-
Nov 25, 2024 | 
wfdd.org | Amy Diaz
About 36 Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school bus drivers didn’t show up for work Monday due in part to concerns about their safety. Officials believe absences will continue on Tuesday. Several bus drivers met with district leadership last week to talk about the problems they’re experiencing. One issue was inappropriate student behavior on the buses, like fights, disrespectful language and illegal substance use. There were also reports of parents being aggressive with drivers.
-
Oct 19, 2024 | 
npr.org | Amy Diaz
School counselors are using creative ways to help kids cope with the trauma of floodsStudents in western North Carolina have been dealing with a lot of trauma since the devastating flooding following Hurricane Helene. Teachers are trying to help them cope.
-
Aug 12, 2024 | 
wfdd.org | Amy Diaz
A string trio welcomed students as they entered the halls of Marvin Ward Elementary School for the first day of school on Monday morning. The musicians are with a program called the Piedmont Learning Academy for Youth, or P.L.A.Y. which is part of the Winston-Salem Symphony’s education outreach. They teach second and third-graders at Ward during their music classes. “It's amazing how fast they learn and how good they get," Principal Colin Tribby said.
-
Jul 23, 2024 | 
wfdd.org | Amy Diaz
It’s been one year since Forsyth County and the city of Winston-Salem granted $4 million of American Rescue Plan Act funding to The Pre-K Priority, a collaboration of organizations committed to early childhood education. The money went toward meeting high-quality Pre-K program standards in 30 classrooms. Teachers had success coaches and salary supplements. Families had advocates who helped them set goals and connect with resources for things like transportation and food.
-
Jun 24, 2024 | 
wfdd.org | Amy Diaz
The Winston-Salem Police Department and Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office are looking to increase officer visibility following a recent uptick in shootings. There were five homicides, all gun-related, in Winston-Salem last week. And early Monday morning, there was a drive-by shooting into a house occupied by multiple children under the age of 10.
-
Jan 30, 2024 | 
wfdd.org | Amy Diaz
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) released guidelines this month on the use of artificial intelligence in schools. On Monday, Vanessa Wrenn, NCDPI's chief information officer, gave a presentation on the subject at a meeting of the state’s House Select Committee on Education Reform. “Certainly when AI came out, you heard a lot about it can be used for cheating. Well, that was a conversation around calculators in the 1980s," Wrenn said.
-
Nov 17, 2023 | 
wfdd.org | Amy Diaz
The number of students experiencing homelessness in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school district has more than doubled since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2020-2021 academic year, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools served 481 students who were identified as experiencing homelessness. That number jumped drastically the next year to 956 students. WS/FCS Lead School Social Worker Robin Fisher said last year’s total reached more than a thousand.
-
Nov 16, 2023 | 
wfdd.org | Amy Diaz
The Guilford County Board of Education voted to approve revisions to three district policies that align with the state’s new Parents’ Bill of Rights. This includes removing instruction about gender and sexuality in some lower grades. Senate Bill 49, known as the “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” became law in North Carolina in August. This prompted GCS to make revisions to three policies to comply with the new legislation.
-
Nov 9, 2023 | 
wfdd.org | Amy Diaz
The Guilford County Board of Education will vote on revisions to three policies next week in alignment with the state’s new Parents’ Bill of Rights. Senate Bill 49 became law in North Carolina back in August, which prompted school districts across the state to make changes to existing policies to comply with the new legislation. Guilford County Schools sent three policy revisions out for public comment in September, related to parental involvement and health education. Policy Committee Chair T.
-
Nov 8, 2023 | 
wfdd.org | Amy Diaz
The Winston-Salem Police Department charged 31-year-old Eduard Sarmiento with felony statutory rape, indecent liberties and multiple sexual offenses. Sarmiento worked with students at Philo-Hill Magnet Academy, as part of a mentorship program led by local education advocacy group, Action4Equity. The program served about 200 families, and was intended to support students and curb violence.
