18-year-old Princess Barge recalls the moment she set a goal for herself in her first year of high school to earn more than $1 million in scholarship money. Her dreams became a reality this year when she earned $3 million and was accepted to 45 universities nationwide, including John Hopkins University. Barge said she began […]
Author Archives: Vanessa Castro
Vanessa Castro is a multimedia journalist, reporter, and videographer. A passionate storyteller, she strives to give a voice to the voiceless through written and broadcast media. Vanessa graduated from Berkmar High School's Media, Arts, & Communications Academy in 2017. She currently attends Georgia State University as a journalism major and speech communications minor. She hopes to inspire positive change through journalism.
Posted inGwinnett County Schools
Gwinnett County School Board members vote to renew the superintendent’s contract
Gwinnett County: Board members voted 4 to 1 in favor of renewing Superintendent Calvin J. Watt’s contract at Tuesday’s special called board meeting. County officials called for the meeting after concerned parents disagreed over several of the superintendent’s decisions, including the new disciplinary policy. Four months ago, at a parent meeting, parents accused Watts of […]
Posted inGwinnett County Schools
The Gwinnett County Police Department held a community meeting following the deaths of numerous teens.
Recent drug overdoses and the murder of a teenager by a former cop triggered a response from the police department at last Thursday’s public forum. In unrelated cases, Rodrigo Floriano Mayen and Julia Zirangua, both 17, died of drug overdoses. According to police, Zirangua thought she was taking Percocet, which was later determined to be […]
Posted inGwinnett County Schools
The Gwinnett County Hispanic community demands justice after the bodies of missing teens were found
Protestors with the Hispanics United Alliance have gathered multiple times in the past month after the deaths of Susana Morales and Rodrigo Floriano Mayen. Police labeled Morales as a runway after she went missing in July last year while walking home from a friend’s house. A passerby found her remains on February 6th at the […]
Posted inGwinnett County Schools
Gwinnett County teen found dead after police reported her as a runaway
The remails of Susana Morales, a student at Meadowcreek High School in Norcross, were found on Monday, February 6th, near the Gwinnett-Barrow county line this week after being missing for seven months. Morales texted her mom on July 26th around 10 pm. to let her know she was on the way home. Video surveillance footage […]
Posted inMarietta City Schools
Marietta City Schools leaders approve $7 million effort centered around reading
Marietta City Schools continues its effort to improve literacy skills by hiring full-time reading specialists. Marietta City Schools (MCS) prioritizes student literacy by hiring reading specialists for all 1-5th grade classrooms for the next school year. The school board approved the $7 million dollar investment at their meeting on January 26th. According to a press […]
Posted inGwinnett County Schools
Some Gwinnett County parents disapprove of proposed new sex education curriculum
Gwinnett County is adopting a new comprehensive sex education curriculum for the 2023 school year called HealthSmart. Mothers Denise Rumbaugh and Amy Cook disapprove of the new program and wish to keep the current course, Choosing the Best, which is less comprehensive than Healthsmart. The two spoke at the recent school board meeting on January […]
Posted inGwinnett County Schools
Gwinnett county schools parents disapprove of the new sex education curriculum.
Gwinnett County is adopting a new comprehensive sex education curriculum for the 2023 school year called HealthSmart. Mothers Denise Rumbaugh and Amy Cook disapprove of the new program and wish to keep the current course, Choosing the Best, which is less comprehensive than Healthsmart. The two spoke at the recent school board meeting on January […]
Posted inDekalb County Schools
Dekalb County schools board announced $41 million worth of bonuses for staff
The Dekalb County Board of Education approved a program to increase employee salaries at their most recent board meeting on January 9th. Human Resources Administrator Tekshia Ward-Smith proposed the “recruiting and retention incentive program,” a plan to reduce the number of resignations and attract new employees. “This is our attempt to not only show our […]
Posted inCobb County Schools
Cobb County school board’s newest members, Becky Sayler and Nichelle Davis
Cobb County, GA: The Cobb County Board of Education welcomed two new democratic board members, Becky Sayler and Nichelle Davis, at their most recent board meeting on January 5th.Davis is the Operations Manager for Achieve Atlanta, a non-profit dedicated to helping students afford and earn postsecondary credentials. Additionally, she founded ImpactED Solutions, LLC, a tutoring […]
Posted inCobb County Schools
Cobb County Board of Education will uphold their meeting schedule this year
The Cobb County School Board met yesterday morning to determine the 2023 meeting schedule. Superintendent Chris Ragsdale recommended approving the existing program into the new year. Republican board members rejected the motion to update the current monthly meeting calendar which would allow for more community involvement. Becky Sayler, a newly appointed democratic board member, motioned […]