Member Highlights -
Honoring our members and dedicated leaders.
Iredell County Honors 10 New Members, Superintendent Rewards Members
Alice Does It Again!
Iredell RSP President Alice Absher and Iredell County are off to a great start for the new year, honoring 17 new retirees at their recent local meeting in Statesville. To date, at least 10 have joined the association!
The covered dish event was fun filled with music provided by the Iredell RSP choir, a state report by Executive Director Pam Deardorff, and remarks by Iredell Superintendent Brady Johnson. Mr. Johnson rewarded the RSP members with an "All Event Pass" which will give the retired members access to all Iredell County School Events this year.
As superintendent of Iredell-Statesville schools during these tough economic times, Brady Johnson has made lots of difficult decisions. But he wants educators to know that he sees real human beings behind the budget numbers and recognizes the central importance of the classroom teacher. He’s a former teacher in the Iredell-Statesville school system – a 20-year veteran. So when it came down to crunch time for the 2009-10 school year, Johnson, along with all principals and assistant principals in the district chose a 2 percent pay cut to help save jobs. "Our goal was to have minimal impact on the classroom," Johnson said. It wasn’t
a lotof money, but we felt like it did two things: it put emphasis on teaching positions and was leadership by example. In the end, Iredell-Statesville ended up cutting 145 positions, but we did it all through attrition; we haven’t laid off a single person. I’m proud of our team effort." Overall, Johnson emphasizes how teamwork and authentic relationships help students and the school system succeed. Johnson is an NCAE member and definitely sees the Association as part of the team.
Written by Karen Archia, NCAE Public Relations & Media Coordinator
NCRSP Watauga Unit vice-president William R. Winkler III has just been named
as the recipient of the 2010 Mark R. Sumner Award.
This national award recognizes excellence in American outdoor drama and is presented by the Institute of Outdoor Drama, which has a constituency of 101 theatres in 37 states.
Billy Ralph retired last year as the much-honored chairman of the music department at Watauga High School and has been everything at Boone's "Horn in the West" from an usher to the chairman of the board of directors. He is currently serving as the board chairman of the Southern Appalachian Historical Society, which produces "Horn" and the Hickory Ridge Living History Museum
William R. Winkler III
Watauga RSP Vice-President
Watauga County Commissioner
Frances Cummings President of NCRSP and Barbara Kane, Vice President of New Hanover County Retired School Personnel.
Bland Chadwick, Cummings, and Michele H, Norman Recipient of a $500 scholarship given to an active employee Of New Hanover County Schools, who is pursuing a degree In Education.
Patsy Watson, New Hanover County Retired School Personnel receiving the AARP 2011 Community Service Award in Appreciation of Outstanding Service to the Association and her effort to Improve the community. This award was judged on her chairing the Christmas Tree Decoration Project. For five years, she and other members of NHCRSP have decorated two trees at the Hospice Center and a tree at the Dale K. Spencer New Hanover County Board of Education Building.
Thanks for all that you do!
submitted by: Nancy Bollinger; New Hanover RSP Communications Chair
