1. https://www.flickr.com/photos/80497449@N04/7406499696/sizes/l
ROBESON COUNTY
Brief stories / facts on the history of Robeson County. Robeson County is a large, rural county located in the Coastal Plains of Southeastern North Carolina.
Based on the 2000 Census, its multiracial population of 123,000 is 38% Native American, 32% European American, 25% African American, and 5% Latino/
Hispanic. The Asian population is less than 1%. Its highly diverse population earns Robeson County the distinction of being the most ethnically diverse rural
county in the U.S. (Flora, Flora, Spears, & Swanson, 1992).
4. UNDERSTANDING Photo Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/
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compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
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One of the most, if not the most problematic issue in Robeson County stems from the high drop out rates, which has had a
direct reflection on the county’s problems with illiteracy.
5. UNITY Photo Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/28364885@N02/6235421713/">OregonDOT</a> via <a
href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>
The Big Idea: The educational system lacks structure, which influences potential dropouts at different levels of education & of
all ages. If these issues are not addressed they will continue to decrease the value and state of life in the county. We should
incorporate more programs in the community and school systems alike to aid in the appropriate education of our people in
every aspect and walk of life.
6. PROSPERITY https://www.flickr.com/photos/oimax/250401636/sizes/l
What’s in it for the audience? By putting forth more effort to reach students on every level. We should increase the number of
graduates, therefore increasing the amount of educated talents within our community. This should prove for better jobs and
more companies, which should go on to increase the county’s value and assure a more promising future.
8. FRUSTRATION Photo Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/
52137170@N00/56206100/">e-magic</a> via <a href="http://
compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/
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I was also in a relationship with someone whose life has been greatly impacted by these issues. I was shocked and highly
upset to find out that this individual could barely read or write. They were 30 + years old and could barely read or write at a 1st
grade level. This individual dropped out of school. Supposedly high school, but if that is the case this situation points to the
neglect of faculty members and educators, as this individual was blessed to have made it that far.
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7130270@N07/5402952857/">vicandwilliam</a> via <a href="http://
compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">cc</
a>
To give further insight as to how extreme these cases can be. My friend and I would get into disputes or disagreements not
because something was said that was hurtful, but because they literally couldn’t understand something I may have said in
even the simplest situations. This in turn caused them to react in a angry, frustrated fashion.
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a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by-sa/2.0/">cc</a>
HOPE
Call to Adventure: These issues have tormented this county for generations. We can add extra programs and efforts to reach
out in the community and school system. Getting more personally involved by having more community functions and better
school outreach programs. To the Board of Education, a closer watch over the activities and efficiency of faculty members with
closer and more strict job evaluations would help set a new way of living for the county altogether. Giving us the ability to re-
create the image of Robeson County and its people for the better.
11. EDUCATION
EVALUATION
OPPORTUNITY
Preview the three main points that will support your big idea: 1. Effects of illiteracy and potential drop out on the community. 2.
Effects on “Neglect” within the school system, educational board, and community. 3. How making the appropriate changes and
taking the proper precautions can influence more graduates, better opportunities, happier homes, and a better community
overall.
12. “Highest Drop Out Rate In North Carolina”
2002
In 2002 Robeson County showed the highest dropout rate in the entire state of North Carolina. This statistic gives proof to
an issue that still plagues the county until this day.
13. “Educated
Workers Are
The Basis Of
Economic
Growth”
The New York Times states that “Educated workers are the basis of economic growth — they are especially critical as sources
of innovation and productivity given the pace and nature of technological progress.”
15. Robeson
County
2.34%
Lumberton 6.6%
Drop Out
Rates
Bob Shiles of The Robesonian would report that even though the rate has dropped, 2.34 percent of Robeson County’s had
dropped out, which is still a considerate amount when looking at the population. These numbers do not tell the entire story
when looking at my hometown of Lumberton, North Carolina. Where the drop out rate is 6.6% with 16.2 students per teacher
According to The lumberton School Directory.
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NEGLECT
Supporting Point Two: Another part of the issue within the educational system has been the “neglect” shown by faculty
members and educators in Robeson County. Especially in Lumberton where faculty members have been known to “turn a
blind eye” to the needs of students intentionally.
17. Inappropriate
Conduct
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An article by Eleanor Lee Yates for Community College Week shows that the educational board for Robeson Community
College was being questioned on legal allegations of failure to provide proper documentation, employee discrimination, and
even misconduct in a professional setting. When summoned to Atlanta to discuss its responses, only about half the board
showed. This resulted in a one year probation for the college.
18. https://www.flickr.com/photos/gradin/168875652/sizes/lTake Action !
Call to Action: 1.Reach out to 2-3 homes in you neighborhood or reach out to at least one teen in public to see if they need
educational assistance. 2. Visit the schools in person, monitor the activity of faculty and staff and make complaints to higher
authority if need be. 3. Conduct community meetings to discuss any issues within the school system, connect with the youth &
each other, and discuss possibilities moving forward.
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Henry Levin and Cecilia Rouse of The New York Times State that If we could reduce the current number of dropouts by just
half, we would yield almost 700,000 new graduates a year in America, and the funding for additional programs would more
than pay for themselves. This gives proof to the powerfully positive impact the proper education can have and its payoffs in
the end.
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Infinite Possibilities
This proves that if we can increase the amount of attention to education in our county by providing extra attention through
stronger programs in the community and educational system altogether, it should have a direct impact on not only the dropout
rate but the poverty rate as well. With the effort of community support, proper evaluation and monitoring of faculty and
replacement as needed, as well as neighborhood support, we should be able to increase students interest in school, increase
the number of opportunities and businesses, and increase the overall state of living in Lumberton, North Carolina.
