Bring a friend to the February 16 meeting of our American Association of University Women branch as we hear from a true pioneer in Durham’s Halls of Justice–Karen (Galloway) Bethea-Shields, the county’s first female judge.

Karen’s story is a rich and inspiring one, filled with a broad array of personal and professional experience, including many “firsts.” She has graciously agreed to speak to elaborate on her journey, after which she’ll entertain questions–whether from aspiring attorneys or from any of us who treasure the freedoms protected by courts of law.

AAUW Art Contest

Did you notice an email from AAUW (national) inviting submissions of original art for publication as AAUW notecards?  “Someone you know” has responded and you can see two pieces of her work (Hydrangeas and Protea) at this url: www.aauw.org/contests/  Vote for TEN works of art.  In March, we’ll find out which submissions were the favorites.

The Poisoned Table: A Novel Paperback – September 1, 2015

by Diane Michael Cantor (Author)

Diane Cantor, is a member of AAUW in Georgia. She has written a book published by Mercer University Press called THE POISONED TABLE.  It is historical fiction about the role Fanny Kemble played in the fight against slavery. Consider this book as one of your book club selections this year!  It is on AMAZON.COM as well as KINDLE as an e-book.

We hope you’ve marked your calendars for the

Tuesday, Oct. 20 Meeting
of the American Association of University Women’s
Raleigh-Wake County Branch

5:15pm    Hospitality

5:30pm    Guest Speaker

6:30pm    Business Session

Please note the program change.
Our October Speaker will be:
BRENDA BERG, CEO BEST-NC

Given the very specific nature of our questions about the current state of public education.
Ms. Berg was recommended to us by our contact at the Public School Forum, Laurie Suggs.

Our officers were impressed with a piece by Brenda Berg, written in response to James Hogan, former NC teacher and strident critic of the current administration. In an editorial in August 2015, Hogan blamed NC’s political leadership for poor performance by both the state’s teachers and its students.

Here’s a sample of what Berg had to say on behalf of the business-centered non-profit she heads up:

Rather than pointing fingers, we encourage our fellow North Carolinians to do what we do best—work proactively and collaboratively to find solutions that will elevate educators to the status they deserve. In addition to a commitment to raise teacher pay, a powerful proposal is on the table right now with House and Senate budget negotiators. The plan offers a comprehensive approach to elevate teachers and principals by recruiting, preparing, developing, and supporting great educators so they can focus on what matters most to them and to us—our students. This is the antithesis of a “war” on public education and the most-likely antidote to persistently low-performing schools.

We invite you to join us on October 20 to learn more and to pose for our speaker your own questions about public education in NC today.

Members of AAUW’s Raleigh/Wake County branch invite you to join us at
5:30 pm, Tue, Nov 17th
711 Hillsborough St, Raleigh 27603
as we host a rising star.
Amanda Hubbard: One of the winners of a 2015 AAUW Career Development Grant

Having served several state agencies as a television producer and website
developer, Amanda Hubbard is now employed with the NC Forest Service. With
the grant money she received, she has enrolled in Wake Technical Community
College’s Java Certification Program. At the conclusion of the academic year, she
hopes to continue her education in pursuit of an Associate’s Degree in Computer
Needless to say, Amanda is highly proficient in the application of many
communication technologies. In addition, however, she wants you to know that
she also has a passion for public service and the environment.
We look forward to the chance to greet Amanda, hear her story and join her in
celebrating her ambitions.

Dr. Leslie W. Syron

AAUW Raleigh/Wake County and AAUW Tar Heel branch member Leslie Syron died on Wednesday June 3, 2015.

She joined AAUW in 1942, and had been an honorary life member for many years. .She was president of AAUW of North Carolina 1957-1959.

Dr. Syron spent almost her entire career at Meredith College where she taught in the sociology department from 1945 until her full retirement in 1991. She also served as department head for many years.  The hundreds of students whose lives she touched while on the faculty at Meredith College will remember her.

Celebrating Leslie’s accomplishments and impact provides a wonderful role model for AAUW members and the communities she influenced.  She was a most notable leader who touched so many lives in different areas of her dedicated service.

References:

http://www.meredith.edu/news/detail/meredith-college-mourns-loss-of-professor-emerita-leslie-syron

http://www.legacy.com/guestbooks/newsobserver/leslie-w-syron-condolences/175020049

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newsobserver/obituary.aspx?pid=175020049

PS: Members may notice that the OWL/AAUW outing is scheduled earlier in the day on May 19. We hope that our AAUW meeting will get top priority–but please don’t see this as a conflict. The Arboretum Tour (with optional 1pm lunch) begins at 2:30 and will take about an hour. May 19th could turn out to be a very pleasant day!

At a time when public and professional discontent with so many instruments–NC Report Cards, standardized testing and the Core Curriculum–seems to have risen to a crescendo, we look forward to a discussion with educators who have seen the results they hoped for when PAVE was founded. When we’ve heard highlights of their experience, we will engage each other in an exchange of ideas about what is broken in NC’s educational system and what it will take to repair it.