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Education initiative will continue
The UNC-Rocky Mount proposal was like a pretty girl who got dumped at the door of the prom. Former Chancellor James Leutze’s report to UNC President Erskine Bowles totally rejected the idea of making N.C. Wesleyan College the 17th campus of the University. The alternatives that the study offered—distance learning and visiting professors—were mere platitudes.
But a pretty girl won’t be without a date for long. The group of business, education and community leaders that advocated the effort is not going to quit on its goal of bringing accessible, affordable higher education to the 11-county Gateway region of Eastern North Carolina.
Only 18 percent of high school graduates in our area earn a college degree. That hurts their career chances and our economy. Without a smart workforce, industry won’t locate here. Without new industry, there won’t be career opportunities for our young people. Education breaks the cycle of poverty.
The committee wants to develop a program that begins in middle school by identifying students with academic potential who without financial help and adult guidance would most likely never attend college. These are not the top 10 percent of any given school who come from middle class families with a history of attending college. These students will go to Carolina, State or Wilmington without our help.
We must help the students who have no hope of a better life, who would never think that higer education could be possible. We want to say to these students in the seventh or eighth grade, “Do the work we ask, stay out of trouble and we will guarantee you a seat in a college classroom.”
That’s a big promise and a big motivator. We’ll accomplish it through the cooperation of our high schools, community colleges and perhaps private institutions like Wesleyan, Barton or Chowan. A lot of work will go into making this a reality, but it must be done. The UNC-Rocky Mount report was just a bump in the road.
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By Steve
April 6, 2007 8:25 PM | Link to this
OK Rip Woodin,
A bump in the road. A bump in the road to what? Your editorial brings up many good and valid points however it still misses the main point. The constituents.
The people of the area have to demand more. Your own words “Without a smart workforce, industry won’t locate here. Without new industry, there won’t be career opportunities for our young people” is a deathwish. It is not about whether industry comes here or not. It is about controlling your own destiny. It is this mentality that has left Rocky Mount in the state it is in now.
OK Rip Woodin. Education is the number one priority in scheme of things. Education provides the bridge to opportunity and more than that the ability to adapt to a new world global economy and SOCIETY. Spend your energy organizing these counties and concerned citizen groups to raise bond money to build new modern schools from pre-school to high school, improve the teacher to child ratio, and have broader based curriculums.
Raise bond money you say? Raise bond money you say? Raise bond money you say? Raise bond money you say? “”“”“”“”“”“”“”“” Wouldn’t that mean everyone chipping in?Get the point! Proud to be from the area.