Garrison VCS principal of the year
by Terri Hedrick, Public Information Officer
Vance County Schools
Vance County Schools is pleased to announce that Anne Garrison, principal of Zeb Vance Elementary School for the past five years, has been selected as the 2009-2010 Vance County Schools’ Principal of the Year.
Garrison was selected from an outstanding field of local administrators. She will now represent her peers and the school system in regional and state competition for North Carolina Principal of the Year.
Joining Garrison as finalists for this year’s Principal of the Year recognition were Sherri Bowers, principal of Southern Vance High School; Carolyn Harris, principal of New Hope Elementary School; and Dr. Harold Thompson Jr., principal of Carver Elementary School. We congratulate all of these fine administrators for their recognition.
Garrison succeeds Brian Creasman, principal of Northern Vance High School, as the district’s principal of the year.
Congratulations to Mrs. Garrison and to her school for this outstanding accomplishment!
Good job and well deserved. Keep up the good work.
Comment by Horsefly — October 27, 2009 @ 10:32 am
Is this the same principal that has turned ZV from the best school in the county to the worst? Children have option to attend other schools because school performance has deteriorated so much. Go back and look at school performance before she came.
Comment by Bob — October 27, 2009 @ 12:23 pm
Hey Bob…When did ZV become the worst school in the county. I have children there and Iwould rather my kids be at ZV than any other school in the county. Anne Garrison is a wonderful principal and a wonderfuul person all together. Out of the past 5 years only 2 years went without ZV making their AYP goals.
Comment by my2cents — October 27, 2009 @ 12:49 pm
Yes Garrison is a wonderful person, just not principal material. Not enough experience when she took the job. Does not know how to discipline. Go back to days of Hawks and Miller and look at results. Progress is moving forward not backward. Just making AYP goals is not good enough.
Comment by Bob — October 27, 2009 @ 1:14 pm
Bob, both your comments, totally agree!!!
Comment by uncheelswin — October 27, 2009 @ 2:45 pm
wonder why the superintendent’s boy(creaseman) didn’t get it? or did he get it last year and wasn’t eligible? has to be some reason b/c he’s norm’s boy!!
Comment by Hometown News? — October 27, 2009 @ 5:39 pm
Just be nice and say congratulations. Take your complaints and your recommendations for next year’s nomination to Teri Hedrick.
Comment by skipper — October 27, 2009 @ 6:01 pm
Rigsby at Aycock certainly is doing an excellent job of commanding that school…she would have been a more logical choice!
Comment by uncheelswin — October 27, 2009 @ 10:48 pm
Foar anyone’s information ZV has gone to be the worst school county in the county. They have not recieve ABC bonus but one year since she has been there. Oh by the way since they can not get subs anymore I heard that they are working their TA’s to death. I heard in Walmart the other day that two teacher’s had taken a week off. One went to Disney World and the to New Orleans. I think that is the way it is spell. I find it funny that when they had sub money they would not let the TA’s sub and get sub money. They said that they were not qualified. I wonder why Ms. Garrison is using them now. Sound to be that the TA’s is getting the worst end of the stick. I bet the TA’s would like to go to Disney World too while someone else did their job. But don’t for get they probably can’t afford it on what I hear they make. Under paid and over work. Maybe they should get together and go to one of them board meetings.
Comment by what the public should know — November 1, 2009 @ 9:37 pm
Obviously, you are a product of the Vance County Public School System – right?
Hopefully, you are not a TA.
Comment by Interesting — November 2, 2009 @ 6:41 am
And for your information WTPSK…ZV is not the only school in VC that does not get subs, its all the schools. I know this because I am a sub for VCS. And I also think you should know before you start running your mouth about things you are not sure about..When the teacher when to Disney, she had a sub in her room, not a TA.. They are allowing subs for certain things that have to get approved. I am not sure about the teacher that went to New Orleans, dont know which teacher that was. I promise you that not using the subs was not Anne Garrison decision. You may want to contact Norman Shearin on that one, The BOE made that decision.
If you knew the staff @ ZV like I do, they ALL work together to make things happen out there. And they don’t complain about it.
I have an idea…Go out there a couple of times a week and volunteer your time to get to know the staff of ZV before you start talking nonsence about them and their princpal.
If I have any typos..it’s not because I am a stupid…it’s because I am pissed. Have a good day
Comment by my2cents — November 2, 2009 @ 7:18 am
Mrs. Garrison is worthy of this honor. Lay off of her, she is home recoverying from a tragic experience.
Comment by Why? — November 2, 2009 @ 7:26 am
Mrs. Garrison’s tragic experience has nothing to do with her running the school in the ground. I am sorry for her recent experience but I also agree that the days of David Hawks was better. He and Mr. Spain knew how to discipline. Now you have 2 women heading that school and they think that doing a picture in glitter in the Vice Principal’s office is punishment for one child’s offense and then give that picture to the child he wronged. BULL.
They are trying to be the student’s friends and you can’t be. You need to be feared if your rules are going to stick, and enforce them all the same. Not feared that you are so scared to speak to them but feared to know that if you misbehave, you don’t want that consequence. I know if I wanted to get out of class, i would love to go to the principal’s office to play with glitter to get out of doing worksheets! Think about it.
And yes, they are still getting some subs! There are about 2 or 3 that still have regular sub jobs. The PTA president is one! She’s there often for sub duties. Now tell me what is fair about that.
Comment by ZV Parent — November 2, 2009 @ 9:00 am
No I do not work for the Vance County Schools. They don’t pay enough for me to do that job. I work in Wake County. I do know people who has children and grandchildren there. They are always talking about how the TA’s are in different classes, doing lunchroom duty with other classes, car duty in the afternoons and even riding the buses with the students towards the end of the year. If you talk to some of the workers when you go down you will find out just how much the TA’s do and what little pay that they get. Some of them work night jobs also. When you go down why don’t you socialize and see if what I have been told is true.
Comment by what the public should know — November 2, 2009 @ 9:02 am
It is bad that that happen to her. But I think the point that they are trying to make is the ABC grade of the school and how they have drop.
Comment by who's who — November 2, 2009 @ 9:09 am
At times, these awards are popularity contests ie: Creasman.
Comment by north star — November 2, 2009 @ 10:53 am
ZV Parent..What point are you trying to get at with the PTA president. If she is a sub then why does it matter that she is subbing?
Comment by my2cents — November 2, 2009 @ 8:17 pm
Nothing about her in particular. Just that one class will get a sub and then another class will have a TA instead of a sub.
I know my child’s 1 class had a sub but his other class had a TA for a few days. How is it chosen who gets a sub and who gets a TA? And this is not the only school. HMS is doing the same thing. Skipping classes and extending the other classes.
Comment by zv parent — November 2, 2009 @ 9:57 pm
OK…If a teacher has a workshop or training to attend, then they are allowed to get a sub because (I think) that money comes from some where else. If the teacher is sick, then yes they do put a TA in their place for the day. I agree when all this came about in March of this year, it was hard to understand, but when you have a school that pulls together, they can make it happen. If the teacher can get an approval if they know they are going to be out for awhile, then it has to be approved through Dr. Shearin.
Comment by my2cents — November 2, 2009 @ 11:03 pm
Here’s the thing……you CANNOT judge a student based solely on test scores, nor can you judge a teacher, principal or school solely on test scores. As a parent and volunteer within the ZV school, I would suggest to each of you that is complaining/criticizing the ZV staff, please take some of your blogging time and spend it within the school volunteering. Take a look for yourself at what actually is happening within the walls, not what is being discussed at the local walmart.
As for the PTA president…..please oh please explain to me how anyone can even begin to comment on a dedicated parent who is spending her time not only Sub-ing and helping to educate your children, but one who is also giving much of her family and free time to building a better community with ZV. I am guessing that the person spouting off about this is not a regular PTA meeting attendee.
And by the way…..children should be taught better at home about behavior and respect. It is not the staff’s job to raise your children.
Comment by proud zv parent — November 3, 2009 @ 12:38 pm
WTPSK–
First of all, who starts their argument with, “I heard in in Wal-Mart the other night…” Just exactly how reliable is your information if you are getting it by “overhearing” it in WalMart of all places? I mean really! How scholarly of you.
Second of all, the terrible things you describe that TA’s are being made to do… breakfast duty, car duty, “and even ride the busses” (oh my!)… sounds a whole lot to me like…THEIR JOB!
Now, don’t get me wrong, I fully believe in the importance of TA’s. Most of them are fantastic people who’s hard work and dedication are essential to keeping the school functioning the way it should…and no, they’re not adequately compensated for the job they do, but who in the field of education is??? If they’re in it for the money, they’re in for a rude awakening!
Still, the bottom line is that their job description includes doing whatever the principal at the school asks them to do, within reason. The sub situation sucks, but that decision wasn’t made by the principal. She is only playing the cards she’s been dealt. If she feels she needs to pull a TA from the classroom to meet a need in her building, then that’s just the way it is, so be it. She didn’t ask for the bad situation, but she’s there and making do as best she can. It’s the TA’s JOB to comply with that request. They may not like it, but they have to deal with it. No one likes everything about their job, but hey, thats life. If its too big a problem for them, I’m sure there are lots of other people out there who’d be more than willing to take that job for them.
And for the person questioning the PTA president…you are truly uninformed. That woman gives hours and hours of her personal time to Zeb Vance and it’s students. PTA president (done right) is an extremely time consuming, behind the scenes, and often thankless job, but she does it and does it VERY well.
And about her and the subbing thing, I overheard at walmart the other night that she often gets the few subbing jobs that pop up because all the teachers know how good she is and specifically request HER whenever possible.
Comment by You know what I heard at Walmart? — November 3, 2009 @ 11:06 pm
WTPSK – Teachers and TAs have the right to take time off during the year. It is not their fault that the economy is in the situation it is in and subs cannt be used. Anne G. is doing the best she can, as any principle, in lining up TAs or subs when possible. The use of subs has to go thru central office. TAs shouldn’t be complaining because they are doing their job wheather it be lunch duty, bus duty, or filling in for a teacher. If they don’t like their job then go get certified to become a teacher and then see what headaches come with that. The grass is not always greener. I do agree no one in public education gets paid enough but that is the way it is. So… in conclusion, lay off the teachers that want to take a week off in the middle of the year. Their sanity needs it especially dealing with parents like you and your kids!
Comment by get over it — November 4, 2009 @ 8:56 am