Tales Of An Educated Debutante
on life, loss and the joy that rules the day.






























The future is far away and scary, but today is lovely.
Adrian H. Wood, PhD
Sex Education in Goldsboro, NC
I’m not one of those to shy away from tough conversations. I like honesty and transparency and, as the mom of four, we have a lot of conversations in our house, whether about loving a boy with autism or sex. “Making Proud Choices!” is the sex education curriculum that has been chosen by Wayne County Schools. I like their mission statement, truthfully. After all, I want my children to make good choices. The goal of “Making Proud Choices!” is to implement an eight hour curriculum ..
Read moreDear Pender County Families
You’ve been on my radar for quite a while. This fall, when the hurricane decimated your neck of the woods, I shared the story of your amazing community on my blog. I saw your public school system go beyond what’s detailed in a job description and work tirelessly to ensure children had clothes, food and yes, even Halloween costumes. I will never forget the thank you notes, emails, and weekend phone calls from school officials as they organized donations for Pender county familie ..
Read moreThe Same Old Superintendent
The Berkeley County School Board accepted Manny Arvon’s resignation and retirement after 45 years of “service.” He leaves with a pension of $14,250 per month and the ability to keep health insurance for him and his wife at a reduced rate. Following the decision, the Board named former Putnam County Schools Superintendent Harold “Chuck” Hatfield as the interim Superintendent. He will be paid $19,500 per month and the search for a permanent Superintendent will begin this summer. ..
Read moreTitle One School
You may not even know what that means. My four children attend a Title 1, public school. To qualify as a Title 1 School, at least 50% of your students must qualify for free or reduced lunch. At White Oak Elementary School (https://www.facebook.com/whiteoakelemschool/?__tn__=K-R&eid=ARD2Hogy80IBJ_7QvXzZGZbwWDlKOiTZXu4h5hnSHwJOguEw2ErVz7Uqhs0pgS8L2sgWfRM1OyB4Qdld&fref=mentions&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBDEziIZXV8lBIM2w-2JNow8bSUTOK8VyX_ATk_gNZZwkj2Ma0FKapqbbZzCLRa-HYixxERnTu-3cj7Oi6 ..
Read moreWhy Jen Mangrum Should Be Our Next NC Superintendent
North Carolina used to be an education powerhouse. We were ranked number ten in the country for teacher pay and were recognized nationally for quality. When Mark Johnson won in 2016, he said he didn’t think he would win. After all, he was an attorney, not a licensed teacher, but eager to enter the political arena, he touted plans to lessen testing and support teachers. It sounded really good. I mean, I voted for him. I have four children in three rural eastern NC sch ..
Read moreLawsuit of the Nonverbal Child
It’s the first one that’s been filed regarding the abuse that took place at Berkeley Heights Elementary in WVA. Truthfully, even though I’m married to an attorney, I’m not much into suing, especially for accidents or genuine unknowing. This is not that case. I have gotten to know Amber Pack and Kasey Murphy, whose children were subjected to the torture of three teachers- Lester, Yurish and Douty. How long had it gone on? No one really knows. After all, Amber had only p ..
Read moreConfused Superintendent
The fact that our own NC Superintendent Mark Johnson (https://www.facebook.com/markrjohnsonnc/?__tn__=K-R&eid=ARC1GB0fagmTo3mWgn-f_plCgzDKSXmS3rhLqTZ-rSQ6DIECW8YZnP_XoMt8Av_hvugOzDKh0lu2CCOo&fref=mentions&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCC7-uKzY1Q-UtIKMPKhugronUM8Q9rMPUC-acVADclqRWGwKzwnGB7FQ_8yf5ykWXj-l0Y2fs24RtbwI1l5Usv4R5i-XXBaf4FBvW4OolTOSSph8ygjTMbnKWbMUe3CiytsiZAWMSn_VN1cyupgIDrzjTAVtAdpqC9tXsL1rhVmFTbsHMc99DsPeNzlpT-t_UJVZx_Tyvk2V2V5j9MCKao04uUAHOXnLQujt-6eofDm-nt1TVkZQhmYg84RkbE ..
Read moreNo Ulterior Motives
In response to those criticizing me for ulterior motives like fame, fortune and seeking to be the next Berkeley County Superintendent. This has never been my story. When Amber Pack shared the recording of children being terribly abused, the story should have ended. Instead, nothing happened. Three teachers were left in the classroom to further abuse nonverbal children just like my Amos. The system that is in place to protect them, swept it under the rug. If she had not bravely ..
Read moreTen Facts About NC’s Tricky Grading System
1. The NC General Assembly proposed House Bill 145 that would allow the state to CONTINUE to use the current 15-point grading scale that rates schools (NOT STUDENTS) on an A-F scale. If no action is taken, the scale will revert back to a 10-point scale at the end of this school year. 2. In 2013, the NC General Assembly passed the Excellent Public Schools Act which rates public, charter and alternative schools using the A – F scale below. A — 85 percent and up B — 70 ..
Read moreThe Rise & Fall of Hedgesville Football
Three years ago, Joey Yurish was named head football coach of Hedgesville High School. He began his reign with at least ten assistant coaches and today, only one remains. According to an assistant that recently quit, “Leaving was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life.” That coach left because of the structure and discipline of the program. Yurish runs a ship that is less about building up and more about tearing down, it seems. One parent of a player on his team (w ..
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