Viewpoints: An Open Letter to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolis Board of Training
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An open letter to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Education Committee
A perspective from Wanda Hunter, Dawna Jones and Deborah Stroman
Like many in the community, we were concerned when we read the November 24th news report from Chapelboro about the decision of the East Chapel Hill High School (ECHHS) administration, in response to which two African American male teacher assistants (TAs) left their classroom for exceptional To relocate children at the request of a parent, allegedly accompanied by the threat of legal action. We understand that there are privacy policies in place to protect the confidentiality of student and staff information that prevent the community from knowing the specific details behind this decision, but we believe we have enough information to justify legitimate concerns.
In this letter, we would like to “zoom in” to examine this particular situation and “zoom out” to reflect how this situation is historically positioned and indicates long-standing problems in CHCCS culture and politics. Finally, we are writing to solicit an independent investigation to better shed light on the implications of such incidents and how they maintain an unhealthy climate that weakens and harms the educational experience of all of our students.
The racial history of our district
We initiate our concerns by highlighting the persistent documented racial inequalities that exist in our system, exposing our students, parents, staff and color faculties to racial prejudice and educational structures that perpetuate racially unequal opportunities, access and support in our school system. We are a district known nationwide for our extraordinarily large racial “achievement gap,” which we know is a direct consequence of gaps in opportunity. Our annual Racial Equity Report Cards, researched and published by the NC Coalition for Social Justice, show that we have the highest or second highest racially disproportionate bans in the state when compared to other counties.
In this context we also find that our classrooms are over-proportionally occupied by white teachers; our academically and intellectually gifted classrooms are disproportionately populated by white students; and our extraordinary children’s / special school classes are over-proportionally populated by black male students. Our district deplores the fact that we are unable to recruit and retain enough colored teachers, especially black male teachers, who represent the identity and culture of the students most affected by systemic racism. This reality is vital as recent research has shown how outcomes for black students, and indeed students of all races and ethnic backgrounds, improve when taught by black teachers.
The ECHHS situation
We have a number of concerns and questions about the information that has been exchanged about the situation at ECHHS. Whatever the stated needs of a student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) designed to accommodate special needs, it is difficult to imagine that stating a teacher’s race could be considered an acceptable and reasonable accommodation. In such a case, would it not be more appropriate to find a different place for that particular child than to remove TAs from a classroom with students who have already established a relationship with those students? Why should the well-being of two valued teaching assistants and the other students in the classroom be compromised or compromised due to solicited parental preference? How did this scenario get to the point where complaints were filed and a valuable TA / coach left our system?
The news article reveals that at least one complaint was filed in early October. Many things about this particular process, including responding to the complaint, remain unclear. We appreciate any clarification that district staff can provide to help the community better understand this troubling situation.
Persistent concerns about racial inequality and how decisions are made
The CFRE and the NAACP Education Committee are made up of people who have been close to CHCCS in various functions for many years. As we zoom out of this current concern, we are reminded of recurring issues in our district including:
- Parents are demanding that their children be removed from black teachers’ classrooms.
- Parents threatening legal proceedings to get special opportunities or outcomes for their children.
- Weak support for staff and teachers when parents make inappropriate demands.
- A system that is more responsive to parenting fears and lawsuits than to making the best decisions for students and our educational system.
- Lack of transparency and accountability about how and why decisions are made.
Request for investigation
As we seek to work as a fellowship with our district leadership and elected members of the Education Committee to develop a more transparent, equitable, and vibrant education system that serves all of our children, we urgently call for an independent and thorough investigation of the issues we have outlined . Perhaps we can look at both quantitative and qualitative data together to delve deeper into some of the processes that sustain the exact racial inequalities we seek to eliminate. In our experience, Color faculty and staff are often reluctant to share their stories and file complaints because they fear losing their jobs or other implications. Their stories need to be heard. This incident is just one example that came up.
We would like the investigation to investigate this particular incident and other issues related to such incidents in depth. Our questions include the following:
- Because of the race of the teacher or staff, how often do parents ask administrators to change their child’s classroom or other educational role? Are inquiries like these usually taken into account? What is the complaint process like for Black and Brown teachers / staff when such requests are complied with?
- What processes are in place to improve the hiring, support, and retention of black and brown teachers? Given the history of racial discrimination and biases black teachers have faced in our district, are there any special safeguards to promote racial justice in the day-to-day support of black teachers, especially when conflicts, disputes or complaints arise? ?
- To what extent does fear of trial lead to acts that override considerations of sound and equitable educational practice? To what extent does this perpetuate existing inequalities?
- What legal advice, particularly regarding race, does the district legal counsel offer?
- In a district where racial equality is a priority, how do boards of directors and legal counsel use tools such as the Racial Equality Impact Assessment in their decision-making process? (A tool can be very helpful because if racial equality is not consciously considered, racial inequality is often unconsciously replicated. The district has made repeated commitments to using racial equality tools to guide policies, programs, and decision-making, but there is no public one or shared evidence that such practice was part of professional development or incorporated into the day-to-day work of the district.)
We hope that the results of such an inquiry would contribute to the constructive dialogue our superintendent has called for about the policies, practices and culture we need to develop in order to reduce harm and increase justice. We must commit to building a public school system that always prioritizes the value, dignity and worth of our entire student body and all those who work to educate them and prepare them for their after-school life.
We look forward to your response and the opportunity to work together for the health of our community and the future of our children.
Campaign for Racial Justice in Our Schools (CFRE); Wanda Hunter, Steering Committee Contact
Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP; Dawna Jones, President
Chapel Hill Organizes Against Racism (CHOAR); Deborah Stroman, chair
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