►
Description
City, county, and school board officials met for the grand opening of Issac Dickson Elementary School's new facilities on September 2nd, 2016. The new building features a media center, amphitheater, outdoor learning spaces and more (more being a 65-million-year-old dinosaur skeleton!). The facility is also designed to be as green as possible; the school features geothermal heating and cooling, daylighting, and rainwater collection.
A
So,
thank
you
so
much
for
being
here,
I
cannot
tell
I
can't
stop
smiling,
obviously,
because
it's
just
really
exciting.
Someone
asked
me
earlier.
Actually,
chairman
Gant,
you
know
how
many
superintendents
get
to
do
this,
not
once
but
twice
in
a
year
and
I
asked
how
many
new
superintendent
get
to
do
it.
The
answer
is
probably
zero,
so
I
know
how
fortunate
and
blessed
I
am
to
be
standing
on
this
stage,
really
standing
on
the
shoulders
of
others
who
did
the
hard
work
and
then
I
helped
push
through
at
the
end.
A
A
A
I,
don't
know
that
that
is
something
that
we
can't
do
in
this
building,
because
the
building
so
beautiful,
it's
just
going
to
soak
into
their
brains
right,
and
so
this
learn
discover
and
thrive
concept
of
making
sure
that
all
of
our
students
are
able
to
access
the
curriculum
and
to
learn
and
thrive,
and
our
in
Asheville
and
in
the
world
is
so
important.
But
we
can't
believe
that
they'll
be
able
to
do
it
in
a
building.
A
That
looks
like
this
with
a
wonderful
staff
and
lots
of
support
in
Asheville,
so
we're
just
very
excited
to
be
here
arm
it.
Our
mission
of
excellence
with
equity
is
right
in
line
with
that
same
conversation,
about
making
sure
that
we
reach
all
of
our
students
in
this
building
and
across
the
city
and
with
the
21st
century.
A
What
we
know
is
truly
important
in
that
is
teaching
and
learning
early
childhood
academic
achievement
and
the
whole
child
is
what
we
will
do
in
this
building
and
in
every
building
in
Asheville
city
schools
to
ensure
that
our
students
receive
the
very
best
education
in
the
world.
We
are
so
happy
to
be
here.
We
are
so
happy
to
have
that
that
job
and
honored
and
blessed
to
be
a
part
of
the
future
I
would
like
to
introduce
our
next
two
speakers,
former
principal
a
lighter
woods
and
current
principal
mr.
Brad
Johnson.
B
Wow,
it's
so
exciting
to
see
this
building.
I
cannot
believe
that
one
day
I'll
tell
you
sorry
about
these
chairs
and
the
children
that
pinch
their
fingers
in
these
very
chairs.
The
tricity,
not
today,
today
I'm
going
to
tell
you
the
story
of
how
Isaac
Dixon
came
to
be
not
the
man
but
the
school.
Almost
30
years
ago,
this
very
fall
in
1987,
a
group
of
visionary
teachers
and
parents
created
a
school
within
a
school
on
the
third
floor
of
Claxton
elementary
school.
B
Those
teachers
subscribe
to
a
philosophy
of
teaching
and
learning
called
Foxfire
routing
the
work
of
progressive
educator
and
philosopher
John,
Dewey
flex.
Fire
teaching
and
learning
is
promised
on
the
11
core
principles.
That
support
do
is
believe
that
all
genuine
education
comes
from
experience.
The
klaxon
experiment
lasted
for
just
one
year,
though
its
beginnings
had
been
for
men
for
many
years
before
that,
over
a
long
hot
summer,
teachers
and
parents
met
with
school
administrators
seeking
a
place
to
house
a
real
alternative
school,
but
then,
and
then
in
1989.
B
Under
the
district
administration
of
superintendent,
Doug
Pearson,
the
alternative
school
opened
its
doors,
or
rather
I
should
say
they
opened
the
back
doors
of
South,
French
Broad
middle
school,
and
that's
where
we
were
housed.
The
alternative
school
grew
and
attracted
many
families
and
a
host
of
amazing
teachers.
Under
the
amazing
leadership
of
then
Francine
Delaney
in
1991
asheville
city
schools
were
placed
under
federal,
desegregation
order
and
madness.
Schools
were
born
in
the
fall
of
that
year.
The
schools
will
reorganize
around
five
elementary
schools,
one
middle
school
and
a
Nashville
hot.
B
Taking
the
theme
of
experience,
education,
the
alternatives
were
moved
to
this
location,
not
this
building
to
what
had
been
Hill
Street
middle
school
and
was
renamed
Isaac
Dixon
soon
after
the
doors
were
open.
Since
1991
Isaac
Dixon
has
held
fast
to
the
belief
that
children
learn
best
when
learning
is
connected
to
world
teachers
at
Dixon
have
always
been
careful
to
examine
the
efficacy
of
experiential
education
in
the
context
of
the
high-stakes
climate
of
accountability,
and
are
committed
to
the
fact
that
experiential
education
does
indeed.
B
Well,
I'm
the
achievement
gap
I
had
the
joy
of
working
with
something
most
amazing
and
creative
teachers.
I've
ever
known,
I'm
so
excited
to
see
this
new
school
that
embraces
an
emboldened
experiential
education,
I'm,
so
grateful
to
my
friend,
John
Legend
and
his
associate
Mike
necklace
for
their
deep
understanding
of
teaching
and
learning
that's
reflected
in
this
building
and
to
Brad
Johnson
for
his
continued
leadership
and
stewardship
of
a
true
legacy,
but
I'm
most
grateful
to
the
teachers
past
present
and
future
who
keep
the
legacy
and
the
passion
for
teaching
alive.
Thank
you.
C
On
behalf
of
the
students
and
the
parents
and
the
teachers
of
Isaac
Dixon
I
want
to
share
our
heartfelt
thanks
to
everyone
who
is
created
and
built
a
new
Isaac
Dixon
that
we
are
in
today.
For
the
first
time
today
we
had
parents
and
students
in
our
classrooms
and
it
felt
vibrant
and
lively
and
a
place
where
students
are
engaged
in
their
learning
from
the
classrooms
to
the
outdoor
spaces.
This
school
was
truly
designed
with
children
in
mind
in
this
auditorium.
C
C
Seventy
with
a
letter
in
hand
from
the
leaders
of
Cleveland
County,
declaring
him
to
be
an
honest
and
upright
man
that
letter
and
the
good
deeds
he
did
here
in
our
community
were
the
beginning
of
his
real
emancipation
in
the
19
80,
the
1870s
and
1880s
mr.
Dixon,
his
family
lived
in
trinity
church,
where
Asheville's
first
black
children,
black
children,
were
housed
and
in
1885
the
church
was
home
to
200
congregants
and
85
mission
school
students
in
1878
mr.
C
Dixon
paid
275
dollars
for
tracts
of
land
off
of
charlotte
street,
and
he
soon
rented
the
houses
on
property
to
freed
men.
The
area
became
known
as
Dixon
town.
One
of
mr.
Dixon's
greatest
legacies
was
his
role
in
helping
create
Asheville's
public
school
system.
A
contentious
topic
in
1887,
wealthy
residents,
who
sent
their
children
to
private
schools,
didn't
want
to
pay
taxes
to
support
public
education.
The
black
community
support
proved
crucial
as
the
proposal
passed
by
a
mere
four
votes
in
July
of
1887.
The
city
council
appointed
mr.
C
Dixon
by
then
a
highly
respected
community
leader
to
the
school
districts.
First
Board
of
Education
mr.
Dixon
was
the
first
african-american
school
board
in
the
member
in
the
state
of
North
Carolina.
At
a
time
when
Jim
Crow
laws
progressively
undermined
african-american
newly
won
rights,
Isaac
Dixon
not
only
prospered
but
invested
in
many
organizations
that
made
Asheville
a
more
vibrant
community.
His
spirit
lives
on
and
the
institutions
that
he
helped
build,
and
especially
here
in
this
school
has
been
bearing
his
name.
D
D
Well
thanks.
Everybody
thanks
for
the
warm
welcome,
of
course,
I
feel
like
I'm
at
home,
because
when
I
was
growing
up
in
Ohio,
this
was
my
vacation.
Place
was
to
come
to
Asheville
for
the
summer
and
I
heard
lots
of
stories
about
leaving
the
window
open
at
night
and
looking
out
at
grandfather
mountain,
that's
what
my
mother
would
always
talk
about
from
from
her
home
in
Asheville,
and
so
I'm
gonna
be
obedient
and
just
22
minutes
of
talking.
So
so,
but
growing
up.
D
My
mom
and
her
sister
used
to
tell
a
story
is
about
Isaac
Dixon,
but
it
seems
like
every
time
I
come
to
Asheville
I
learned
a
little
bit
more
about
him.
I
think
it
was
two
years
ago
we
went
to
the
y
mi
institute.
I
forgot
name
of
the
street,
but
there
I
also
learned
how
that
was
built.
I
don't
know
if
you
knew
that
Isaac
Dixon
went
to
George
Vanderbilt
and
asked
for
assistance
in
building
the.
D
Why
am
I
Institute
because
he
also
saw
value
in
helping
men,
I
guess
who
were
freed
slaves
to
learn
how
to
live
on
their
own
and
be
independent
and
have
good
work,
values
and
and
family
I'm
just
thrilled
that
this
building
is
here
and
it
counts
right
up
my
alley,
it's
green!
It's
got
solar
energy.
It's
like
all
the
things
that
I
like
I.
Do
you
serve
organic
food
in
the
cafeteria.
D
But
I
just
knew
that
just
from
the
stories
that
my
mother
and
sister
shared
that
he
valued
education
I
think
his
story
is
just
amazing
to
grow
up
as
a
slave
and
to
take
that
and
just
overcome
all
those
add.
You
know
all
those
roadblocks,
barriers
and
just
say:
okay
I
want
to
do
this.
I
think
I
need
this.
If
slaves
are
going
to
be
successful,
they
need
an
education.
Let
me
get
on
the
board
of
education.
E
D
F
Okay,
this
is
so
funny
because
you
keep
saying
I'm
a
parent
of
Isaac
Dixon,
timeless
surrogate
parent,
we're
Jones.
Ok,
I
just
want
to
tell
you
okay,
I'm,
like
but
I've
spent
a
lot
of
time
at
Isaac,
Dixon,
and
one
thing
I've
learned
about
this
community
is
that
they
own
this
school
and
what
I
mean
by
that
is
that
this
is
their
home.
This
is
their
place,
their
teachers,
their
faculty
staff,
their
parents
and
students.
This
is
their
place
and
you
better
not
mess
with
it.
F
So
we
spent
a
lot
of
time
making
sure
that
this
was
a
perfect
result
and
I
think
you
will
agree
that
everything
is
turning
out
fabulous
adds
a
Jones
parent
I
will
say,
though,
it's
interesting
in
the
city
of
Asheville,
how
the
dynamic,
with
all
the
elementary
schools,
there's
a
little
bit
of
a
competition
and
I,
have
to
say
that
guy's,
dick
dick,
since
winning
now
so
so
I
will
exit
the
stage.
I
just
want
to
know
one
more
time.
What
is
the
dinosaurs
name?
It's
a
it's
a!
What
is
it?
F
I'm
gonna
have
to
get
that
one
down
have
sorts,
not
you
know
one
of
the
ones.
You
know
right
off
the
top
of
your
head,
so
that's
really
exciting
and
so
special
that
you
get
to
have
such
a
great
entrance
to
your
school
everything.
It
really
says
something
about
learning
happening
here.
So
that's
wonderful.
Thank
you
for
listening
to
me
today.
E
It
is
a
pleasure
to
be
here
it's
a
pleasure
to
be
here
with
Commissioner
Belcher
vice
chair
Newman,
and
it's
really
a
pleasure
to
be
here
with
Commissioner
Jones
because,
as
has
already
been
said,
she's
the
reason
this
the
schools
here,
because
there
was
a
time
that
when
Holly
I
didn't
think
my
name
was
David
Gant,
it
was
David.
We
need
to
do
something
bad
Isaac,
Dixon
in
Asheville
middle.
We
already
covered
that
one
last
week,
but
Thank
You
Holly.
Let's
give
her
another
hand,
because
this
really.
E
Because,
as
Esther
said,
as
the
mayor
said,
it's
the
county
that
funds
the
city
schools,
it
is
kind
of
a
weird
system
and
this
school
was
funded
competing
with
against
everything
else.
The
county
does
so
you
rose
to
the
top
and
got
the
money
that
would
have
gone
to
law
enforcement
that
would
have
gone
to
other
education
would
have
gone
to
public
safety
would
have
gone
to
recreation
and
because
we
want
to
make
an
investment
in
education,
because
we
think
that's
the
most
important
investment
we
can
make.
E
The
vote
was
720
to
build
this
school
and
I'm,
proud
of
that.
All
these
guys
here
voted
for
it
and
pushed
for
it
and
advocated
for
it,
and
that
doesn't
happen
all
the
time,
because
there's
differences
of
opinion
about
what's
the
most
important
way
to
spend
limited
County
money.
This
is
also
a
historical
day.
The
history,
the
big
history,
is
that
this
is
the
first
time
we
think
in
North,
Carolina
history,
that
a
county
has
opened
not
one,
not
two
but
three
schools.
In
the
same
week,
we
just.
E
We're
mighty
proud
of
that.
It
wasn't
always
like
this
folks.
30
years
ago,
Buncombe
County
had
a
reputation
for
its
schools,
but
it
wasn't
the
kind
of
reputation
any
community
wants.
We
actually
made
the
dilapidated
dozen
according
to
the
NEA,
for
not
North
Carolina,
but
for
the
United
States
of
America.
We
had
one
of
the
12
weird
9th
worst
school
in
construction
and
maintenance
in
the
united
states
of
america
in
Buncombe
County,
so
Isaac
Dixon
wouldn't
like
that
one
he
would
have
put
up
with
that.
He
would
he
would.
E
He
would
have
done
something
and
he
did
when
in
his
time,
but
what
we
did
after
that
you
elected
good
people
and
since
that
we've
built
21
new
schools
and
we've
renovated
every
new
school
every
school
that
we
had
and
so
now
I
think
we're
probably
closer
to
the
other
side
of
that
dilapidated
doesn't,
which
is
the
good
side
that
we
want
to
be
on,
because
this
is
what
you
have
to
invest
in.
This
is
very
important.
E
The
funding
was
also
really
important
and
I
think
Holly
and
Joe
and
brownie,
because
we
had
a
situation
where
we
had
money
for
school
buildings,
but
it
was
pro
rata.
It
was
by
a
daily
attendance
and
the
way
the
formula
was
set
up.
The
city
schools
would
never
get
enough
money
to
ever
build
a
new
school.
So
thanks
to
these
folks,
they
pushed
it.
They
put
it
to
the
top
and
we're
glad
to
be
here
but
I
think
Isaac
Dixon
woulda
liked
the
65
public
meetings
with
over.
E
Let's
see
eleven
hundred
and
sixty
people
weighed
in
on
what
this
school
should
be
and
what
it
shouldn't
be
I
think
he
would
have
liked
the
idea
that
when
we
build
new
schools,
it's
what
new
companies
want
to
know
about.
I
have
the
pleasure,
as
chairman,
to
meet
with
people
that
want
to
move
here
with
their
businesses.
E
Ninety
percent
of
the
time
when
we
had
wearing
that
we're
in
the
back
talking
we're
having
a
good
meal
somewhere,
maybe
having
a
drink.
They
say
well
tell
me
about
Asheville.
We
know
what
the
Chamber
of
Commerce
an
economic
development
said.
You
tell
me
about
Asheville
and
they
say
what
about
education
and
they
often
want
to
see
the
schools
and
if
we
fail
and
have
we
could
have
the
best
teachers
the
best
students,
but
if
we
fail
in
facilities
to
keep
it
that
way,
we're
missing
the
boat.
E
We
get
an
F
on
that
one,
and
we
don't
want
to
do
that.
But
I'm
telling
you
that's
the
way
it
works
today.
They
want
to
know
you
got
good
schools.
You
got
good
facilities
and
they're
going
to
come
to
downtown
Asheville
and
they're,
going
to
go
to
ask
for
middle
and
they're,
going
to
go
to
Isaac,
Dixon
and
mayor
they'll
probably
go
to
Jones
when
they
catch
up
just
kidding,
they
don't
have
them.
E
You
know
it's
a
it
comes
and
goes
the
last
thing
that
I
just
want
to
tell
you
is
that
you're
commissioners,
ever
since
I've
been
a
commissioner
and
continue
into
the
future,
we
will
invest
in
the
schools.
It's
not
just
it's
not
just
one
group.
We
all
work
together
and
you
see
that
in
places
like
Isaac
Dixon,
where
everybody
really
is
a
unit
and
moves
ahead
together
and
gets
behind
together,
but
most
that
now
we're
moving
ahead,
we're
going
to
stay
ahead
so
folks,
it's
just
an
honor
to
be
here.
This
is
number
11.
E
I,
don't
know
anybody's,
had
the
pleasure
of
opening
11
schools,
but
I
want
to
thank
you,
I'm
going
to
thank
you
for
pushing
us
to
do
the
right
thing
and
to
make
sure
that
we
have
the
best
school
system
our
kids
deserve
it.
Our
teachers
deserve
a
decent
place
to
live.
When
we
were
in
the
dilapidated
dozen
you
couldn't
fledge
to
commodes.
At
the
same
time,
you'd
flesh
a
commode
in
the
water,
fountain
wouldn't
work
and
we've
come
a
long
ways.
E
We
got
to
keep
that
I,
think
you
have
a
commission
that
will
continue
that
you
have
a
school
board
that
gets
it
and
it's
a
pleasure
to
serve
with
them
and
with
the
people
from
the
past,
Bobby
and
Alan
y'all
were
wonderful.
Advocates
Pam.
You
are
a
wonderful
advocate
now
and
let's
keep
going
the
right
way
because
our
kids
deserve
it
and
our
future
depends
on
it.
Thank
you.