Carver Century Faculty Burn The School’s “F”
February 17, 2008
The staff and faculty of Carver Century School gathered at assistant principal Andy Gott’s house Saturday night to burn the school’s “F”.
Carver Century was rated by the state as an “F” school last year. Only 41 percent of the school’s student were rated as proficient in reading, 28 percent in math, 61 percent in writing and only 35 percent were proficient in science. But the school plans to get rid of that “F” rating.
And get rid of it they did, at least symbolically, Saturday night in a bonfire. The black wooden “F” had been in the teachers lounge for several days, with teachers adding sticky notes to it.
“‘F’ stand for fine,” said one note. “F? What F???,” said another. “We have never been and “F” school,” another note said.
At the bonfire burning of the “F”, Carver Principal Jeff Garthwaite delivered a speech in “Old English” style.
“We do declare ourselves independent from this defiled label,” he said. “It has no power over us. It can not control our minds. It can not rule our future.”
“We are united in thought, united in action, united in determined destiny,” he continued. “We see the future, the light at the end of the tunnel is beckoning us toward that ultimate success.”
Garthwaite told NorthEscambia.com that the he hopes to see Carver Century improve once this year’s state grades are released.
Pictured above: Carver Century Principal Jeff Garthwaite poses in the school’s lobby recently with the doomed “F”. Pictured below: One of the sticky notes on the “F” that was burned Saturday night.
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