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THOSE ARE THE BIG
PRIORITIES THEY ASKED
LEGISLATORS TO CONSIDER
FOR
THE UPCOMING SESSION.
THE SCHOOL SYSTEM INVITED
ALL LOCAL DELEGATES TO A
BREAKFAST
MEETING SO THEY COULD
START TALKING, BUT THERE
WAS ONE BIG
PROBLEM.
10 ON YOUR SIDES
STEPHANIE HARRIS WAS
THERE AND JOINS US NOW TO
EXPLAIN.
NINE LEGISLATORS
REPRESENT NORFOLK IN THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY - RIGHT
NOW THERE IS ONE EMPTY
SEAT SO OF THE 8
NORFOLK SCHOOLS EXPECTED
6 OF THEM TO SHOW UP THIS
MORNING - BUT
ONLY TWO CAME, AND ONE
OF THEM JUST MADE IT FOR
THE FINAL 10
MINUTES OR SO.
WHILE NORFOLK'S
SUPERINTENDENT AND SCHOOL
BOARD MEMEBERS
PASSIONATELY LAID OUT
THEIR WANTS AND NEEDS,
DELEGATE ALGIE
HOWELL WAS THE ONLY
LAWMAKER IN THE ROOM.
THE SUPERINTENDENT SPOKE
A LOT ABOUT FILLING GAPS.
HE POINTED OUT THAT 67%
OF STUDENTS IN NORFOLK
PUBLIC
SCHOOLS ARE CLASSIFIED AS
ECONOMICALLY CHALLENGED
AND
COME INTO SCHOOL LAGGING
BEHIND. HE PROPOSED THIS
TO HELP.
"C4 DR. SAMUEL
KING/NORFOLK SCHOOL
SUPERINTENDENT 19:25:40
IT COULD MEAN WE NEED TO
EXTEND THE SCHOOL DAY IT
COULD MEAN EARLY MORNING
TUTORIALS IT COULD MEAN
AFTER
SCHOOL TUTORIALS IT COULD
MEAN SATURDAY MORNING
OPPORTUNITIES AND THOSE
THINGS ARE NOT FREE :51"
SO HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE
TALKING ABOUT? HE WOULD
NOT PUT A
FIGURE ON IT BUT TOLD ME
ITS IN THE MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS.
THE SCHOOLS ALSO ASKED
LAWMAKERS TO REPEAL WHAT
THEY CALLED AN
ARCHAIC LAW THAT WHICH
STATES SCHOOLS MUST
START AFTER LABOR DAY.
NORFOLK SCHOOLS SAY
STUDENTS NEED
THAT TIME AND ARE FALLING
BEHIND OTHER STATES THAT
START TWO WEEKS
EARLIER. SENATOR KENNY
ALEXANDER AGREED
WITH THE REQUESTS FOR
MORE TIME, BUT HE'S NOT
CONVINCED MORE MONEY IS
THE
ANSWER.
" C45 19:48 :05 TH
KENNETH ALEXANDER (D)
AT'S SOMETHING WE
NEED TO TAKE AN
EVALUATION OF AND THEN
SHIFT RESOURCES IF WE
HAVE TO :11 AND THEN IF
WE'RE STILL LACKING
CERTAINLY APPROPRIATE THE
NECESSARY RESOURCES :18"
ALEXANDER MADE IT FOR THE
LAST PART OF THE MEETING.
AGAIN ONLY TWO OF THE 8
WHO REPRESENT NORFOLK
CAME.
THE SCHOOL LISASON SAID
SHE WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED
ESPEICALLY SINCE SHE
POLLED THE LAWMAKERS WELL
IN ADVANCE AND ALL
SAID THIS WAS THE BEST
DAY FOR THEM. BUT
ALEXANDER TOLD ME HIS
COLLEAGUES ARE BEING
PULLED IN MANY DIRECTIONS
AS MEETINGS ARE BEING
CALLED ALL WEEK LONG
AHEAD OF THE LEGISLATIVE
SESSION.
STEPHANIE HARRIS TOYS.