Paul Revere And Ag Science In Bertie County

by John Davis - March 8th, 2008

Paul Revere might have been riding through Bertie County last Thursday night. His call that rousted us from our beds was not a warning of the invading British, but yet a message of change and hope. Ag-Science is coming; Ag-Science is coming, were the words that echoed off the pines that lined his road of travel.

Thursday, March 6, 2008, may be judged as one of the most important days in Bertie County’s educational history. On that night, our new visionary superintendent, Chip Zullinger, collaborated with educators from three universities, to share their visions about several programs that could positively change the landscape of public education in Bertie County forever.



Chef from Shaw BBQ and Benjie Forrest



Attendees enjoy food


The may and could in the paragraph above, can be replaced by the word will if the citizens of our county will understand that our diversity is our strength and if we work together to make this program change our public education system to one that will draw people to the area. As Charles Harden, a ninth generation farmer said after hearing the program, “This can work in Bertie County.” The comments from all the Bertie Communities present were positive and the room was full of “hopeful electricity” in a way I have never experienced at any educational public meeting since my return home three years ago.




Alton Parker, Brent Todd, Norman Cherry and Emma Johnson



Dr. Chip Zullinger, Bob Spivey, Danny Perry (back to camera) and Amber Dunlow


What is this all “hopeful electricity” about? Over 20 PHD’s were in the cafeteria of The Southwestern School sharing with us how that building could house a new school in Bertie County. One that would be a high school, an early college, a research center, and an adult education center all wrapped into one.




The crowd included more PHDs than Bertie has ever seen at one time


Benjie Forrest, Eastern Regional Agricultural Coordinator for NC State, started the program by reminding the audience that 49% of Bertie County’s workforce is in agriculture and 72% of our income is directly or indirectly from agriculture as well. As an agricultural leader in the state, we are the best place to open an Agri-Academy High School that will be the first of it’s kind in North Carolina and counted among only a few nationally. He outlined that all the partners in this program understood the challenges being faced by the county. This program could help us motivate and challenge our children to see a vision of success for their future. As I listened, I understood it could also be a program that builds a bridge to increase our diverse community’s ability to work together, because only together can we make something of this magnitude happen.




Benjie Forrest


Next, Dr. Gerald Barlow who is the NCSU State Agricultural Education Leader, spoke to us. He talked about this program being one that goes from traditional farming to biotechnology. He spoke of the ability of these programs to reach students and motivate them to excel because they are working hands on and not just with a textbook. He talked about how excited NC State was that Bertie was considering this partnership and how committed NC State was to working with us to make the dream a reality.

Dr. Marshall Stewart was the next speaker. He is a department head at NC State and State Agricultural Education Coordinator. Dr. Stewart outlined three foundations of how agriculture and K-12 education support each other.

1. Creating economic opportunity is the center piece. He talked about giving students skills for the global economy and training students who could work in the Agri-technical industries of eastern NC and the world. He held up the Shaw Biodiesel Project as an example of economic opportunity resulting from this school.

2. Contributing to educational excellence by increasing the resources available to students through this program and its many partners.

3. The ability of ag-educational programs to improve the quality of life for the students and communities through gaining a better understanding of nutrition. He related the potential to partner with the medical community to educate on diabetes, obesity, and cancer.




Charles Smith, Richard Rhodes, Norman Cherry and Charles Harden



Dr. Marshall continued with four questions and the answers that show why our dream for this school must come true.

1. Why now? He told us because the need of our young people is great for a vision of success in the future.

2. Why here? There are issues and challenges that must be overcome but there are assets here as well. The empty Southwestern building is one but he also talked about the strength of the people of Bertie County.

3. Why these partners? Each of them has an interest in helping this area of NC reach its full potential

4. Why not? He told us many may focus on the challenges that could prevent this great program from occurring but he feels our leadership in the county is focusing on the reasons why we can do this. He believes the vision of our educational, county, and agribusiness communities are seeing this as a dream that can happen for Bertie County.




Dr. Martel Perry


Dr. Martel Perry, Vice President of Shaw University, was the next visionary on the podium. Shaw sent their entire Science Department to Bertie County to show their support of what we are trying to do. Dr. Martel spoke of how the head of Shaw, Dr. Newsome, had challenged the team working with Bertie County to dream on how their science programs could help even though they do not have an agricultural program at Shaw. The Shaw dreamers are champions as they outlined how their new National Science Foundation grant could allow them to help build a technology center inside Southwestern and as part of the Agri-Academy. This laboratory could support research efforts in agricultural by-products and would include a new biodiesel project Shaw is starting up. Three different presentations were given by Shaw professors showing how they could support our efforts to set up the technology/lab center, immerse biotechnology into our ag-program and get the biodeisel project up and running. One of the foundations of Shaw’s educational mission is to do educational outreach. They are already working to help us home grow our K12 teachers. Tonight they demonstrated they are committed to helping the area in many other ways. Now I admit, I am an ECU Pirate but I caught myself growling like a Shaw Bear on the ride home that night.




Bob Spivey, Danny Perry and Steve Wishall


Next one of our home grown leaders took the stage. Carol Atkins is the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Bertie County Schools. Carol did an excellent job of showing us how the new Learn and Earn Program in North Carolina could piggyback with our new ag-science program to improve education in Bertie County. She outlined the educational research that shows smaller schools within schools help our children learn better and increases interactions with their teachers and mentors, making them more motivated and improving their self esteem. This is needed because she told us the hard fact that today 40% of our students get lost and drop out of the K-12 educational experience. The new Ag Academy we are talking about would hopefully start with 100 students. Carol told us part of the Learn and Earn Program was to have high schools become early college high schools. With our university partners we can make this happen from a curriculum perspective. Students go to high school at home (for free) and graduate in four or five years with two years of college credit. They are then eligible to complete their last two college years at any NC public university and the state pays that expense under the Hope Scholarship Program. This program would be a great asset for Bertie County and the Agri-Academy would make this path possible. Carol said that in a program like this high school students begin to see themselves as college students and they have a vision to the future. Thanks Carol, for opening up my vision to what is possible.

Next Hal Davis, the Principal of Bear Grass High School in Martin County lead the program. Hal has extensive experience in his career in ag education. Hal loosened up his tie, took off his coat, and rolled up his dress shirt sleeves before he took the audience on an animated dream ride as to what our new school might look like. Hal has a career waiting once he leaves education as a motivational speaker. He showed us how this school would increase the learning time for students and partner them more with mentors outside of education. His vision was that the school would become part of the community and serve as a tool to help re-engage the school and community through adult education and internship programs. We have a lot of experienced people in the county who could serve as guest speakers for the classes and programs. Bertie County is rich in talent that has not being utilized by the school system in the past and Hal showed us how that can change in the future. He did a great job of making us see this new school as more than books and mortar.

Dr. Chip Zullinger wrapped up the evening by thanking everyone for coming and asking for comments or questions. If you have not met Chip you are in for a treat. Dr. Z is a very open man who understands we have a lot of good ideas and people in Bertie County who want to see our educational system be recognized as a leader in the state. Yes our money resources may be more limited than some but we have never lacked for will power and elbow grease. Every educational leader that spoke Thursday night talked about how approachable and responsive Dr. Z has been in their dealings with him. I had never met him and wrote him an email after I heard about the Shaw “Grow Your Own Teachers Program”. He responded with answers to my questions that very day and helped me understand the program and its benefits to the county. If you have not met him and would like to help improve education in Bertie County, I suggest you call him. You will not be disappointed in his listening skills or his desire to build a diverse team to help education in Bertie County.

Dr. Z asked for comments from the audience and the response was heart warming. We had great comments from Norman Cherry, Alton Parker, Dr. Horace Ward, Charles Harden, and Wood Farless, just to name a few. However, there are many other leaders in Bertie County who have the ability to join and make the team stronger and better. I have heard many folks say they do not have a dog in the fight as it relates to public education in Bertie County. However, everyone who lives here, owns property here, or knows a child here, I believe has a stake. We have a superintendent who collaborates and builds friends, we have students who need our help and guidance, and I believe we have the best people anywhere. I hope you will come to the next public meeting on this project and become a part of a great change that will take ALL the people of Bertie County to make it as good as it can be.

I would like to end by sharing the story Dr. Z told about the bird that went to slay the dragon. On his journey to meet his doom, the bird met other animals with whom he shared his story and admitted his inability to beat the dragon alone. He told each animal how much stronger they were than he and he was not to proud to ask each animal for help. When he arrived at the cave of the dragon, the bird had a zoo full of different animals that were too powerful for the dragon and the dragon was slain.

Mrs. Emma Johnson knew some people at Shaw, and someone else knew some people at NC State, and someone else knew someone at NC A&T. I want to challenge myself and you to be more like Mrs. Emma. We all know someone. You can help improve public education in Bertie County.

I hope you will.