PTA BOARD ISSUES STATEMENT OF SUPPORT:
August 25, 2020
Very recently NC State Board of Education member, former NC Teacher of the Year, current Executive Director of the Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED), and HMM parent, James Ford, came under attack by the State Superintendent for a recent tweet. We, the Highland Mill Montessori PTA Board, stand with Mr. Ford.
As a Board we believe that Mr. Ford's tweet, though speaking specifically about a political event, transcends politics. For us and for many in our country, race is not a political issue. Underlying his tweet is the truth of the history of our nation and of public education: order does not equal equity. This analysis and the desire for change proffered by Mr. Ford are critical to the success of the Strategic Planning Committee of the State Board of Education, of which he is Chair, in creating and improving opportunities for all students.
White supremacy is woven into the fabric of our country, and will not be unraveled without relentless intention and commitment by all of us. As stated by the National PTA in their Position Statement on Addressing Systemic and Institutional Racism: "As an association that represents all children, we must listen, educate and advocate beyond rhetoric and rise to correct all inequities and injustices...National PTA believes that it is our duty to disrupt the systems that propagate institutional racism. We call upon our PTA members to listen, educate and advocate to demand meaningful change to end institutional racism. "
We are proud to be part of a public Montessori school that creates space for peace and grace among our students. While we as a community will certainly make mistakes as we navigate conversations regarding race, equity and access, we remain committed to the work and to each of our students, and wish for the same grace for our parent community that our children extend to one another.
We look forward to engaging in this work with our beloved school community.
Your 2020-2021 PTA BOARD
August 25, 2020
Very recently NC State Board of Education member, former NC Teacher of the Year, current Executive Director of the Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED), and HMM parent, James Ford, came under attack by the State Superintendent for a recent tweet. We, the Highland Mill Montessori PTA Board, stand with Mr. Ford.
As a Board we believe that Mr. Ford's tweet, though speaking specifically about a political event, transcends politics. For us and for many in our country, race is not a political issue. Underlying his tweet is the truth of the history of our nation and of public education: order does not equal equity. This analysis and the desire for change proffered by Mr. Ford are critical to the success of the Strategic Planning Committee of the State Board of Education, of which he is Chair, in creating and improving opportunities for all students.
White supremacy is woven into the fabric of our country, and will not be unraveled without relentless intention and commitment by all of us. As stated by the National PTA in their Position Statement on Addressing Systemic and Institutional Racism: "As an association that represents all children, we must listen, educate and advocate beyond rhetoric and rise to correct all inequities and injustices...National PTA believes that it is our duty to disrupt the systems that propagate institutional racism. We call upon our PTA members to listen, educate and advocate to demand meaningful change to end institutional racism. "
We are proud to be part of a public Montessori school that creates space for peace and grace among our students. While we as a community will certainly make mistakes as we navigate conversations regarding race, equity and access, we remain committed to the work and to each of our students, and wish for the same grace for our parent community that our children extend to one another.
We look forward to engaging in this work with our beloved school community.
Your 2020-2021 PTA BOARD
