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Fairview’s Sargent involves state’s senators in reading
By Justin Goble
State lawmakers are getting more involved with children’s education
Vicki Sargent, a teaching assistant at Fairview Elementary School, recently began the “Story Time with the State Senators” reading program with the blessing of the General Assembly. While offering activities that encourage students to get excited about reading, the program also has the elected officials reading to classes at the schools.
N.C. Sen. John Snow (D-Murphy) stopped by Fairview Elementart School and read to fourth-graders on Sept. 23. Snow is a participant in the “Story Time with the State Senators” program, which was developed by Fairview teaching assistant Vicki Sargent. The program encourages all 50 senators in the state’s General Assembly to spend one hour a month reading to classes in their districts. Sargent said that the program has received a great deal of support throughout the state, and she is hoping to get the state’s representatives involved as soon as they return to session this fall.
Sargent said she got the idea from helping exceptional children, her job for the past 10 years.
“Watching children struggle to read because of their various disabilities was frustrating to me because most of the kid’s are required to take the same end of the year test in reading and math that the kids in the regular classroom take,” she said. “The state allows us to read the math questions to the students so that they understand the problem, but we are not allowed to read the stories they are required to read before answering the comprehension questions. It doesn’t make any sense.”
Seeing this, Sargent said she thought that these policies were discriminating against some of the students in the schools. That’s when she decided to try to get the state’s senators involved.
“I feel bringing the senators into the schools would expose them to the current testing conditions and let them see first-hand the changes that need to be made,” she said. “I felt the reading program would be fun and educational for the students and also build a better bond between the elected officials and the teachers who really make a difference in a child’s life. I’m not a certified teacher but a proud teachers assistant who educates children everyday.”
For the program, Sargent planned for senators to visit schools in their district and read from a book of their choosing to classes for one hour each month. Afterwards, the senator asks the class comprehension questions about the stories.
To get the program off the ground, Sargent contacted Sen. John Snow (D-Murphy) to get support from the General Assembly.
“Sen. Snow has been excited from the start about this program,” she said. “Anything to do with schools and teachers he has a special interest in. His wife, daughter and sister are all teachers. If it weren’t for him I would have never been able to do this.”
Sargent said Fairview Principal Dennis Proffitt was also an early supporter of the program and encouraged her to see it to fruition.
“He has given me his full support to make a difference in a child’s life,” she said,
Though she had the support of Sen. Snow and Principal Profitt, Sargent said there was still a great deal of work to be done: she had to get the information together to have something concrete to present to Snow.
“I told him (Snow) that I would make contact with all 115 school districts and then get back with him once I received all of the information,” she said. “I sent a letter to each superintendent and explained that I wanted the senators to be invited into the schools and read to a small group or grade level. I asked them to help the senators with choosing an appropriate grade level for them to read and a list of comprehension questions for them to ask the students. The senator also had the option of choosing their own book and their own questions. After contacting the schools and receiving back the contact information I made a file with all of that for the senators. I contacted Sen. Snow and told him I was ready for him to do his part.”
After all the preliminary work was completed, Sargent met with Snow to go over the final details of the program. She was in for a surprise, however, when Snow told her he thought she should present the idea in Raleigh.
“He felt it would be good for me to meet each senator and have a chance to talk to them about our program,” Sargent said. “He said he wanted to introduce me and the program on the senate floor during their session. I had two days to organize all of the information, choose a name for the program and prepare a packet for each senator, and decide what I was to wear. I didn’t have any time to get nervous. For two days, i met with all 50 senators and was very impressed with their kindness and sincere interest in this reading program. I had 100 percent participation.”
Now that the program is under way, Sargent said she has gotten a lot of positive feedback and is looking to expand the program.
“I have received so many e-mails from across the state thanking me for starting this program,” she said. “I have had superintendents, principals, and other school officials happy that we are getting our lawmakers into the schools. The parents have been thrilled that their children are meeting senators. I hoping to get the support of the House when it goes back into session.”
While the students have so far enjoyed the program, Sargent said she thought the senators, especially Sen. Snow enjoyed it just as much.
“He really enjoys reading to the kids,” she said. “I was so impressed with how he would just sit and talk to the children and made them feel so important.”
Other officials are joining the effort as well. Chief Michell Hicks from the Eastern Band of the Cherokee donated a beautiful book called “The Elder Tree” to the Fairview media center and spoke to students about tribal law. Rep. Phil Haire (D-Sylva) plans to read to a second grade class later in October. Sargent has also coordinated with the Rotary Club to have members visit all of the Jackson County schools and read to students.
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