North Carolina's Lead Education Advisor Speaks to Blue Ridge Community Leaders Council
BUXTON ENCOURAGES LOCAL COMMUNITY LEADERS TO RALLY BEHIND PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee R. Whitener, Director of Corporate Communications, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, Phone: (828) 758-2383; Pager: 1-800-471-1323; E-mail: Renee Whitener
Boone, North Carolina (October 9, 2001) – John B. (JB) Buxton, Senior Education Advisor for North Carolina Governor Mike Easley, recently spoke to the Blue Ridge Community Leaders Council to issue the call for community leaders in northwest North Carolina to rally behind their public schools, community colleges and universities.
“If there’s one thing that I hope captures you tonight, it’s a sense of urgency,” Buxton said. “While North Carolina has made great strides, there is still work to do. Our goal should not be to be the best in the Southeast; it should be to be the best in the USA.”
Buxton was the guest speaker at the 14th Annual Community Leaders Council (CLC) forum coordinated by Blue Ridge Electric Membership Cooperation. The meeting was held at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center at Appalachian State University. In addition to CLC members, school board members, superintendents and education staff from across the Blue Ridge Electric service area were in attendance.
In addition to his current post as advisor to the governor, Buxton has previously served as Legislative Director for the NC State Board of Education as well as coordinator of special programs for the NC Teaching Fellows Program.
Named a White House Fellow in 1999, Buxton also served on the Domestic Policy Council under the Clinton White House where part of his duties included advising the President’s Domestic Policy Advisor and the White House Press Office on education issues and legislation. Buxton has served as an educational consultant for educational centers and forums across the country and has spent time in front of the classroom as well. He taught English and South African literature at Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts and worked as a teacher’s assistant at the University of the Western Cape in Bellville, Cape Province, South Africa.
Buxton told the community leaders that the keys to improving education in North Carolina include: reducing the high school drop out rate which is on the rise again, retaining quality teachers, and doing a better job at preparing children for kindergarten. Strong leadership is also critical, he said, adding that “We are working to attract and retain teachers…we need not forgot the principals.”
“My challenge to you is to be advocates for high standards for education and for our students,” Buxton told the Community Leaders Council. “Our investment in young people is powerful and real, and our advocacy and commitment will make a difference.”
Buxton compared the commitment needed for education to the commitment of the New York firemen who survived the World Trade Center tragedy. “The firemen of Ladder Company 6 were in a critical situation when they stopped to help a lady to safety. Josephine Harris had begun climbing down the stairs at the 73rd floor, but by the time she met Ladder Company 6, she was exhausted,” Buxton explained. “She told them she was tired—and couldn’t go another step—but they stuck with Josephine. They didn’t let her stop and they weren’t going to leave her behind. Somewhere between second and fourth floor was where Josephine and Ladder Company 6 ended up when the tower collapsed. Fortunately, they were in a very strategic place that helped them survive.
“This is a very powerful parable for not leaving anyone behind in education,” Buxton continued. “It’s a parable for being there for someone who needs it and not leaving them behind and not giving up. We have the same need where children are concerned in our educational communities,” he said.
“We have got to have a sense of urgency for our children and their education, Buxton emphasized. “We can’t leave anyone behind. And I hope we can look to northwest North Carolina as a beacon for our success in education in North Carolina.”
Blue Ridge Electric’s Doug Johnson, chief executive officer, told community leaders that supporting education is important to Blue Ridge Electric, its board of directors, and employees.
“Our goal when Blue Ridge Electric was formed 65 years ago was to strengthen our communities and one important way we accomplish that is by supporting education. We’re pleased that our community leaders support education and are working to achieve that mutual goal,” Johnson said.
Handed out during the evening were copies of “First in America”, the book on education written by former Governor Jim Hunt.
Blue Ridge Electric organized the Community Leaders Council in 1988 as a medium to join together 150 elected officials, business leaders, and educators from Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe and Alleghany Counties in an effort to provide guidance for economic and community prosperity. At their spring meeting, the Council ranked improvement in education as one of the most important issues facing each county.
Blue Ridge Electric has committed to improving education across their service area by issuing over $300,000 in scholarships for students and teachers and educational grants that are pumped directly into the public schools.
In Caldwell County, Blue Ridge Electric is working to establish a corporate executive task force to focus on educational and other community issues and helped fund a new Career Center at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. In Ashe County, Blue Ridge Electric is helping to form a new education foundation and is instrumental in the development of a family community center. In Alleghany County, efforts have focused on improving high-speed Internet service, job creation and retention. And in Watauga County, Blue Ridge Electric is assisting efforts such as the Watauga Education Foundation.
Celebrating its 65th anniversary year, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Cooperation is one of the largest electric cooperatives in the nation, serving more than 63,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes and Alexander counties. For more information, visit www.BlueRidgeEMC.com.
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