According to a 2018 National Center for Education Statistics report, less than ten percent of all teachers in the United States are African Americans. Currently, there are fewer than 20 full-time African American teachers and educators within Salem City Public Schools.
Growing up, Sonnya Preston routinely heard the following lines from her mother: “there isn’t anything you can’t accomplish if you work hard enough,” “nothing is stopping you from reaching your goals,” and “the journey to reaching your dreams is never as hard as you think.”
Preston, today an Andrew Lewis Middle School Business and Information Teacher, instills those same positive reinforcements in her pupils.
“I am always in teacher, parent or mentoring mode, and most of the time those roles overlap. School doesn’t stop at 3:25 p.m. for me, I am always looking for something new and exciting to do with my students or my own children,” she said.
Whether it be setting up a meeting with the city’s transportation supervisor or handling something school operations related, Dr. Forest Jones, a former Andrew Lewis Middle School Principal, says it’s imperative that he visits all of the local schools every week to see if a helping hand is ever needed.
“I enjoy talking with staff and students when I visit to see what can be done to make things even better in the schools,” Dr. Jones, the Director of Administrative Services, said. “I also talk or see the Salem Police and School Resource Officers weekly and work with City Maintenance personnel almost on a daily basis.”
In 2004, Kristen Franklin was hired as a kindergarten teacher at South Salem Elementary School. When asked to describe her 14-year teaching career, the Roanoke County native said, “I take tremendous pride in being responsible for a child’s first educational experience in an elementary school, so my role often stretches beyond just being a teacher.”
She continued, “I introduce all the subjects and basic concepts, but I also encourage the development of social skills. At school, I play the role of teacher, parent, counselor, encourager and cheerleader for these young children.”
After graduating from Roanoke College, Dr. Jones went on to receive his Masters in
Liberal Studies from Hollins University and a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership and Policy from Virginia Tech. Mrs. Preston earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degree from Virginia State University before completing the course work required to secure a Doctorate of Instructional Technology Degree. Mrs. Franklin graduated from a five-year program at Virginia Tech with a Bachelors in Early Childhood Education and a Masters Degree in Elementary Education.
Every day that she walks through the doors of Andrew Lewis Middle School, Mrs. Preston views it as an opportunity to make a difference in the community. Her thoughts about having more African American teachers in the classroom are echoed by both Dr. Jones and Mrs. Franklin.
“Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black History, said, ‘those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history,’” Preston said.
Added Dr. Jones, “Black History Month is the history of this country. It is part of the fabric that makes the country great. It is more than just a month, and that’s how I taught it when I was a teacher. It is also to honor those who came before us and sacrificed so we could enjoy the freedoms that we have today.”
