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School Board Meeting Leaves Carver/Century Student In Tears
March 6, 2009
Keyvinana Johnson stood at the front of the school cafeteria crying when the Escambia County School Board’s public meeting in Century ended Thursday night.
The Carver/Century seventh grader was pretty sure that the meeting she had just heard was not good news for the school she loves.
“It’s the only place I know,” she said of her beloved Carver/Century K-8 School. “I don’t know what I will do when they close it.”
The school board is scheduled to make the final vote to close the school in just 12 days.
“I love this school. I love the teachers. They help and they understand; they give you more than one chance,” Keyvinana said as she sat down with NorthEscambia.com.
The Carver/Century Blackcats are her life. From track to cheerleading, she’s been involved at Carver/Century and that’s where she hopes to be next year.
But Keyvinana is realistic.
“I think they are going to close it,” she said.
If Carver/Century K-8 School closes, her mom Freedom Thomas says that she will not send Keyvinana to Ernest Ward Middle School.
Thomas works in Milton, and she said she plans to enroll Keyvinana and her siblings, grades six and two, into the Santa Rosa County school system if Carver/Century is closed.
“I work real hard with my children, and I want them to have a good education,” Thomas said. “They have learned more than you can imagine at Carver and have felt safer than you can imagine here.”
She expects that the situation at Ernest Ward would be different for her two middle school age children.
“I think my children would be subject to being rejects at Ernest Ward,” Thomas said. “I will not send my children to that school.”
“I want to stay here,” Keyvinana said. “I love it here.”
Pictured top: Freedom Thomas tried to comfort her daughter Keyvinana Johnson as she cries after a Thursday night school board meeting at Carver/Century K-8 School. Keyvinana was upset that her school will likely close. Pictured middle: Keyvinana wipes tears from her eyes. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
22 Responses to “School Board Meeting Leaves Carver/Century Student In Tears”
My advice to all these parents and students is to “buck up” and get over it! There will always be obstacles in life to overcome. Sometimes things don’t go your way. Unless you have come to believe that you are somehow OWED something. And I certainly agree-culture has nothing to do with it. The children at Carver are not of a different CULTURE, they are simply a different color! If this parent chooses to send her child to Milton, more power to her. She didn’t need to be at EW with that attitude anyway!
God is able to do exceeding above all we I am sure there will be a day and maybe soon where we will live as neighbors, establishing long life relationship, and attend the same churches. We do no that God know best and he understand the heart of his children. Because they look like God.
Culture does not have CRAP to do with the school closing. The school is closing because it is wasting the counties money due to lack of academic performance. If the students at the school had TRIED a little bit harder then it would stay open, but as a result of their poor efforts they will have to attend school else where.
There is a culture differences. Until we understanding the culture differences, improvement cannot take place. I can remember when Bratt Elem was faced with the same situation. I can recall the fight that took place to save their school. They where told that this was for the sake of the money. Now Bratt remains, but I wonder if they were faced again with the same situation how would they respond.
That is part of the reason why Carver/Century is closing, they were given TOO MANY CHANCES. If things had been done right the first or second time there, then you probably would not be having to deal with this closing. Dont get me wrong, I personally know some people who are employees at the school and they are great people who pour their hearts into helping those students, but if the students cant keep up their end of the deal then why should the school board keep funding a school that lacks in academic performance.
Good advice to ask them to read “who moved my cheese” My boss made us read ” Who cut the cheese” … an equally enlightening story. Good read.
New adventures can be very exciting if those beginning them are encouraged by their families & friends. If we never try anything new, we will never go anywhere in life!!
Considering the comments made by Keyvinana’s mother, it seems to me that this child’s apprehension about this change is a direct result of her parent’s and communities’ negativity! She is worried about the future because the people in the community, including her mother, have made so many negative assumptions about her future. She’s terrified & fearful because of a lack of encouragement—it has little to do with where she goes to school!
My suggestion to this precious child, her family & other families like them in the community is to embrace change & give it a chance! If not, regret might be a feeling you experience in the end.
A book selection you might want to read: “Who Moved My Cheese”. I’m not sure of the author.
It was required reading for every employee at my last job.
Change in life is inevitable–we might as well ALL get used to it. It would behoove us to help our children learn to think positively about their futures & the change they will inevitably face in life.
Its just sooo sad they have to close that school. It seems like some people wont be sending there kids to school.I feel very sad for them because the children love there school and dont wont to leave it.
To all my babies…..thank you!!! I love you all!!! Mrs. Perry
I go to Ernest Ward and im in the 8th grade and my three years of EWMS has been great! and its a really good school we have a really good principal Mrs.Perry that is why we are an A school! I think she would like it……(:
I hate to see the school close myself, but thanks to the liberals that are running this country this is only the begining!!!! It’s happening all over not just here local and with this girl’s mother hinting around about underlying racial remarks and we all know what she meant by not being accepted at E.W. give me a break. These people are golden in this area and would take in whom-ever and go above and beyond the call of duty to make our kids feel at home. So please what you’re referring to is long gone to some, and the people that it involved has nearly all deceased. So we all need to pull together now more than ever and people stand up for what is right, at this point in time the last thing we need is SLURR going through our community!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a great day……….
I completely understand where the little girl is coming from but Im a little upset with that her mother had to say. I attended Ernest Ward Middle School and loved it there. It provided me with a great education. Im proud to be a freshman at the University of Alabama which is alot to say for kids from our area. I was proud to have attended Bratt Elementary , Ernest Ward Middle School, and Northview High School and excelled. And about her being rejected , not even going to happen. Everyone finds a place at Ernest Ward. Thats what so great about it. And color of skin has no effect. There are black kids there so dont think there isnt. And not to mention, Im not even sure why we as a society are stilling making such a big deal about the color of someones skin. That was taken care of a long time ago so just let go and face the facts that everyone is equal not, not matter what color skin you have. So dont dislike Ernest Ward if you know nothing to do with it. Im a proud alumni and will continue to stand of for my school.
First, I have a niece and nephew that are black and attend Ernest Ward. My niece was at the top of the sixth grade class and was second during the 7th grade year. Also, my nephew is in the top ten so I don’t understand the race issue. I can definitely say that Ernest Ward cares about their students and Ms. Gindl-Perry is very concerned about the students at Ernest Ward. Second, I can understand how the residents of Century feel about the closing of Century/Carver. When the students go to Northview, they will all be together. But, remember God does everything for a reason. When one door closes….another door opens. I just pray that we, as adults, try to encourage our young people so they can see the positive in certaing situation.
To E. M. D.,
Wiser words I’ve never heard. My story is much like yours….new friends and new opportunities are behind every door. If hearts are not open to them, though, we miss out on a multitude of blessings! Thank you for your words of encouragement; they apply to ALL of us…not just the students at Carver/Century!
hay keyviana i know how feel i feel the same way as you.but all we can do is try our best to make things work out.but you know what i say they are making a big mistake if they close this school but you kno what all they want is for century to seem like nothing and you kno what by them closing it they is realy making century seem to be nothing.an di realy hope that they read these comments so they can see how we realy feel.what if they where going to school and someone came and just closed down thier school but did they know they didnt so i dont think that they should not take our chance to get an education know one never took nothing from them but if it was up to me it would be open for our great great grand kids. but we will make it. an dallways know you can come to me if you need a friend.I LOVE YOU XOXOXO
i love this school and hope it stays open I LOVE YOU MY SISTER and it’s dispointing to see her cry and I feel like she feel but i didnt cry
i feel the same way about the school closing and i feel sooooooooooooooo sorry for little keyvinana
To Keyvinana and others that feel the same as she,
When I was a child, I was required to attend the school that was the closest to my home. In the third grade, I met my closest/best friend, who remains that today. She is so much a part of my family, that she is equally listed in my dad’s will with myself and 3 siblings (her mom and dad died fairly young). We attended the same high school and were in the same drill team. Our team and band was great, with the same distinction that Tate has here. My dad moved our family to a nearby town in my sophomore year, and I was forced to go to a high school that was new, and had only graduated one senior class. I was devastated. I knew about one or two kids at this school. I had a few friends there, but there was no great effort on my part to make more or to study as hard as I should have. I did try to make up for that in my senior year, but regret I did not apply myself much at all for at least 2 years. This school was geared much more to academics than the old school, and I could have really learned things I would need to know later if I had tried harder and made more friends. But, for a long time, I didn’t care. My best friend and I got to be together for 3 years of nursing school. I was happy about that, but still resented the 3 years we missed together, which would have made us friends together in the same schools our whole younger years together. It was like a trophy we missed. Now, I am older and wish I had tried harder, and joined in and done my best in that new school. I hurt no one but myself with my attitude. There were some really good people at that school, including teachers, and if I had of had a positive attitude, many things inmy life could have been better. And, guess what happened at the new school one day? A singer that made popular the song, “Cold Cold Heart,” came to my new school’s Youth for Christ club. Only a handful of students showed up. I will never forget this man. He had a heart stirring testimony. He wore a beautiful white leather coat, and was brought to and from the school in a limosine. After the meeting, it was pouring down rain, and guess what! I did not ever get to ride a school bus to school. I had to walk a mile carring many heavy books (and, no, I did not ever have to walk barefoot in the snow. lol). This nice good- looking man had his driver take me home in his limosine. I think I about swooned. LOL. How do you know that it is not God that is directing your path in life? You could even meet your best friend to be or your future mate at your new school. Education does really count in your future. God has been using things I learned in school that I thought had no value in real life to, personally, teach me about Himself. He will do the same with anyone who will ask and allow Him to do that. Don’t miss out on real life because of disappointment. Even a great big one. I can almost feel the pain in your heart. Don’t mess up your future Life, because your present life is hurting you right now. Life as we all have known it is about to change in a big way, anyway!
Hold your head up and look to the future and watch for opportunities to make a difference (however big or small) in the lives of others, and in your own. I am praying for you, and others in a prayer group over a hundred strong in many towns and countries will be too. Praying that you try harder than ever to learn things you will need in your life, and that you will make very good, quality friendships that will warm your heart for the rest of your life.
Ernest Ward may not be the best school. Ernest Ward does not reject any new comers. In fact we welcome you into our school. We defininetly wont shut anyone out.
I think that parents should not tell their children they will probably be rejected at the new schools.They should be telling them about all the wonderful new things they will be experiencing.New friends,more challenging classes, more sports, clubs, etc. Student need to start their new schools with positive attitudes because if they come to their new schools with a chip on their shoulder because of their parents’ opinion of how they will be treated, then yes other students will “reject them”. Not because of skin color or where they live, but because of attitudes that no one wants to be around. Parents teach your children that change can be a good thing.
My heart goes out to not only the parents and students, but also the citizens of Century. Surely this tragedy will leave scars for many years to come, to all who are the innocents. What has happened is cruel, brought by greed and injustice. Every town regardless of size deserves to have their own school. To snatch these students out of their familiar ground and plant them in unfamiliar territory is unfair, not only to these students, but to the schools where they will be going. Think of the faculty…Escambia County School Board…you just took their jobs away, while you draw hearty salaries. If you’re looking for damage to do…how about closing some of the schools in Pensacola that are falling behind instead of picking on a small town that will be losing their only school.
This entire situation breaks my heart. I am a parent at Bratt Elem. and I have NOT been in favor of the closure from day one. It has nothing to do with race, or not wanting these children. My concern, like others, was class size, space availability, transportation, etc. I, as a parent, want the other parents to know that my children and I would never intentionally make a child feel like a reject. If and when this happens I know that Bratt is preparing to welcome these children with open arms, and I am positive that EWMS will do the same. I hope other parents on this end will stand up with me and say the same thing… let these kids know that they will be welcomed if the decision comes to that.