Student thrives amid challenging campus

Senior Atavia Ketton carries herself through the bustling hallway with quiet grace, poise and confidence.

She smiles and acknowledges the many who call out her name. She's the teenager who's beloved by classmates and administrators.

She was homecoming queen, and she's the top officer in the school's JROTC unit. She plays four sports, participates in clubs and volunteers to do community service. She takes every honors and Advanced Placement class she can. She plans to go to an out-of-state college next year on a scholarship.

And she knows most people wouldn't guess that she goes to North Charleston High, a school known better for poorly performing students and a massive on-campus melee last month.

"North Charleston is not the way people see it at all. Put that in bold," Ketton said. "I am proud to go here."

Ketton never has regretted her decision to attend North Charleston High despite the controversy that hounded the school for months. The dissent stemmed from the school board's decision to reconstitute the school, which meant all employees, including its principal, had to reapply for their jobs. Community leaders didn't want to hire a new principal, and they demanded more of a say in proposed reform plans.

The most recent, and perhaps biggest, uproar at the school happened when 26 students got involved in a fight in the cafeteria; 11 of those students have been expelled.

Ketton could recall only one instance during her high school career in which she felt unsafe, and that was when students were being screened with metal detectors because someone supposedly had brought a gun to school.

Other than that, she said she feels safe on campus and doesn't feel frightened by her classmates. Drama, as she calls it, only happens if it's provoked, and no one is going to walk up to her or anyone else and start a fight for no reason, she said.

The most recent fight upset her because she feared the perception that new teachers would have of the school and that it would affect their decision to return next year. She felt frustrated that her classmates decided to settle their disagreement inside school when their problem had nothing to do with North Charleston High.

"Just like Wando (High) has its bad students, North Charleston (High) has its bad students," she said. "Overall, we're just a school that needs a little improvement."

The school's academic track record has been dismal, to say the least: Only 34 percent of its students graduated on time, and only 35 percent of its students passed its end-of-course exams, according to the most recent information available for the 2007-08 school year. Forty percent of its incoming freshmen this year read on a fourth-grade level or worse.

Ketton doesn't worry about being prepared for college because she takes honors and AP courses. Her classes are challenging and interesting, but she would be more concerned about her future had she taken the school's regular classes. Too many students in those classes are "slackers," she said, and don't push themselves to do their best. About 16 percent of the school's 658 students take either AP or honors classes.

Students in her honors pre-calculus class proved part of what Ketton said to be true. They paid close attention to their teacher, Daniel Frimpong, asked questions and offered answers. Frimpong had a good rapport with students, and the combination of his animation kept their focus and made them laugh.

The school needs more teachers like Frimpong, Ketton said, teachers who care about them because so many teenagers don't have that in their lives. They need teachers who have patience for the smart-aleck responses that students are quick to give, who push students and make them work hard, and who understand the problems students often face when they go home, she said.

She's seen too many teachers cycle through the school, and the same has been true for the school's principals. Juanita Middleton is the school's fourth principal in four years.

The constant change in leadership makes the school appear unstable, and different principals have different ways of running the school that sometimes end up negatively affecting it, she said. She called Middleton the best principal the school has had since her freshman year, when David Colwell was the school's leader.

Middleton talks to students on a level they can understand, and she goes above and beyond to help the school, Ketton said, citing mandatory after-school tutoring sessions for athletes and tutors dedicated to helping students pass HSAP exams as positive initiatives that have come from her.

"It's a slow process, but it is changing," she said. "I do think a lot of things have changed for the better."

Ketton admits that she feels as if she's in a minority in terms of classmates who are similar to her, and it bothers her when students seem more interested in hanging out in the halls rather than going to class.

But she said she also worries about those students and tries to find ways to help them. She wants to make a difference.

"You have your knuckleheads, but I like it," she said. "You can be successful here if you want to be."

Karen Bentley, the school's guidance counselor, said what impresses her most about Ketton is that she's constantly morphing into a better person. She's the youngest member of the senior class, but that hasn't stopped her from impressing teachers and students.

"She learns from her mistakes and applies those lessons daily in her quest to be a successful young adult," she said.

School Principal Middleton said great students share similar characteristics: They have good grades, leadership skills, a positive demeanor, likability and good manners. Ketton falls into that category.

"There are many more positive things about the students in this school than most people can imagine," she said. "As well, there are many adversities for these youngsters, but they still come to school seeking success. They may not be your typical students, but they come to us in their own way and want the same education as other students."

Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@postandcourier.com.