There are so many things happening lately, let’s take a quick look at some of the people and issues on my mind on this beautiful ENC weekend:
NEXT PRINCIPAL AT ROCHELLE MIDDLE SCHOOL: When Nicholas Harvey II was hired as the principal at Rochelle Middle School in 2008, the school was in dire straits. Due to a multitude of problems (academic and disciplinary), there were growing murmurs the state was ready to come in and take over Rochelle — one of the worst-case scenarios for a public school.
The choice of Harvey wasn’t exactly lauded among some observers five years ago, either. He was deemed by some to be too young, too inexperienced and (perhaps the most unfair observation of all) picked simply because of his last name — his father is one of Kinston’s top lawyers while his mother is roundly recognized as one of the city’s most accomplished educators.
Harvey pooh-poohed all those notions, though, and has turned out to be one of the best principals Lenoir County has seen in the past two decades. When he took over the Rochelle reins, the school had been designated as a low-performing school by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
Harvey — the seventh Rochelle principal in 10 years when he was hired — took that as a challenge; he turned around the school to the point it made expected performance growth four years, including high growth designation. Addressing the discipline issue head-on, he has led Rochelle to be recently recognized as a model school for its implementation of the Positive Behavior and Intervention Support initiative.
Those are just the tips of the iceberg that Harvey has accomplished at Rochelle. An RMS graduate, he has restored genuine pride in his middle school alma mater and its children. Five short years ago, barely anyone wanted their children to attend Rochelle; now, the school has again become a jewel in the Lenoir County Schools system.
Alas, all good things come to an end — in this case, Harvey’s tenure as the Rochelle principal ends soon. Last month, the school system announced Harvey would become the Lenoir County Early College High School principal. LCS Superintendent Steve Mazingo is currently looking to hire a new Rochelle principal and this is as important a hire as he will make.
If Mazingo hires the wrong person, Rochelle could slide back into the scary depths it was in before the Harvey-led renaissance. It would be wonderful if Mazingo could just clone Harvey and let him lead the school.
Unfortunately, that can’t happen. What can happen is for the school system to hire someone who understands the unique situation that exists at Rochelle and to continue the outstanding work Harvey has accomplished.
Good luck, Mr. Superintendent.
NEW FOOTBALL COACH AT KHS: While I have the school system’s attention, let’s address the news about head football coach Nick Anderson leaving Kinston High School for a similar job in southern Virginia.
Like Harvey, Anderson is a much-beloved educator who entered his tenure with more than just a few doubters. Following the success of his predecessor, Battle Holley, many thought there would be no way Anderson could continue the winning ways at Kinston.
All Anderson did was improve on Holley’s success and take the Vikings to their only state championship appearance in school history. After only three seasons, Anderson is the third-winningest coach in school history.
When the 2013 season kicks off, though, Anderson will be the head football coach at George Washington High School in Danville, Va. He told The Free Press he is leaving Kinston to be closer to where he grew up — an honorable and relevant reason to leave Lenoir County.
There’s a sadder reality forming here, though; the list of outstanding coaches who have left Lenoir County’s three public high schools in the past two to three years is impressive. The chief reason almost all of them give — off the record, of course — is the lack of money Lenoir County Schools pays its coaches.
Frankly, the stipend is pitiful, embarrassing and among the lowest in the state — and another reason other school systems are getting Lenoir County’s good coaches or those coaches are simply retiring.
Dr. Mazingo: Please do something about this before another Coach Anderson … or Coach Gulledge … or Coach Holley … or Coach Jackson … or Coach Eason leaves our system. Those coaches — and the children they lead — deserve it.
WILL ANOTHER MAYORAL CANDIDATE EMERGE? In last week’s Free Press, former Kinston City Manager Ralph Clark announced his candidacy for mayor of Kinston. He also joined us on the Free Press Radio Show to talk about his decision.
One thing surprises me, though: not that there’s not another candidate who has yet announced, but that there are not any names of potential candidates floating around in the city who are considering a run at the position.
I know there is still more than two months before filing begins, but — as I’ve stated earlier in this space — I’m surprised there is such a lack of interest in the position.
Bryan C. Hanks is the managing editor of The Free Press; his column appears in this space every Sunday. You can reach him at 252-559-1074 or at Bryan.Hanks@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at BCHanks.