May 29, 2024 – The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education heard an update on the accomplishments of the Restore, Reset, Restart program (R3) and Pathway Promise program (P2) during their meeting on Tuesday night.
R3 provides middle and high school students serving out-of-school suspensions as long as 10 days with a safe and restorative learning environment led by WS/FCS educators. These students have been able to continue with their coursework during their suspensions while also receiving social-emotional support. P2 is a dropout prevention initiative for high school students who have experienced challenges in a traditional high school setting. The goal is to provide these students with the extra assistance they need to complete their path to graduation and alleviate their elevated risks of dropping out. Both programs have been operating since January of 2024.
236 students had already attended R3 sessions by the beginning of May, and 3,328.5 instructional hours have been protected between them because of the opportunities provided by R3. Another 14 students have been participating in P2, six of whom are graduating this summer. African American students have particularly benefitted from these programs, comprising 70% of R3 students and 57% of P2 students. Deputy Superintendent Dr. Fabby Williams feels that the first semester of both programs has been successful in keeping students engaged in their studies, and he hopes to see further improvements in the future.
“When you suspend students and they have nowhere to go, they’re going to end up on the streets,” Williams said of R3. “In addition to providing a safe environment to them, they can also continue with their educational work.”
Also on the board’s agenda for the evening were:
- - A performance by the Atkins High School trombones
- - Recognitions for Jameeyah Adams-Smith as the 2024 Poet Laureate, Forsyth Assistant Principals Association Scholarship Award recipients, Battle of the Books district winners, Maya Angelou Essay Contest winners, Atkins’ team from the Camel City Game Jam, and track and field state champions
- - Adoption of a resolution to celebrate May as National Speech/Language/Hearing Month
- - Updates on the School Health Alliance, summer programming, Discovery Education, the contract with Edgenuity, and supplemental funds for Pre-K teacher compensation
- - Approval of food service management contract addendums, new auxiliary gym floors at West Forsyth High School, document camera purchases, and several other action items
The Board of Education will meet again on Tuesday, June 11 at 6:30 pm.