Spark Insider - Fall 2023

SPARK

INSIDER

SHOWCASING OUR DYNAMIC STUDENTS, TEACHERS & STAFF

PARTNERSHIP WITH

Riverside High School Volleyball Seniors (Left to Right) Megan Rehder, Genesis Crawford

DURHAM TECH ATHLETICS IN

DPS

DISTRICT SEES

ACADEMIC GROWTH

MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

BUILDING OUR

FUTURE Our district recently had the distinct honor commemorating the raising of the final construction beam at our newest elementary school slated to open in August 2024, MurrayMassenburg Elementary. Last year we broke ground on this state-of-the-art school and in a few short months we will welcome students and staff. The progress that we have made in less than a year is tremendous.

And the progress we’ve made as a district in that same amount of time has been just as admirable. It makes me beam with pride and excitement knowing how Durham Public Schools is educating students each and every day.

This is evidenced in our 2022-23 data released by the state in September. The work that our educators have done to ensure our students’ academic growth is apparent.

Next school year we will launch our new student assignment plan for elementary students. This bold plan allows us to better serve our students through integrated STEM, enhanced arts, and global language learning for EVERY elementary student. Plus, families will have greater access to application programs that are close to home like Montessori, Dual Language Immersion, International Baccalaureate, and year-round school options. The possibilities for our students are endless.

We continue to enhance our learning environments through the construction of new schools and renovations to several others.

We celebrate the innovation and creativity of our educators and staff who inspire our students daily and are leaders in education on the local, state, and national levels.

Simply put, we are building our future from groundbreaking to graduation.

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The foundation of our work is rooted in five priority areas and is documented in our strategic plan for the next five years. The plan is aptly named Building Our Future and it’s our blueprint for how we do our work and achieve outcomes for students. Among our student ranks are future doctors, lawyers, educators, entrepreneurs, and our community’s next leaders. We are obligated to provide them with the best education possible and we have all the tools in DPS to ensure their success.

As we build our future, I invite you to build with us!

Our families and community partners are critical to the achievement of our district and students. Your investment in DPS contributes to Durham’s long-term success and we thank you in advance for rolling your sleeves up with us to keep Building Our Future.

Pascal Mubenga, Ph.D. Durham Public Schools Superintendent

SUPPLYING SUCCESS

SUPPLYING

SUCCESS

Crayons 2 Calculators provides needed boost for teachers

hen teachers post and send home the lists of supplies they need for their classrooms, they’re usually prepared to purchase those items regardless of whether they are purchased and donated or not.

Because teachers are selfless. They spend an average of $400 a year on pencils, tissues, paper, and other resources to support lessons and to bring some of the comforts and conveniences of home into the classroom.

Retired principal Dr. Eunice Sanders is well aware of the needs of a classroom teacher. As an educator, she bought supplies for her own classroom. As an administrator, she was aware of the out-of-pocket expenses teachers incurred when they purchased inventory. That’s why she joined the Crayons 2 Calculators (C2C) Board.

The organization was founded 18 years ago by former mayor Steve Schewel to support teachers. Dr. Sanders’ involvement began as a board member. Now the executive director, she leads the organization’s work to collect supplies for classrooms throughout the district. Now in her fifth year at the helm, Dr. Sanders says she has seen tears of joy when teachers are gifted with the treasures donated by individuals, organizations, and businesses.

The organization’s volunteers know the feeling as well.

It’s a great feeling, they say, to literally be the bearers of “good news”-- the news being that the teachers’ supplies are bagged and ready to share.

“This is a well-oiled machine. I came last year and I was so impressed. And when they asked if I wanted to volunteer, I said yes!” says Theresa Dowell Blackinton, a Club Boulevard Elementary School volunteer who led the school’s PTA for two years.

Volunteers–school PTA members and others–come to the C2C hub, located at the district’s Bacon Street central

Supplies are organized into bins for easy teacher shopping.

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SUPPLYING SUCCESS

services building, every Tuesday and Thursday between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to sort and take bags of supplies back to the teachers at their schools. Schools are grouped according to their geographic location and teachers can shop for supplies online four times each year. Year-round schools are first in line, and some PTAs plan their shopping visits a year in advance.

Links are sent on Sundays and teachers begin shopping early Monday morning, says Dr. Sanders.

“They’re on it,” she says.

Every Wednesday, outside businesses and organizations go to Bacon Street to bring items. Dr. Sanders says more than 150 businesses, churches, and groups are involved.

“Everybody gives,” says Dr. Sanders.

Every August, C2C holds an annual school supply drive.

Supplies are expressly collected for new teachers and distributed during new teacher orientation. Door prizes, food trucks, and even tables of gently used items are available.

The Durham Regional Association of Realtors brings a bus and fills it. North Carolina Central University students, with encouragement from their professors, also donate hundreds of items.

Everything from crayons to calculators, copy paper, batteries, and book bags filled with items are donated and brought to the hub where they are sorted into bins so that volunteers can easily pick up the needed items.

“This is going straight to the schools,” says Dr. Sanders.

“And these items save the teachers money because they’re taking money from their personal budgets to ensure their students have what they need. They says it feels like Christmas,” she says.

According to its website (www.crayons2calculators.org), the organization gives away more than $100,000 worth of supplies each year.

Dr. Sanders says there is a push to involve more high schools because they don’t have PTAs. Whitley Harris, also a Club Boulevard PTA member, is a graduate student. “I don’t have a ton of time to go over to the school, but I can always make time for an hour or so to get down to Bacon Street to really shop. I’ve had a fabulous experience. Teachers are obviously doing what they need to do in the classroom. And so, I feel like it was the least I

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could do to get down here and help them, get the materials together. Take it back to them so it’s really been fantastic,” says Harris.

Blackinton says when she learned of C2C, she began recruiting volunteers to shop. Although she’s passed the gavel, she retained the role of recruiting and organizing shoppers.

“It’s just really well-run. It’s such a resource for our teachers. They appreciate it so much,” she says. “When I deliver them to the school, we set up in the hallway and we let the teachers know that they’re there and as soon as they have a break, the teachers hurry down to grab their bags,” she says.

Harris, who was recruited by Blackinton, in turn encourages other parents to volunteer. “Teachers are asked to do so much and they spend so much out of their pocket.

It’s just a huge help to them. I would encourage parents if you have the time, come on down and help shop. It’s just a way to get out and be in fellowship with other people who really believe in public education.”

Evelyn Slappy, retired DPS principal who also taught in Baltimore, Maryland, says the Crayons 2 Calculators program should be in every school system. As an administrator, when teachers asked about supply money, “sometimes you had it, sometimes you didn’t.” Now she can send people to the Crayons 2 Calculators site to shop. “At least here, they don’t have to spend their own money.”

She credits the efficacy of the program, Dr. Sanders’ leadership, and a greatly involved community for the program’s success in supporting teachers.

“To sum it all up, I love it. I thoroughly enjoy it. I feel like I’m giving back,” says Slappy.

“When I was a teacher, we didn’t have a place to come to get supplies. We had to use our own money.”

She’s been involved for five years, since Dr. Sanders asked her to get involved.

“I tell you, it’s a blessing,” she says.

Outside businesses and organizations donate supplies to Crayons 2 Calculators, and an annual supply drive is held.

Volunteers organize the supplies and then package teachers’ orders for delivery.

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EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS:

DPS STUDENTS RAISE THE BAR Principals, teachers committed to their success urham Public Schools saw gains in every subgroup of students tested and in every tested subject except for eighth grade science and high school English II in school year 2022-23, according to school performance data released in September.

Of the 51 participating schools, 45–or 88.2 percent–met or exceeded their growth goals during school year 2022-23. (Durham Public Schools has 56 schools, but a certain amount of data is required to assign a growth status. Holton Career and Resource Center, the DPS Hospital School, and Middle College at Durham Tech didn’t have enough data for a growth status. The Durham Performance Learning Center and Lakeview School are on an alternative school model and their growth is not reported at the state level.)

Additionally, 14 DPS schools earned an A or B status in performance, according to the data release. The district also saw three schools move out of low-performing status: Hillandale Elementary, W.G. Pearson Elementary, and the School for Creative Studies.

“I’m proud to know that our school leaders, teachers, and staff subscribe to the belief that all students have unlimited potential. Here in Durham Public Schools, we want our students to become accustomed to and familiar with achievement because it is an expectation for each and every one,” says Superintendent Dr. Pascal Mubenga.

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Principals say a major ingredient in the recipe for student success is believing in every student’s potential for growth and achievement.

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“Advancing our students is a team effort,” says Dr. Stacy D. Stewart, chief of schools for Durham Public Schools.

“Achievement requires labor, patience, and inspiration from parents, teachers, and administrators. Additionally, we have high expectations for our students. No one rises to low expectations.”

Mshinda Middleton-Brown, principal at R. N. Harris Elementary School, where overall school performance grades increased from 51.8 to 68.6 points, says she and her staff understand that these are formative years and are invested in their students’ growth.

“They are individuals who take pride in making sure they are masters of their craft. I don’t have to pull them along or sell it to them,” she says. “They’re excited. They want our students to succeed.”

It’s hard work that must be taken seriously, says MiddletonMiddleton-Brown, who notes that this foundational work can serve as a catapult toward long-term success. “We want high test scores, but why? There’s a why behind it,” she says. “We want them to be adept and have conversations with anybody around the world. We want them to compete.”

Brown says her daily tasks include meeting with her assistant principal, reviewing curriculum, making logistical decisions, and holding professional learning community meetings.

“The plan for the day gives direction, and we communicate with each other clearly,” says Brown. They even discuss what they might learn or hear at the bus circle, cafeteria, or carpool when students arrive at school. They gauge the temperature and talk among themselves to ensure that students are ready to learn, she says.

“I truly believe in giving students options,” she says.

“School is not an experience that happens to them but with them.”

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

‘WE SEE THE STUDENT’

UNCOMMON SENSE OF EXCELLENCE

Merrick-Moore Elementary School’s overall performance increased 13.5 points from 36.4 to 49.9. The previous year, the school’s performance increased 6.67 points. Professional development and a cohesive, family-like culture drive the work there, says the school’s principal, Dr. Vanessa Alford.

“We see the student and not a test score,” says Dr. Alford.

“If you see the student, the tests will take care of themselves.”

While she makes it sound easy, much work goes into achieving that success, including quality lesson planning and great teaching.

“This work is a collaborative effort. Every person in this building and the community has contributed to our success.

And we put our students first!”

“What’s non-negotiable is knowing that our students can succeed,” she adds. “You have to know and know that you know that our students can do awesome things. You have to come every day giving your best. You have to build them up from the ground floor.”

At Glenn Elementary School, overall performance increased from 37.2 to 45.5 points. Principal Matthew Hunt says he and teachers are laser-focused on three actions: instructional excellence, school culture, and family engagement.

“Every year, measurable goals are set and tied to those three areas,” says Hunt.

To reach those goals, Hunt says he is intentional in hiring.

“Hiring, supporting, and retaining the very best teachers and teams that are smart, committed, and collaborative and have the capacity to make the best instructional decisions for their students is the single most important thing we do as principals,” he says.

Hunt says he asks every candidate why they want to teach, and he searches for professionals who see teaching as a vehicle for social change.

“Those are people who we want in our building,” says Hunt.

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BLUEPRINT FOR GROWTH New school construction, school renovations expand the district here students learn is just as critical as what they learn. That’s why Durham Public Schools leaders are executing robust improvements across the county, building new schools and renovating existing ones.

The capital improvement program is regularly updated to reflect new school construction, building renovations, and system-wide improvements to ensure that our schools and facilities are worthy of the students, educators, and staff members DPS serves. The capital program is supported by multiple sources including county bonds, state funding, and the annual operating budget.

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“Learning environments are critical to student success,” says Fredrick Davis, senior executive director of building services. “These new structures and renovated facilities will foster rich experiences for students and our students are most deserving.”

The planned expansions and renovations will address overcrowding concerns and eliminate the use of mobile classrooms by adding square footage to existing structures.

The renovations also address needed upgrades to operational systems to allow for greater safety and efficiency in our schools. The completion of the renovations will add 32 new K-5 classrooms and 16 new Pre-K and exceptional child separate setting classrooms each.

On July 11, 2022, the Durham County Board of

BLUEPRINT FOR GROWTH

Commissioners placed education bond referenda on the November 8 ballot to support Durham Public Schools as well as Durham Technical Community College and the Museum of Life and Science.

The general obligation bonds for DPS would fund $423,505,000 of the ten-year plan.

The ten-year plan includes, in priority order: • New schools (already funded and either open or under construction): Lyons Farm Elementary opened in August 2022, and Northern High School opened in September 2023 • New schools: Murray-Massenburg Elementary is slated to open in the fall of 2024; Durham School of the Arts is scheduled to welcome students in 2026 • Comprehensive renovations: Bethesda Elementary, Club Blvd. Elementary, Glenn Elementary, Holt Elementary, Mangum Elementary, and Morehead Elementary to provide additional permanent classroom seats for students to support the Growing Together initiative • New school: C.E. Jordan High • Comprehensive renovations: Eastway Elementary, Fayetteville St. Elementary, Hope Valley Elementary, Lakewood Elementary, Oak Grove Elementary, Parkwood Elementary, Pearsontown Elementary, and E.K. Powe Elementary • Other renovations and system-wide improvements include: · high school theater renovations · kitchen renovations · refitting the current Durham School of the Arts campus for Durham School of Technology, Ignite! Online Academy, and central administrative office space · refitting the current Northern High campus as a career and technical education training center · renovations to administrative buildings As of fall 2022, the current projected cost of the ten-year prioritized capital improvement program was $944,488,572. Due to inflation and market conditions, the program cost is periodically reviewed and revised.

SOLAR POWER AT LYONS FARM Durham Public Schools hosted a “solarbration” at Lyons Farm Elementary School in May 2023 to celebrate the district’s first large-scale solar PV system, which not only generates clean energy for the school but impacts the education students will receive.

“Students will be able to interact with live generation data concepts that they learn about in their science classes,” says Aaron Hope, DPS Energy Manager.

Fredrick Davis, senior executive director of Building Services, adds that the panels represent a part of the district’s operational services construction and design objectives.

As the lead learner for Lyons Farm Elementary, Principal James Hopkins infuses teachable moments into everything, and the solar panels will be no exception. The panels demonstrate this district’s commitment to energy- and cost-savings, complement a teacher’s repertoire of lesson plans associated with a S.T.E.M. discipline, and represent historical significance, says Hopkins.

“This is a classic 21st century school move. We have a STEM explorations lab so my science teacher will jump all over this. I’m sure she’ll design projects with our third, fourth and fifth graders around STEM,” says Hopkins. “This is like a dream.”

Known for high expectations, Hopkins says the solar panels will be a point of discussion in classrooms.

“This is your dream to be able to use this type of technology in the classroom to make sure students understand why there is this move ... toward solar power. We’ll have all types of questions from kids.”

Hopkins says he envisions a kiosk or display in the school that will provide information on the amounts of power the panels are generating. The students will be trained as docents to speak about it with visitors as well.

“This intersects with exploration and growth,” says Hopkins of two of the school’s five core values (exploration, joy, rigor, justice, and growth.)

The intersectionality of core values and history is just as exciting, he says. There is historical significance in having solar panels on the property. Family patriarch James Lyon told Hopkins the story of working the farm and requesting power lines on the property. Duke Power turned them down, citing lack of infrastructure. So, the family dug easements on Scott King Road.

“This idea of solar power was only possible because this family dug the initial power lines in the 1940s and 1950s. The impact is astounding,” says Hopkins.

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Photography courtesy of Strawbridge Studios

A BRIGHT START

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Durham Public Schools celebrated the start of school with great enthusiasm with a convocation showcasing talented students and exceptional programs at the Durham County Memorial Stadium in August.

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GROWING TOGETHER

UNDERSTANDING THE

ASSIGNMENT

Transition coordinator, implementation team assist families and schools with upcoming school assignment changes n July 1, 2023, Joy Bingham walked into Durham Public Schools’ central services building filled with excitement and purpose to support DPS families through an important upcoming transition – the new student assignment plan. As a parent and former DPS high school administrator, she knew firsthand the care, time, and attention needed to assist families and schools.

“I worked with the student assignment office when I was an assistant principal, so I knew the work involved behind the scenes,” says Bigham. “Being a school administrator

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gave me insight into family concerns related to supporting students through transitions.”

Bingham stepped into this new role right on time.

Next school year, DPS will launch its student assignment plan for elementary students across the county. Beginning in July 2024, new school boundaries will go into effect along with enhanced programming at all elementary schools and increased access to application programs – all close to home for families and supported by shorter bus routes.

Students currently in grades K-2 may be assigned to a new school as part of the plan. Students who will be in grades 4 and 5 next year will be allowed to stay at their current school. There are ways to keep siblings in the same school together.

GROWING TOGETHER

“The possibilities that exist for our students and families are exciting,” Bingham says. “We will be able to better serve our students and families while providing exceptional educational programs and learning opportunities.”

Change and transition can be challenging. The district fully recognizes this and has aligned resources for families who will be assigned to a new school as part of the plan. Bingham and several other administrators across the district serve on an interdepartmental implementation team which directly supports schools and families navigating the transition.

“DPS is responding to the needs of our students, our families, and our community through the implementation of this plan and the wraparound support that is being provided will help ease fears and answer questions,” Bingham says.

The team coordinates all implementation logistics from staff professional development and training to engagement and communication with stakeholders.

DPS has even provided guidance for schools and families to support the social-emotional needs of students during the transition.

Families began hearing from the district and schools about the transition process in October. That outreach has included a mailed letter to each family with the new school assignment, calls to families to discuss their new zoned school and application options, as well as a series of informational meetings for families to learn more and to meet the principal of their new school.

Additionally, DPS hosted its annual Showcase of Schools in November and schools will host families for tours through January. Schools will hold welcome events for families in the spring.

As school leaders and staff prepare to welcome new families, there’s excitement about what this means for the district.

“This plan will leverage the resources of our district and make our schools more equitable,” says Asia Cunningham, principal of Pearsontown Elementary School. “This will strengthen student achievement across the district and ensure that Durham’s schools look like the Durham community. The more families we serve, the more we will grow.”

What you need to know about the Elementary Student Assignment Plan • Nothing changes now. The plan does not go into effect until the 2024-25 school year (next year) for elementary students.

• The district will be arranged into five regions.

Students will be assigned to a school within the region in which they live. Each region includes application schools in which families may apply if they would like a year-round, Montessori, International Baccalaureate or Dual Language Immersion program.

• Letters were mailed to families in October with students’ newly assigned schools. If you did not receive a letter, contact the Office of Student Assignment.

• Families will also receive calls from their current school and their newly assigned school with transition information.

• All elementary schools will offer enhanced arts, integrated daily STEM instruction, and global language learning.

• The lottery for application schools (yearround, Montessori, Dual Language Immersion, and International Baccalaureate) runs from Jan. 8, 2024 to Feb. 9, 2024.

• Visit dpsnc.net/possibilities for the latest information about the plan.

• Changes for middle schools and high schools do not begin until the 2025-26 school year.

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DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT

READY TO SERVE AND LEAD Former DPS leader returns to district as deputy superintendent on a mission

r. Nicholas King is mission-driven as Durham Public School’s new deputy superintendent. On Oct. 13, he returned to Durham Public Schools to serve as the chief academic advisor for the district. In this role, he is ultimately responsible for the work being done to ensure student success. He had previously served as a teacher at Durham High (now Durham School of the Arts) and Riverside High schools, and was the first principal to open the Josephine D. Clement Early College. He has also served as principal at Glenn Elementary School.

King says his mission is to bring back the energy he was gifted as a young student who had potential but lacked motivation.

“I’m trying to be the person that I needed when I was a kid.

I would have been quite satisfied to go along to get along. But there were educators who saw something in me and basically told me I wasn’t doing what I could do and held me to a higher expectation. They pushed me along and supported me and gave me the notion that I was worthy,” says King.

As a result, he matriculated to college with the express intention of becoming an educator.

“I wanted to be in a place where I could really help kids,” he says.

The universe responded accordingly.

King was part of the second cohort of North Carolina

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Teaching Fellows, and began his career in CharlotteMecklenburg Schools at Independence High School, but transitioned to Durham High School during the winter break.

He taught social studies there for two years and then at Riverside High for a year. His first principalship was in a Title I school where up to 95 percent of students qualified for free and reduced lunch.

“It creates real challenges for a school because while those students certainly come to school as capable as anyone else, they also come to schools with significant challenges and significant needs that have to be met. That’s an enormous challenge for principals,” says King.

When he served as principal at Glenn, King says he and his teachers and staff built a program of support for their students and set high expectations for students and professionals. The achievement gains over four years, he says, were incredible. The students benefited academically, socially, and emotionally with an appropriate amount of support and engagement from the community.

A self-professed “worker bee,” he says he was energized as an educator with DPS. He remembered Durham and its city-county school systems when he started college at North Carolina Central University. When he returned as a teacher, the 1992 merger had just taken place.

Now, 30 years later, the district is undergoing a student reassignment initiative that will serve all students by increasing and promoting access, equity, and diversity among the academic programs.

“I’m heartened by the fact that Dr. Mubenga and the school board have really had the courage to step out into this challenge. It presents us with an opportunity to really move this school district forward, to create space for more and more of our kids to have high-quality educational experiences.

The lift that it requires to meet the needs is an incredible undertaking. I’m awful excited to see how this plays out,” says King.

But make no mistake, he says. He won’t be surprised by the positive outcome.

“The students in Durham are as capable as students any place on the planet. It’s already being played out,” says the new deputy superintendent. “We’re going to place the focus squarely on what we need to do to help kids achieve, and we’re going to put the accelerator all the way to the floor.

There’s no question in my mind that we can do this.”

King says that this is his third time back in the Bull City. He says this is where he’s supposed to be because he believes in the district’s ability to serve students well.

“There are few places like Durham on the planet. It is the most vibrant, alive community that I’ve ever been a part of.”

King knows very well that the school system plays a major role in the vibrancy of a community so he’s up to the challenge of demonstrating that Durham Public Schools is truly a destination for parents seeking to enroll their children in a quality education system.

“The better I do my job, which is to increase student achievement, the more likely people will want to be a part of our school system. Nothing will make people take a good, thorough look at us than improving the quality of instruction and learning in our schools. People have lots of choices as to where and how they will educate their children. They will avail themselves. I appreciate that. My job is to make sure that parents make Durham their choice because they know we’ll educate their child,” says King. “There are so many incredible, unparalleled and unmatched educational opportunities and learning programs in Durham. We’re the game in town that they want to be a part of.”

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A IS FOR ATHLETICS

A IS FOR ATHLETICS

Durham students find success on and off the field urham Public Schools is committed not only to academic excellence among its students, but also to supporting the potential of the whole child. As a result, its students are succeeding more and more both in and outside of the classroom, including on the athletic fields.

Many DPS students are learning leadership skills, creating community, and boosting their self-esteem on the fields, tracks, and courts of schools across the district through robust athletics programming.

“In the world today that can be so negative and can just tear you down so much, athletics allows them to be who they naturally and authentically are,” says David Hackney, the director of athletics for DPS. “It allows them to grow. It allows them to learn and just meet different people and build relationships.”

Six of DPS’ high schools participate in athletics programming, as do 10 of its middle schools.

Each school offers different athletic programs. The most popular across the district are football and basketball, though other popular choices include soccer, baseball, softball, and track and field. Many new sports have been added with rising interest from students.

“One of our rising sports would be lacrosse,” Hackney says.

“A few schools offer lacrosse, but it is becoming more and more popular. I wouldn’t be surprised if, at some point in time, all of our high schools are offering lacrosse.”

In addition, Hackney says that both women’s volleyball and soccer have grown in popularity in recent years. Field hockey is now offered at Riverside and Jordan high schools. Other offerings include swimming, tennis, wrestling, all types of running sports, and cheer.

“Durham Public Schools prides itself on diversity, but I would also venture to say that that diversity carries over in

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athletics,” Hackney says. “I don’t think you’re going to get any more diverse than athletics because you have young people from all backgrounds.”

Many students who have played sports in Durham Public Schools have gone on to win scholarships, to play at the college level, to play professionally, and to achieve notoriety.

Hackney himself was an athlete in Durham Public Schools, and he went on to play football at N.C. Central University.

Riverside High School alum Jordon Riley now plays defensive end for the New York Giants. Hillside High School alum Rodney Rogers played basketball for Wake Forest University and then the Denver Nuggets. Another Riverside alum, Weslye Saunders, played football for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Birmingham Iron.

Before they ever graduate, many DPS athletes are accomplishing great things. Lucca Battaglini, a senior at the Durham School of the Arts, is a swimmer who has broken records for 50-yard free swims and 100-yard butterfly swims. He is among the top swimmers in the nation for these competitions.

Photograph courtesy of Jordan High School

A IS FOR ATHLETICS

Amy Green, the athletics director at DSA, says that several students involved in running sports made it to state competitions last year, two girl’s basketball players reached their 1,000-point mark in the last two years, and many students have been recruited to play at the college level.

Joseph Sharrow, the athletics director for Jordan High School, says that more than 20 students from the school received full athletic scholarships last year.

“Durham has a long-standing history of student athletes going on to do great things,” Hackney says, adding that numerous teams from schools around the district have won many state championships. “Although we excel on the field and the court, we also excel academically. Students have earned millions of dollars in athletic scholarships over the years, and it’s because they not only take the athletics seriously, but they take the academics seriously.”

In fact, those who participate in sports at DPS are not called “athletes,” but are specifically referred to as “student athletes.”

“We call them student athletes, in that order, because they are students first,” Green says.

Multiple academic supports are in place to ensure that student athletes succeed, including additional tutoring and

counseling, where needed. Green says that coaches and athletic staff regularly check in on students to ensure that their grades are on track.

Hackney says many programs have also implemented some type of study hall, either in the mornings or afternoons, on the opposite side of practices. Student athletes are also required to be present 85 percent of the time.

The strict standards and additional supports have resulted in success. At Jordan, which offers the most sports programs of any school in the district and where about a third of the student body is involved in athletics, student athletes have a collective GPA of 3.4.

“Sports are a lot bigger than just winning games and losing games,” Sharrow says.

“We’re really trying to build the character of our kids, and we’re utilizing athletics to improve academics. In general, our athletes are some of our highest performing students in the school. Last year, our varsity baseball had the second highest team average GPA in the state.”

Sharrow and others agree that athletics doesn’t just help young people become better students, it also teaches them leadership and builds their character, teaching them cooperation, perseverance, discipline, and more.

“It teaches them structure,” Green says. “It teaches them how to work with someone else, so in the future, when they have a job, they show up for that job every day ready to work.

They have daily practices and games – they have structure so that the whole team is successful.”

In addition, athletics gives students a positive outlet and a way to build their self-worth.

“It saves many of our students from falling through the cracks, those who are coming from challenging backgrounds,” Hackney says. “It gives them a sense of worth, a sense of pride. It gives them a reason to care about their education.”

“It gives them an outlet,” Green says. “I have a saying for my soccer team: ‘Leave your baggage at the gate. If you want it after practice, pick it up.’ Sports gives them a break from all the stuff happening in their world, which is quite different from when we were growing up.”

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GETTING A HEAD START

GETTING A

HEAD START New initiative brings college courses to high school students

or many students, the traditional path to success is to finish high school, go to college, and enter the workforce.

However, not all students want to pursue that traditional path – or can’t. Some face financial barriers to a college education, others have learning challenges that make traditional education difficult, and others are interested in a direct path to the workforce that doesn’t require college.

As a district committed to serving all students, Durham Public Schools recognizes the need for alternate pathways for students. Through a partnership with Durham Technical Community College, the district gives high school students the opportunity to take college-level courses so that they might graduate with a high school diploma and potentially an associate degree or a professional certificate.

“Students can get a head start on where they want to go–a head start on higher education, a head start on a career,” says Dr. Julie Pack, the executive director for Career and Technical Education at DPS. “Also, the research says that students who graduate with college credit persist in post-secondary education at a higher rate because they’re more prepared for what they’re likely to encounter on a college campus.”

She added that the skills these students learn help make them better college students and better employees. In the past, students who wanted to participate in this program had to go to one of the district’s cooperative innovative high schools: J.D. Clement Early College, Middle College High

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School, the City of Medicine Academy, or the Durham School of Technology. Depending on which school students attended, they may have had to arrange their own transportation to take classes at Durham Tech, which could be a barrier for some.

This year, a pilot program was started at Riverside High School in which Durham Tech instructors teach in its classrooms.

The district hopes to expand this model to other high schools.

Tuition is free for these college classes through the College and Career Promise (CCP) program offered by the state.

However, students must pay for their own books, which can cost hundreds of dollars. A private donation of $50,000 from Marcia Angle and Mark Trustin to the Durham Tech Foundation is being used to help cover the cost of books to help more students participate.

“We have seen huge momentum in high school students trying to take advantage of this opportunity and to save tuition,” says Dr. Oluwunmi Ariyo, the director of College Recruitment and High School Partnerships at Durham Tech. Officials hope that removing barriers and creating more awareness of the program will result in even greater participation, Ariyo says. Other initiatives being considered include providing transportation to Durham Tech’s campus or offering some classes online.

The goal between DPS and Durham Tech is to get more

GETTING A HEAD START

than 500 students to graduate each year with either an associate degree or a workforce credential like a diploma or certificate. Some of the more popular programs that students choose include the community Spanish interpreter certificate, the cybersecurity certificate, and EMS certification – all of which can be completed within one year. Welding is also a popular choice, and Ariyo says there is always a waitlist.

Ariyo says that officials are also working to create apprenticeship programs to give students hands-on experience.

The changes are resulting in real growth for the partnership. Ariyo says that about 900 students were enrolled through the CCP in the fall, which was about a 23 percent increase. She says that even more students are expected to enroll in the spring.

The most popular option for students is to complete the associate degree, which students can use to start working or to transfer to a four-year college, saving them the first two years of tuition.

Kelsey Kusi, a senior at Middle College High School, plans to complete her associate degree through the program and then potentially transfer to UNC Charlotte and pursue a degree in biochemistry. She either wants to pursue a career in the production of medicine or in the study of genetically modified foods.

Kusi says she likes the flexibility of the open campus policy, allowing her to come to class and leave as her schedule permits, as well as the access she has to Durham Tech resources, such as tutoring and professional connections from her professors.

“Because you’re a Durham Tech student, you get access to everything they offer and not just what you would get at a regular high school,” she says.

Zayveon Davis, a fellow Middle College senior, adds that there are smaller class sizes, more diversity in the classroom, and programs for work study.

“The college classes are definitely a lot more work,” he says. “Something that you’re forced to do when you start taking college classes is work on your time management.

There are a lot of lessons you would learn at a four-year college that I’m learning at Durham Tech. I don’t have to worry about doing that when I’m at a four-year college with all that scholarship money on the line.”

Davis wants to pursue a bachelor’s in business administration at N.C. A&T University, then a graduate degree.

Crystal Taylor-Simon, the principal at Middle College, says that on average, students at the school complete about 40 transferrable credits. She says that about a third of the graduating class receives a degree or certificate, and about 70 percent of students transfer their credits to a four-year program.

Middle College is housed on Durham Tech’s campus, so students are fully immersed in the college experience when they arrive in the 11th grade. Students need at least a 2.5 grade point average to be admitted, and their attendance and discipline records are reviewed.

Taylor-Simon says that students get more individualized attention in the program because there are smaller class sizes, and they learn skills that position them for success later, such as how to advocate for support, how to work with professors, and how to craft professional emails.

“It’s a learning experience inside the classroom, but also outside the classroom,” she says.

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DPS NOTABLE

CHASING SUCCESS: A BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY Oscar-nominated DPS grad Kevin Wilson Jr.

o many, 2007 Hillside High School graduate Kevin Wilson Jr. has seemingly reached a pinnacle–or at least checked off a professional and personal best. A short film that he wrote, produced, and directed was nominated for an Oscar at the 90th Academy Awards. “My Nephew Emmett” was written from the point of view of Emmett Till’s uncle, at whose home the 14-year-old was staying for the summer and from which he was abducted. The 19-minute film has been lauded and screened at national film festivals.

Despite having been recognized globally for his cinematic talent, Wilson says he is still chasing the success that he says his theater mentor, retired Hillside High School drama director Wendell Tabb, personified.

When he was in fifth grade at Burton Geo-World (now Burton Magnet Elementary), Wilson saw his cousin perform in one of Tabb’s productions. Later, he landed the role of the protagonist in “The Butterfly Child,” a play about suicide.

“That—fifth grade—was when I fell in love with the arts,” Wilson says. Wilson moved on to Shepard for middle school, then Hillside High School, where he impressed Tabb with a performance. Now immersed in the film industry and a celebrity in his own right, Wilson remains proud of his roots, still catches Hillside shows when he comes home, and regularly speaks with his former drama teacher.

“He’s a great mentor, great director, all those things. But beyond all that, he’s just a good man. Good father figure.

He’s a good man of faith,” says Wilson, who says he grew up in a single-parent household until he was 15. His mother had become an emancipated minor at 15, living on her own in New York. Wilson says his mom’s circumstances made her tough and beautiful simultaneously. Now a professional and an adjunct professor at N.C. Central University, his mom was

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intentional in how she raised her son, introducing him to men who would help him become a humble man of faith himself.

Wilson gravitated toward the piano when his dad – himself a musician – insisted that he learn to play an instrument, and played the trumpet at Shepard and in the marching band at Hillside. Tabb was known to give his students an ultimatum and did just that with Wilson: choose either band or theater, which changed his entire life’s trajectory. Not only did he begin carving out a career, but it also taught him how to be fully immersed in the craft of his choosing.

“That’s what I’m confronted with as a creative right now.

I can’t do everything. If I have all my tentacles out, I’m not going to be able to concentrate fully on one specific thing. Mr. Tabb was trying to help us understand that theater and arts is a full-time job. It’s not just something that you can just devote half of yourself to. Either you’re going to be all in or you’re not going to be in at all,” says Wilson.

He remembers rehearsals that lasted until the wee hours of the morning.

“It was just a part of the process. An enjoyable part of the process,” he says. “We had to be pushed beyond our limits to really understand how great we could be. By coddling the students, they’re not going to understand how far they can really go. If you’re in the gym and you’re working out, when you’re pushing past that set that you felt like was your last, you throw one more up because you realize that that’s how your muscles get built,” he says.

Teachers demanded excellence, and Wilson, to this day, pushes himself as a result.

He tells of being a student at Burton where there was a television station in the basement of the school. There, students could produce, anchor, report the weather, or direct, among other jobs. All the classrooms had televisions.

“Doing that was fascinating to me. I think that was when

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

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DPS NOTABLE

I fell in love with television and just the process of taking something from being in front of the camera and presenting it on a screen.”

Wilson acknowledges the undeniable foundation that was laid at the historic Hillside High School under the tutelage of Tabb.

“The way Mr. Tabb staged productions made people think he had a million-dollar Broadway budget,” says Wilson.

Although he had no idea at the time what Tabb had to do to build his stages at Hillside, Wilson carried a standard of excellence with him into his filmmaking career after graduating from Hillside. He has found that financing a production requires relationship-building and persuasion.

“The thing that really inspired us when we were at Hillside was meeting celebrities who had come out of Hillside. What it did for us was show us what was possible,” he says.

Wilson also met and married his high school sweetheart Timmeshia, who is a nurse. They live in New York with their three girls. School-based experiences like the ones they had when they were Durham Public Schools students have been extremely hard to find for their daughters, says Wilson.

School systems where they live “pale in comparison to the resources that we had access to when I was in Durham Public Schools,” says Wilson. “I made the mistake of assuming that every school system around the country was like Durham Public Schools … absolutely not,” he says.

Wilson says he and his classmates in drama are very protective over the program at Hillside High School for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which has been the profound influence that he’s seen take hold of his peers.

“It really saved some students’ lives. And I don’t think that’s hyperbole. I knew students who, while I was in school, because of where they grew up or their home life, they were exposed to things, and Tabb kept them from that with after school programs and by their involvement in the program,” says Wilson.

‘IT KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT’ Admittedly, the craft of filmmaking is emotionally demanding, says Wilson, not to mention that he feels as though he’s racing against time.

“Everything I do, there’s a sense of urgency. It does keep me up at night,” he says.

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Wilson was the brainchild behind Proctor & Gamble’s Widen the Screen program, which challenges the viewer to dispel stereotypes about African-American life.

“That’s just one of many pieces of art that needs to be presented. It needs to be more consistent. Widen the Screen, it was great, but it can’t end there, you know….

When I make these projects about nonviolence and children being killed and accidentally killed by guns, and racism, and all the things that we’re confronted with in our world, to actually put something together to present visually requires a lot out of you emotionally, sometimes even physically.

When I do that, though, I remind myself that if I don’t make this right now, how will my children be impacted by my reluctance to make this later on. You know, I’m always thinking about what I do and how it’s going to impact my children and family, and so that generally guides the types of projects that I choose. And it’s why a lot of the work that I’ve done up to now has been in that realm of activism and dealing with social issues,” he says.

Wilson’s mission is to impact the community through his work and inspire young people to do the same.

“Strong minds break strong chains. We have to invite the spirit of learning until the day we die. Continue to have your cup open. You don’t ever want to have a full cup. Stay in a position to learn something new,” he says.

Wilson earned a Master of Fine Arts in Film Production from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. In 2017, he received the Spike Lee Production Fellowship. He recently completed the Netflix Original Documentary Series “Untold: The Rise and Fall of AND1.” He is an active member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

“When I left Hillside … I was chasing the bar that Mr. Tabb had already set, but I’ve not reached it yet,” he says.

He’s putting in the work and enjoying the view along the way.

“We’ve had such a beautiful journey … because we know what it feels like to connect with the audience in a certain way, and we know what it feels like to be surrounded by such excellence … that’s what we’re chasing. I don’t think it would be the same had I gone somewhere else, you know?” he says.

Wilson’s work and upcoming productions are documented on his website at https://www.directedbykevin.com/.

STUDENT SOUND OFF

STUDENT

SOUND OFF

DPS students have high hopes this academic year We asked three students “What do you love about your school?”

My favorite subject is math because I really enjoy working with numbers.

Math is my favorite subject because it challenges me. I love new challenges!

Chelsea Coleman 7th Grade Neal Middle School

James Preston Hawkins 4th Grade Mangum Elementary School

I love AP English Language and Composition because we analyze a lot of text and have very in-depth discussions that allow us to share different perspectives.

Rafaela Louise Drake 12th Grade Riverside High School

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Spark Insider Winter 2024 Volume 4 Issue 1

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sheena Cooper Crystal Roberts Maria Bajgain

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Tony Cunningham, Jr.

GRAPHIC DESIGN Kevin Brown Harrison Brackett

SPARK INSIDER 23

Durham Public Schools

ABOUT

TH ES

PA

511 Cleveland Street Durham, NC 27701 919-560-2000 dpsnc.net

The SPARK Insider is sponsored by

Durham Public Schools Board of Education Bettina Umstead, Chair Emily Chávez, Vice Chair Natalie Beyer Jessica Carda-Auten

Jovonia Lewis Millicent Rogers Alexandra Valladares

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The DPS Spark Insider is a publication produced by Durham Public Schools in partnership with Durham Magazine. The Spark Insider shares the stories of DPS students, teachers, and staff with the larger Durham community.