichard, a real solution.

“There are far too many superintendents who have adopted plans like that to cook the books and make the math easier. The hard work — the chemotherapy that’s needed for the cancer patient — are those issues I talked about earlier,” he said, adding that his experience leading similar schools guides his approach. “I had to work two or three times as hard as a principal at an early college or an ‘A’ school or a ‘B’ school because of the demographics. We know that. And for someone to say, ‘Why don’t you redistrict? Why don’t you close

down the inner-city schools and mix those students in with the other populations?’

Well, I’m gonna be honest with you. That’s the easy way out. But who wants to take a child who lives in Goldsboro and bus that child out to Aycock? You mean to tell me that’s the way we’re going to get a child an education — by riding them on a bus? No. We’re going to teach them where they are.”

N

ow that numbers are in and the headlines have been seen by the public, Whichard understands there is a danger of complacency — that some will think the work has been done.

But in his mind, seeing WCPS fall off the low-performing list is an opportunity he hopes will result in action from the community he said he needs to finish the job.

To save inner-city schools, it will take more than teachers, principals, and a superintendent.

“Every child that’s running around the streets that’s getting shot and getting mistreated, we all own that. Every one of us,” he said. “(Goldsboro Police) Chief (Mike) West can’t solve that. Mayor (Charles) Gaylor can’t solve that. We’re trying. But at the end of the day, if mom and daddy don’t know where their child is at three or four

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. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

Continued on page 18

WCPS READING GRADES 3-8 North Carolina public schools saw a 0.1 % decrease in grade level proficiency, which is defined, by the state, as earning a Level 3, Level 4, or Level 5 on the state test.

North Carolina public schools saw a

0.4% decrease in college and career readiness proficiency, which is defined, by the state, as earning a Level 4 or Level 5 on the state test.

50.1% of N.C. students

30.5 % of N.C. students

42 % of WCPS’ 7,948 tested

21.4 % of WCPS students

are grade level proficient.

are CCR proficient.

students are grade level proficient.

are CCR proficient, a

1% increase from 2022-23.

GRADE LEVEL READING PROFICIENCY 2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

Brogden Middle School

27%

28%

*

*

20%

23%

29%

Brogden Primary

32%

35%

*

*

32%

25%

32%

Carver Elementary

41%

35%

*

*

29%

30%

42%

Carver Heights Elementary

20%

30%

*

*

25%

27%

27%

Dillard Middle

25%

23%

*

*

25%

24%

23%

Eastern Wayne Elementary

47%

40%

*

*

27%

32%

35%

Eastern Wayne Middle

46%

44%

*

*

35%

31%

31%

Fremont STARS Elementary

57%

59%

*

*

46%

42%

44%

Grantham Elementary

**

62%

*

*

50%

58%

61%

Grantham Middle

45%

41%

*

*

27%

25%

37%

Greenwood Middle

51%

48%

*

*

38%

43%

45%

Meadow Lane Elementary

55%

60%

*

*

57%

45%

54%

Mount Olive Middle

37%

40%

*

*

28%

29%

30%

Norwayne Middle

56%

51%

*

*

44%

48%

50%

Rosewood Elementary

56%

57%

*

*

45%

44%

45%

Rosewood Middle

52%

52%

*

*

43%

48%

54%

Spring Creek Elementary

44%

45%

*

*

41%

48%

50%

Spring Creek Middle

48%

40%

*

*

35%

36%

41%

Tommy’s Road Elementary

53%

51%

*

*

33%

38%

37%

Northeast Elementary

54%

62%

*

*

46%

41%

47%

Northwest Elementary

57%

58%

*

*

52%

48%

50%

Wayne School of Engineering

84%

82%

*

*

76%

70%

88%

Wayne School of Technical Arts

-

-

-

-

-

81%

78%

* COVID

** Data not available

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. Wayne WEEK . 17

Continued from page 16

o’clock in the morning, I’m not gonna be up looking for them. The bottom line is, I can’t control what I can’t control. So, my point is — and I will continue to beat this drum — our schools can be no better than the community we serve. It takes … a village.”

And it takes a financial investment — like the one he recently asked county commissioners to make — to retain quality educators, improve facilities, and, perhaps most importantly, send a message to WCPS staff that their hard work is not going unnoticed.

“I’m very fiscally conservative, so when someone says we should be providing a return on investment, I’m the first one in line who believes that. But now, we’re starting to pay a return on investment,” Whichard said. “If we can make an adjustment so I can give our teachers an increase in our supplement, if we can start to chip away at some of our capital concerns — not having to mow paved parking lots — those are the kinds of things that, again, I don’t expect the needle to move from zero to 100 overnight, but we’ve got to start addressing it because every day we don’t, we’re paying for it in compounded interest.”

So, he will continue to call for more money from the county board.

“I’d love nothing better than to be able to go and announce to our principals and our teachers that, ‘I have something for you in your paycheck because of your hard work.’ They’ve earned it. They deserve it,” Whichard said.

And he will continue to show up to work every day ready to meet what he considers this community’s most critical moment.

“Put the earplugs in. Put the blinders on. Keep going to work. We’re going to keep moving forward,” he said.

“Nothing will take us off that course, because our kids are that important. But the only way we can continue to do this is to teach our way out of it. Teaching harder.

Teaching longer. Teaching more. But I also think we have to show kids what their futures can be. That’s where you can get to a whole new level of education.”

And, he will lead by example to ensure he lives up to the lofty goals he announced Monday — which include a future where no Wayne County public school is on the state’s low-performing list.

“It’s like my dad always said. Nothing is ever going to be associated with Whichard that’s going to be halfway done,” the superintendent said. “Well, I expect the same out of everyone else.” n

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WCPS MATH GRADES 3-8 North Carolina public schools saw a

North Carolina public schools saw a 1.6 % increase in grade level proficiency, which is defined, by the state, as earning a Level 3, Level 4, or Level 5 on the state test.

readiness proficiency, which is defined, by the state, as earning a Level 4, or Level 5 on the state test.

54.6 % of N.C. students

36.7 % of N.C. students

49.5 % of WCPS’ 7,951 tested

29.4 % of WCPS students

1.8% increase in college and career

are CCR proficient.

are grade level proficient.

are CCR proficient, a 4.4% increase from 2022-23.

students are grade level proficient.

GRADE LEVEL MATH PROFICIENCY 2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

Brogden Middle School

29%

30%

*

*

19%

21%

35%

Brogden Primary

29%

38%

*

*

35%

36%

41%

Carver Elementary

35%

48%

*

*

36%

35%

61%

Carver Heights Elementary

16%

26%

*

*

22%

25%

24%

Dillard Middle

6%

11%

*

*

12%

21%

21%

Eastern Wayne Elementary

31%

43%

*

*

33%

31%

43%

Eastern Wayne Middle

31%

37%

*

*

28%

27%

24%

Fremont STARS Elementary

56%

64%

*

*

52%

36%

66%

Grantham Elementary

**

80%

*

*

72%

79%

80%

Grantham Middle

37%

47%

*

*

31%

28%

47%

Greenwood Middle

45%

59%

*

*

49%

53%

51%

Meadow Lane Elementary

59%

63%

*

*

61%

53%

69%

Mount Olive Middle

32%

42%

*

*

27%

30%

38%

Norwayne Middle

53%

62%

*

*

56%

55%

54%

Rosewood Elementary

49%

61%

*

*

54%

48%

60%

Rosewood Middle

47%

49%

*

*

48%

55%

56%

Spring Creek Elementary

57%

61%

*

*

52%

58%

64%

Spring Creek Middle

47%

56%

*

*

44%

52%

62%

Tommy’s Road Elementary

53%

64%

*

*

35%

34%

46%

Northeast Elementary

51%

69%

*

*

55%

49%

55%

Northwest Elementary

57%

60%

*

*

60%

61%

64%

Wayne School of Engineering

69%

83%

*

*

83%

83%

91%

Wayne School of Technical Arts

-

-

-

-

-

86%

79%

* COVID

** Data not available

DON’T LET YOUR SUBSCRIPTION

L APSE!

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M AY 26, 2024

Wayne

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Wayne

If the Goldsboro City Council adopts the 2024-25 budget recommended by Interim City Manager Matthew Livington, local residents will be forced to absorb a 15-cent property tax increase and a 7-percent water and sewer rate hike, as leaders look for a way to finance police and fire raises.

WEEK

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A unanimous decision to move Goldsboro High School to a new building has drawn the ire of community leaders, former students, and teachers who fear the school will soon close for good.

SPECIES? ENDANGERED

Dozens have graduated from the University of Mount Olive’s Master's in Counseling Psychology program, but because it is still not accredited, most are unable to find employment as therapists in North Carolina.

BY KEN FINE p. 1 4

Budget Buffet

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NEWS: Court documents filed last week seem to indicate former WCSO deputy has reached a plea deal . p.6

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Local leaders say it’s time to fight back after community was “blindsided” by news of cuts coming to 4th Fighter Wing. / by KEN FINE p. 16

DIGITAL

M AY 12, 2024

THE PROBLEM WITHIN

Two Wayne County public school teachers have been charged with taking indecent liberties with students since Gov. Roy Cooper signed a harsher set of penalties for the crime into law in late 2023.

But those two individuals are only part of a problem the local education community has been dealing with for the last several years.

BY KEN FINE p.12

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the SPECTATOR Let freedom ring A record number of people converged on downtown Goldsboro to honor the military — and dance the night away — at the most well-attended N.C. Freedom Fest in the event's history.

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