Welcome to the pulse where we delve deep into the issues and ideas that are shaping the future of Education I’m your host Rick Cy superintendent of the putham county school district and each week we’ll be talking to teachers administrators and other experts in the field about the latest trends best
Practices and most pressing concerns in education whether you’re a teacher a parent or just someone who cares about education this podcast is for you so sit back relax and let’s dive into the pulse want to welcome you back to our weekly podcast and I’m very honored
Today for the second time to have uh Sandy gilard here who’s also our uh Schoolboard chairman and we’ll talk to him about that later but also a retired educator and really one of my role models throughout my educational career you know sanity and I were administrators together and she helped
Guide me in those early years so I can’t appreciate her enough because of what she’s done for me and many of our children and and adults here in putam County but we’re here today to talk about February being black history month and I know that um Sandy wants to talk
About her sorority and some of the the events happening to support our students and also um our celebration of black history so Sandy welcome back good to see you as as always and uh let’s just start off talking about your sorority tell us a little bit
About your sorority and some of the work they’re doing okay uh good morning or good afternoon depending on when you’re viewing this uh as always I’m happy to to be anywhere to share not only my faith my sorority and our school district uh my sorority is Zeta fi
Sorority we were founded in on January the 6 16th 1920 at Howard University and I’m sure uh Tara Hill has already brought that out but we were founded by what we call our brothers a fib bet Sigma s uh fraternity which wanted a Sisterhood to work closely with them and
So I’m proud to be a member of an organization that is not about self but is about service I wonder in 1916 I think that’s the day you gave me 196 January 16th right 1920 1920 thank you the Roaring 20s and you know it was
Like the year before that and I’m an old history teacher where women got the right to vote got the right to vote Yes sir so I’m wondering at that time how significant was it for to have a woman’s sorority at Howard University I mean to
Many women go to school at that time at Howard I’m not sure I’m not sure about Howard University and uh for the record because more than just Zetas will be watching this podcast but there were two other sororities that were came into existence prior to Zeta 5 Beta sorority
One of them is Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and Linda Oliver a former educator is a member of that one and many others di Miller the late joce McLoud that were actually teachers in the putner County School System now that’s enough about AKA then the next
One is uh Delta Sigma Theta and we have quite a few Educators today in our school system that are members of that sorority Pamela Brown being one um Kim Wright and a few many others but the unique thing about all the sororities that I named and there is another one uh
Sigma gamaro I will not slight them but their presence is small here in putam County uh I’m proud to say that of the ones that are named We Zeta Beta sorority is the one that is based here founded here has a chapter here in putam County all the others are in Palm Coast
Or how the chapter been here in puam County do you recall do you remember Evelyn green yeah she was one of the founding members Katherine Gibson and educator uh I’m not sure if Miss Aly Bostic was one of the founding members and I’m sure C the Asia will correct me
On this if I get it wrong but her mother was one of the founding members and um the Housing Authority that’s named Ragsdale Rosa K Ragsdale was one of the founding member many great women that we stand on the shoulders of EV green is an
Icon I mean I can’t say enough about her and her family she was a part yep so for um if any young folks who might be going to college or who might be in college can you kind of give us an idea when you hear the word sorority you know I know a
Lot of things might come to mind but really what what is the sole purpose of a sorority and what might be a reason that um maybe a young lady might want to join a sorority I know young men might join a fraternity and young women would
Jo join a sorority if they chose to what might be uh some things that would do in that okay uh I’m going to uh reflect now on my time at Florida M when I first got there uh you find and you establish friendships so it gives young ladies and young men an
Opportunity that some may be their first time away from home it gives them an opportunity to bond with other young men and young ladies with like Minds uh with ideas of of being of service they may not be the athlete that got the scholarship to to go to college but they
Can belong to something that can keep them focused and grounded on doing things that are positive so is also kind of like a service organization yes sir most definitely that’s one of our principles we we founded on Service uh scholarship Sisterhood and final Womanhood are the things at a recent
Board meeting uh you have members of your sority in the audience I remember everyone was dressed similar so um social action uh that’s one of the Committees in the sorority social action being being cognizant of things that are going on in your community that you can
Be a part of because that’s what we do we support our community and we find out where we can be of service and and that’s so important and and I I talk every time we get in these uh podcasts somebody from our community is enriching our community and and you know I always
Say Paca in putam County you know we we uh have a lot of things said about about us good and bad but one thing about us that is true we are a giving Community amen we take care of our own and we would not be where we are today without
So many organizations such as yours who gives back so I commend you for doing that so I know one one big thing y’all are planning on can you elaborate on the Gaya that you’re going to have and what what that’s all about okay uh the Gaya
Will be the last Saturday in the month of February uh where where we are making an effort to bring in funds so that we could support scholarship we do what we call zho uh zetus helping other people Excel that’s what the acronym is and we
Go out to our our we used to call them nursing homes but they’re care facilities and we donate toiletry uh things that help the ladies and the men there feel good about themselves there’s a day where the older women that are in these facilities pamper themselves with
Nail polish we take in uh uh crossword puzzles things that would help them to stay connected with life yeah society and we can’t we we just don’t understand what that means to those folks and I I commend you on doing that yes oh and let me interject sure speaking of the G Gaya
Uh it is $75 uh and at this Gaya we are recognizing ing unsung heroes five men in our community I am not on that committee uh think sh Sharice and uh Hardy Kim Hardy are the leaders of that particular committee and they uh recognize five pearls a pearl is the
Five represents the five founding women of our sorority and we look for women that have done something in their Community Beyond self that serve that that that people recognized as a giver as opposed to a s taker a part of the solution as opposed to the problem and they will be
Recognized at this event as pearls and unsung heroes the men so five and five that’s that’s great and tell us again where that would be located it would be located at The Ravines uh here in puton county that be $5 yes sir and that money would go towards uh scholar ship and and
Some of the overhead yes sir and with the scholarships uh I want to say this that we recognize a student from each of our high schools here in Putman County uh $500 scholarship and it is our goal that in the future we will be able to give more than that but what we’ve
Determined as a sorority is that we will not send this money to the university or the College of their choice we actually put that check in their hand because there are things that they need proud to going they may need to buy a luggage set they may need to get some personal items
So we actually give them the check once they’ve shown us at AC an acceptance letter that they are truly going away to college you know that’s so important because so many of these scholarships and I go to try to go every year to our scholarship night so many of these
Scholarships are for tuition and that type thing yes sir but to have that extra money for those things that kind of that overhead if you will that Tes to go to college luggage and clothing and all that so that’s great and you know the other thing I just I would encourage
Our young people who might be watching this especially our uh graduates soon to be graduates just pour yourself into applying for as many scholarships as you can definitely and the biggest hindrance is just maybe writing a short essay or something that that kind of discourages
A lot of them but just that little bit you might be the only person that applies yes sir so um I encourage you to do that not only for this opportunity but for others um uh if I may I want to uh say something else in regards to
Service um during the Martin Luther King Day celebration our sorority uh met at the Women’s Resource Center and as Dr King has said been quoted as saying uh it is not a day off it’s a day on and so our day on was to present Pampers uh little uh clothing items
Wipes and things that that these women are in need of and so we try to find a need and fulfill it the Lee Conley house we were very present there in and providing things for those women that are displaced for a moment and so it’s it’s one of those things we’ve been
Blessed and fortunate and so we want to give back well I appreciate that and and the Women’s Resource Center our Church you know supports that and yes you know it just goes without saying that these are women at their most neediest time yes most where they they really need the
Community to reach out and help them and um so without that you know these people would not have the opportunity to to live a normal life so I’ll commend you for that if I can change gears for just a minute want to talk a little bit about
Black History Month and uh February is Black History Month interviews some other folks early ear about the um black history celebration we’re going to have at CEO really bring some children in and just let them learn a lot about black history and how that is so much
Enriching our history here in patka and putam County but just uh generally speaking what does black history mean to you and and you know especially with your organization but really here in putam County talk to us about black history and what are some things that are being done and things that you think
We might want to look to do in the future one of the things that stands out is what two three years ago I think you started it and you had the panel at CeeLo and and and we had an opportunity to share what black history meant to us
And so uh it is a time that you celebrate it it it’s a time when when you get to to share things that are not necessarily covered in the textbook uh cynth Asia did a presentation at the Democratic women’s uh meeting on last Thursday evening and her topic was so
Well stated it was black history is American history and that thing resonated in my mind it is it took all of us here to make America great and so what we do we want to share with our our black students especially so that they don’t feel as if their a contribution
Has been made by blacks that that all we want from them is to do their very best in school and not be ashamed of who they are and don’t believe that Sports is the only way out to work hard in that classroom and to give it their very best
And just do the right thing that’s you know um when before prior to uh integration schools were segregated and I can honestly uh remember going to Central Academy High School and and the things that we did there and the and and the way we celebrated and it was a good
Time and a good feeling because we didn’t see any difference because we looked around and we saw everybody that looked just like us but when they integrated the schools uh uh some things were lost but yet some things were gained uh new friendships were formed
And forged and and a lot of stigmas and and things that were attached to people were dispersed because people began to see that hey they’re just like us just different color we all have the same problems same issues at home uh teenagers grow up and can’t go out or
Punished or all of these things and so that’s what we want people to see and know and for our children to to realize that what we share with you is not to make you bitter but it’s to make you better to make you realize that someone sacrificed someone worked hard to get
These rights or or privileges if you will that that you shouldn’t squander or or not take advantage there’s more things that unite us and there are that separate us amen amen and I want to say um and I highly respect you and have always respected you for a number of
Reasons but going back back to the days of desegregation and you and I both lived during that time and I was in watchwood county and you were right here in putam County but you were almost a Pioneer uh you were one of the first black students who actually came to um
CeeLo and that or at that time was pla South High School yes and there’s Paca Central High School right but just tell us uh generally speaking I know some other community members DRC Miller and some others who we know actually came over you know to join pla South how was
That time for you that has to be powerful if I can take the topic of a book it was the worst of time it was the best of times and the worst of times um in that people were just trying to make heads or tail of what was going on
People were feeling angry and bitter that they had been pulled away from their schools away from their friends separated and thrust into another environment that they didn’t choose themselves and and some misconceptions some some uh prejudices some ideas that we all walked in there with um as time
Went along most of those were chiseled away and and and people began to see that that we’re all people and so as I try and reflect back on on on Paca South we I could see still we we segregated ourselves you know even though we were at an integrated school we segregated
Ourselves we hung with what was familiar what felt comfortable for us but then as members uh as blacks began to join uh the the band of course they were already in the sports you know that but but began to join the band and the brave ETS
I think is what they call Jane Crawford used to to be one of those but they joined the bravettes and they would actually uh you know one or two would start talking and and become friends and and whatever and so um it it it didn’t
Go as deep for me and others because we only had two years our junior year and our senior year uh but the ones that came that had a full four years uh developed more friendships broke down more walls than we were able to in the short period of time that we were there
Um the funny thing is we would speak in school but if we were off you know and saw each other somewhere else you know we kind of act like we didn’t know each other those were yeah that was just a part of growing up and understanding and
Appreciating what was going on um you know and I have I have a similar frame of reference I mean I I actually I was in L County and we Des desegregated I think when I was in seventh grade and some of my best friends who I played ball with and went
To class with who were African-American have been and will continue to be some of my best friends but people now I just want students now to understand how far we have come yes yes we have a ways to go but I just want to celebrate the fact that was a very
Difficult time and first of all putam County and I said this in another podcast was one of the first school districts in the entire State of Florida who voluntarily desegregated other districts like where I went to school uh had to be court ordered right so kudos
To putam County and that just says a lot about the way our our population has come together and I could talk on and on about that yes but I think it is really um and I look at when we built the pla pla High School in 1977 and we talked
About this before we’re uh coach Bennett who is a white Coach yes coach Cooper who is a black coach came together and help kind of overcome a lot of that animosity with athletes and the the crowd and all that yes and really we’re instrumental in bringing those two
Groups together and we therefore have named our local football field the Bennett Cooper Stadium in honor of both of them yes but it really speaks about our culture here yes and I just celebrate that it’s so important yes and we I talked in another podcast about so
Many of our community Mary Lawson Brown and A Philip Randolph and John L Williams and Robert H Jenkins I mean we have so many black Americans who have made this County and made this country what it is today and I can’t be more proud yes and what you did 50 o over 50
Years ago I don’t want to you know underestimate the impact that has had that that took a lot of courage and I I appreciate you doing that and you have served how many years did you work in the school district as a teacher and administrator uh 38 I just won’t say
Half anymore but 38 years yeah as teacher administrator combined and it was my way or it is my way of giving back uh it’s I I I I take a verse out of the Bible in regards to Black History Month And in regards to our students even in the classroom with their parents
Wherever they go if you want a friend you have to first present yourself friendly and so I said that to say this I have established a friendship that just happened at Paca high school when I was uh sent there reassigned there uh by former superintendent Mrs Jerry Mage as
An assistant as assistant principal and you were there and and I was angry because I had been sent there after I was told that I could remain at Aquilla well anyway long story short I I was there during the summer and of course the children hadn’t come and Coach maku
Approached me and and I knew who he was and he only knew who I was on the fact that that yes she’s been assigned there and he he dared to approach me and say to me um well what do you like doing and I told him I said you know smartmouth I
Said I I’m G to be a a Monday Night Football announcer that’s what I’m going to do he said oh so you like football you can announce football next thing I know you know uh announcing the JV football you been there ever and I’m there even today but it was because he
Dared to approach me and those are the kinds of things uh that we have to remember if we want a friend present ourself friendly be approachable so that people are not afraid to approach you and you’d be surprised at where you could end up if you want a friend you
Got to be a friend you got to be a friend that’s it um and black history is American history yes it is and it’s nothing to be ashamed of I said it before um when I taught in A5 at Kelly Smith elementary school every Black History Month the students I had uh
Pre-selected names that I wanted them to research they would draw a name out of the bag and that was the person they researched and they had to actually do a presentation to the class and they had to actually make uh a float if you will we actually called it a float turned uh
These uh soda crates upside down and they actually made a a float and they told about that person that was a way of helping them to better understand and even the black students to better understand because they didn’t know some of the people and the contributions to better help them with their self-esteem
And to know that it’s okay to be who you are it’s okay be comfortable in the skin you’re in well it’s I had to learn that it’s like you say we stand on the shoulders of those yes who went before us and definitely that’s why we we live
In such a great country and we we have a long ways to go but we have so much to be thankful for so changing gears real quick you you have served on the school board and have been chairman I think uh two years in a row yes right yes but
You’ve been on been on the school board for uh how many terms now um two term I’m in my second term now you and I went in together we started together so tell me just generally speaking about you know some of the the progress of the school district as while the time you’ve
Been a board member what are some things that come to mind I mean you don’t have to get into the details but what are some things that uh if you saw somebody outside of our school district what are some things that you might share about what our school district has done uh one
Of the things I would share is the fact that uh out of 67 districts I think it’s 67 we were near the bottom like 65th or 4th or somewhere like that and in less than 5 years we announced noted uh for having increased our graduation rate and the effort I would
Talk about the fact that uh we understand the school board truly understands the portrait of a graduate we understand uh the the Strategic plan and things that are going to happen why because we’re there uh a part of it on committees working to make sure that we
All are headed in the same Direction I mean anything with two heads doesn’t do well doesn’t fail well but we are all just headed in the same direction we’re on course to success and and the right hand does know what the left hand is doing well and I so much
Appreciate you you represent the school board on the expulsion committee yes sir and that’s not always a pleasurable thing to do but going back to what you said all of our children are sacred important to us even those who maybe make a mistake or have some go down the
Wrong road sometimes and I just appreciate you you’re always looking to see how can they get better from this yes how can they use this to power them forward so um thank you for your you know the way you approach that and I’ve been in some of those beating before
They’re not very pleasant but it’s it’s something we have to do no but um I appreciate working with you as a superintendent working with you and our entire School board and we have such a wonderful School Board yes sir most definitely we uh I know they are they
Really have been cohesive and there’s times we have Lively debate I’ll put it that way but we’ve overcome a lot of barriers and I just look forward to the future on what we can do to get even better and by the way I don’t know if you heard but we’re building some
Schools too so yes yes sir uh thanks to the voters for uh their vote of confidence and passing the bond issue so um we just want to do our best to be uh good stewards of that that they’ve entr trusted us with will we get it right every time we won’t but
Will we make an effort to correct our mistakes our faults or or look at it we’ll be the first to to admit hey I made a mistake let’s go back and look at it and that’s why I was out walking the other day and I and I met a gentleman a
Former educator I won’t call his name and he was concerned about one of the schools and so we we talked about it and I said hey why don’t you come in the board to one of our meetings and and express yourself voice your opinion your concern because it does matter number
One because you are a stakeholder you have a part in this and then even if it doesn’t go the way I would want it to go if I were on the other side of the desk I would appreciate the fact that you took the time to listen gave me an
Opportunity to voice my opinion and that’s what America is about an opportunity to be heard and and it may not happen today but somewhere down the road whatever you suggest just just may come up again and we over the years we’ve really tried to make an effort to
Do that and I appreciate you bringing that up and I have Community meetings from time to time at different parts of the community we have one later this month on the West End had one couple weeks ago on the south end but again we’re trying to listen to our stakeholders and we’re trying
To all come together and do what’s right for our kids yes bottom line bottom line and it may not look pretty at first but in the end if we leave this place better than we found it then we did our job yes sir most definitely and and uh another
Thing that the district does well I mean I know every district has to do the employee of the year and and the school related uh employee uh of the Year all of those things but to take the effort and go to the extent that our um human resource department went to it you
Always walk away feeling good that they do care about the employee then with uh Mrs Whitehurst recognizing the retirees in front of the board let me tell you you’ve LED that charge I appreciate I led that charge because of this I didn’t go into teaching to become
Rich because if so I made a huge mistake it’s not about the monies but when I retired nobody absolutely nobody took the time to bring me before the people not just me but others that have retired to bring us up and to say hey we appreciate the job that you’ve done that that’s
Important powerful that’s powerful my cousin was one that Mrs Whitehurst recognized at our last board meeting when I stopped by her daycare she was still grinning from ear to ear saying how much she appreciated that and how it made her feel well not only that Sandy and I once again I appreciate you
Bringing that to our attention how important that is several years ago you actually led a charge to recognize our 20 year plus employees sir and we went to each site yes sir and that was so powerful and Co kind of brought it to a halt but but down the road I know we
Going to uh you know reignite it get it get it started back up because it it’s nothing like deing appreciated and and if you had seen their faces not a check was given but they appreciated that’s what it’s about just saying thank you I appreciate what you do and what you’ve
Done and you know our whole conversation today is is has been about you know recognizing those people for their efforts and how they en liven our community Black History Month is really about that I think celebrating our black history and our the black citizens of our community and and the immense wealth
They bring to our community as our School District employees so with all that said you know I just feel so positive hearing you talk because you’re all about service and you’re about recogniz and celebrating our community and and and if I could challenge some of
The young people I’m going to do a roll call of some people I’m not talking about that made a book that are in the book The Record book but I’m talking right here in putam County just call the RO of a Rosa K Ragsdale a Fred R Brooks
Uh uh a Mr Wright um uh drc’s mother Mrs uh Surman she just passed not long ago that actually ran Central Academy High School with whatever they got din Cafe all of these things that that people and things that help to make our community cohesive and and to to to to bring us
Together and to help uh blacks to feel good about themselves this was prior to integration and and Mr Tillman our our our um Tru the officer that would actually find students and bring us to school he never had to bring me now but would bring us to school and one young
Man Mr Tillman touched his life uh the young man had a problem taking things that wasn’t his and the last thing he took was a bicycle I remember Mr Tillman went out and and got him a bicycle and the joke is the young man eventually
Took a car Mr Tillman told me I can’t buy you a car but but you you see a need and you feel it yep and that’s that’s what these Educators did uh Louise Ard uh uh uh oh gosh she she called herself Stonewall Jackson Miss Willingham um
They they were Legends yeah and they they stood tall and they’re so humble too yes and U Terell Hill was telling me earlier about Lefty Turner who rubed shoulders are some of the most outstanding baseball players in major league history and um he said and left ET Turner lived here and rode a
Bicycle everywhere everywhere and just so humble and yes unassuming yes but it was so powerful and had an impact on Terell and many other people so and the thing is Dr siny he could have chosen to go and live anywhere else John L Williams could have chosen to take his
Family live somewhere else Jarvis Williams all of these people that have done well uh in their chosen profession or in their sport they could have chosen to live somewhere else but they chose to come back home and to give back to the community quietly some things johnelle
Has done for student athletes that come home for Christmas and he helps them get back to college this is what it’s about investing in students one at a time there you go and prayerfully they’ll come back and take your seat take take my seat take the seats of all of us and you
Know it’s so important because we we just want our community to be better for our kids and we have to prepare them and give them what they need to be successful and then uh try to stay out of their way after that right yes sir
Yes sir Sandy I want to thank you and you’re a dear friend of mine and colleague and um you know you and I go way back yes sir I can’t thank you for all the the things you’ve done to alive in my life so um and I know this will be
A popular podcast for people to see but you’ve told us a lot about your organization Zeta F beta thank you again I appreciate you all righty look forward to seeing you the next time all right I appreciate you all so much and thank you for doing
This it is a part of American history but it’s black history today and we celebrate together there you go as a people as a community
source
