At Promise pilot program introduced to help students, parents
One way to help a child overcome academic and behavioral problems in school is to encourage parents to become more involved.
That is the challenge the Rev. Jesse Turner and others are taking on with the introduction of the At Promise Institute for Boys and Girls. Turner addressed the Pine Bluff School District board about the pilot program during Monday’s regular meeting, adding it’s in the “fluid stages” but could be used in schools across Arkansas once fully implemented.
“The purpose is to increase the number of scholars with great potential and talents to become leaders in school and the community,” said Turner, who heads the Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration. At Promise is a pilot project aimed to help with scholarship and citizenship.
“We don’t call them at-risk kids. We call them at-promise kids because we believe all of our kids have promise and they can become better students,” Turner said. “As we do pen or pencil, we as pastors recognize that we need parents. So, what we’re trying to do now is reach in and get parents more involved with children. As Frederick Douglass says, it’s easier to build strong children than repair broken men.”
Dates and locations for workshops related to the At Promise initiative are yet to be announced, but Turner said parents are asked to attend one or two workshops to learn how to solve conflicts and how to help with kids’ academic work.
“Not only are we talking about the reading and the math, but we are talking about helping parents,” Turner said. “This is what we’re going to offer when you come. It’s a win-win situation.”
Turner announced committee members working on the At Promise Institute: District 64 state Rep. Ken Ferguson, D-Pine Bluff; Dr. Simmie Armstrong; Pastors Yolanda Pitts and Richard Hart; the Rev. James Hill Jr.; the Rev. Alexander Watkins; Dr. Ashley James; United Way of Southeast Arkansas Director Jason Duren; Group Violence Initiative Director Kevin Crumpton; retired social science professor Shawani Melton; and UAPB criminal justice instructor Shurunda Thrower.
NEW FOOD SERVICE
PBSD board members approved the hire of Elior North America as its new food service.
The district’s contract with Chartwells K12 was effectively terminated Wednesday. The district had cited problems with the quality of food by Chartwells as well as the inability to select a serve-only plan Superintendent Jennifer Barbaree desired over the offer-vs.-serve plan. The offer-vs.-serve option allows a district to control food waste, while serve-only allows a district to provide all necessary nutrients.
Elior officials said it has retained 45 of the 50 Chartwells employees in the PBSD.
PERSONNEL MOVES
The district approved the hires of Laura Case as Southwood Elementary music teacher (replacing Clem Bilgischer); Angelica Green as Southwood teacher (replacing Patricia Jones); Ja’Kieria Davis as Southwood social worker (replacing Zemaria Franks); Kenneth Ellis as a commissioned school safety officer at Pine Bluff High School (replacing Kevin Crumpton); Ashakee Jackson as a commissioned officer at 34th Avenue Elementary (replacing Marquetta Randolph); and Charles West as social worker at Pine Bluff Junior High (replacing Tavante Calhoun). Those hires are effective Jan. 3.
Mary Castellanos resigned as classroom teacher at James Matthews Elementary, effective Dec. 6. Tramaine Brown was terminated as a classroom teacher at Pine Bluff Junior High.