At Roseboro Elementary, leadership abilities are recognized schoolwide, and fifth-grader Clarence “CJ” Faison is proof.
Faison has attended Roseboro Elementary since kindergarten and is a student in the school’s Exceptional Children’s program. When Principal Eric Bradley arrived at the school last year, he quickly noticed Faison’s interest in the role of principal.
“I work with Mr. Bradley,” Faison said with a grin last Wednesday as he confidently sat in the principal’s office chair, holding onto a radio much like the one his mentor uses.
“He was always reaching for my badge and my radio,” Bradley shared.
One day last year, Bradley decided Faison should have his own.
“You’re going to be the associate principal,” Bradley told Faison.
He gave the student his own radio and badge, both of which Bradley, and Faison’s teacher, Deanna Ashford, said have been well used.
“We’ve had to tape the badge a few times already,” Ashford shared.
Faison is also part of the honor guard who raises the flag each morning. At the end-of-school-year awards ceremony last year, he spoke on the microphone to those gathered and even sang a song.
Bradley stressed that Faison is a natural leader throughout the school and that students and staff recognize his role as associate principal.
Roseboro Elementary bookkeeper Tiffany Edwards also has a close connection with Faison.
“She always knows what he’s saying if I don’t,” Bradley explained, highlighting the time Edwards spends with Faison.
During the interview, Faison talked about his parents and his older sister, Ariel, who attends Sampson Early College High School, saying multiple times that “CJ is the baby.”
Faison also shared memories of his family’s trip to New York City this summer and his excitement about flying on an airplane.
When asked what he likes to do at school, Faison listed math, games, dancing, playing outside and learning about emotions. He emphasized the color purple, which Ashford explained represents feeling love in the lessons.
Faison confidently shared that he feels loved at school, loves himself and knows his teacher loves him.
He also talked about building a tower and swinging on the playground with his friends.
The fifth-grader showed off some of his dance moves during the interview, which Ashford explained is also something students use in the classroom.
“When we get antsy, we dance,” she explained.
Ashford said Faison has really “tugged on (Bradley’s) heartstrings.”
The EC teacher has known Faison since he was in day care and described him as being “like an old man.” She explained that Faison takes on a leadership role in his classroom, and Bradley wanted to give him an opportunity to have one within the school as well.
“I always want to give students opportunities to be distinguished,” Bradley shared.
The principal, who previously worked as an EC teacher, explained that he wants EC students to feel included in the larger school community rather than viewed as a separate group.
“They want to feel connected, and it’s important to me,” Bradley said. “I have a bias to EC; I was an EC teacher. I want them to know everybody is unique and everybody has the opportunity to positively impact any organization.”
Bradley explained that Faison has become an integral part of the Roseboro Elementary community.
“He just fit right in, and his peers just gravitate to him,” Bradley shared.
EC students attend classes alongside other students, and Faison wears his badge as he moves throughout the school, where his peers know him as the associate principal.
“Everybody recognizes CJ for the leader he is,” Bradley emphasized, turning to his young charge.
“You gonna run the school?” Bradley asked him.
“Yeah,” Faison responded with a smile.