By Katherine Higgins Smithfield — Church and parent involvement, combating gangs and easing poverty are some of the most-effective ways to improve schools and the lives of Johnston children, according to a panel that met recently.

"That is an issue that has been dogging us for a long time," school board Chairman Kay Carroll said of parent involvement. "We know that if parents are part of a child's education, they achieve better."

Adding to that, school board member Dorothy Johnson said parents needed to make coming to their child's school something they did before the teacher called home.

Panel members acknowledged that making extra time to give is challenging for many families, but had some ideas for ways employers and churches could help.

Selma Elementary Principal Robin Herridge suggested businesses allow employees time for school visits. Harold Mitchell, the student resource officer at Smithfield-Selma High School, said if people wanted to help kids, they needed to get real about what was going on in schools and find mentors for kids.

"One of my great concerns is discipline," Mitchell said. "We have great teachers, great staff, but we do have problems with troubled children."

Judge Addie Rawls agreed with Rawls. But the schools need to look for the good in all children and make sure no child goes overlooked or ignored.

Gangs give children the illusion of the love they feel they're not getting, Rawls said. Young people need male role models to whom they can also relate to show them how to be cool and successful without falling into the gang trap, she said.

Churches have been doing "in-reach" for years, Rawls added, but could be doing more outreach, as mentors. Anthony Parker, schools superintendent, said a program called Bridges spells out ways churches can be involved in schools without crossing constitutional barriers.

"There is far more they can do than they can't do," Parker said. For example, teachers can request a prayer partner from an area church, said Parker, adding that he has encouraged the county's pastors to have lunch with the kids from their congregations.

East Clayton Elementary parent Michelle Vaccarello said after the meeting that her greatest hope is that more churches will educate their members about the role they can have in schools and get involved.

"There has to be a way for the Bridges program to be made public," she said.

Kingdom Builders Fellowship International Ministries of Clayton put on the forum at the Medical Mall in Smithfield. Larry Williams, pastor at Kingdom Builders, said he hoped to form committees to deal with issues raised during the meeting.

"We know things are happening, but we have the power to cause change," he said.