A decision several years later to return to neighborhood schools did nothing to close the gap. Named for its location in Guilford County, Northwest was built in 1962. Class changes at Northwest resemble shift changes in a large factory. The halls fill with chitchat and friendly jostling, but there also is a focus and underlying order to the routine. When the second bell rings eight minutes later, most students are at their desks and waiting.
Northwest students pester the teachers about grades.
They want to know when projects will be returned, when interim results for the grading period will be ready and when the next test is scheduled. So preoccupied are they with grades that teachers say it's tough to get them to work in groups. We all take the hard classes if we can because most of us here are looking to move on to good colleges. Parrish graduated from Northwest when the surrounding area was relatively rural. He is still surprised sometimes at how the school has changed, but he welcomes the motivation of his students.