WWW.TRIANGLE TRIBUNE.COM NC early educators 7 times more likely to live in poverty THE TRIANGLE’S CHOICE FOR THE BLACK VOICE By Liz Bell "Celebrating Our 23rd Year" EDUCATIONNC Davina Boldin-Woods, director of Excel Christian Academy, a child care center in Burlington, recalls one of her favorite em- VOLUME 23 NO. 10 WEEK OF MARCH 7, 2021 $1.00 ployees: a teacher who came to her center with only a high school diploma. With Boldin-Woods’ encouragement, the teacher went back to school while working to earn her associate degree, then her bachelor’s degree. “She got a four-year degree in December, and by January she Athletes talk race and had a position at a high school,” Boldin-Woods said. Boldin- Woods didn’t blame her. Though she offers her teachers as activism in ‘The Locker much as she can, many on her staff receive public assistance. Room’ conversation. She can’t compete with the compensation and benefits a public school district can offer. “That is the story that is told across the state,” she said. In North Carolina, early educators with a bachelor’s degree are paid 28.8% less on average than their colleagues in the K-8 sys- tem, according to a new national report — the 2020 Early Child- hood Workforce Index — from the Center for the Study of Child Please see EDUCATORS/2A DPS State’s students disabled continue next on fight vaccine By Freda Freeman CORRESPONDENT list DURHAM – “It’s not fair to have a constant target By Bryan Anderson on your back while you’re THE ASSOCIATED PRESS trying to learn.” “We need police-free RALEIGH — North Carolina schools to make a more Gov. Roy Cooper announced equitable environment for Tuesday that the state will our black and brown more quickly open up youth.” COVID-19 vaccine eligibility “We don’t need police of- to those who are frontline es- ficers there to brutalize sential workers or have se- students. What we need is rious underlying health someone to deescalate sit- issues. uations.” COURTESY The state had been set to These statements reflect School administrators are leaving out a lot more than they are putting in when it comes to allow a broad group of workers ranging from mail how some Durham public teaching Black history. school students feel about carriers to elected officials to having police officers in begin receiving vaccines schools. Students said they March 10. But with approval are fearful of being “pulled of a single-dose Johnson & over in the hallway” and Johnson vaccine and more NC schools must than 80,000 doses arriving treated like criminals. The students were featured in soon, public health officials a video presented last will now allow frontline week during a virtual town workers to get vaccinated hall titled “Dismantling the teach students the full starting March 3 — a week School-to-Prison Pipeline.” earlier than anticipated. The meeting brought to- Meanwhile, North Carolin- gether community organ- ians under 65 with high-risk izers, school board medical conditions that put members, educators, stu- story of Black history them at greater risk of severe dents, PTA members, and illness if they become in- By Paul Scott the U.S. House of Representa- whether Black history is cur- fected with the virus will be- parents to discuss issues rently taught in the school sys- SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE tives), the “three-fifths com- come eligible March 24. impacting education and promise” is still in effect when tem. Who doesn’t know about students’ mental health. In 1787, a deal was struck “We’ll open group 4 first to it comes to Black history edu- Frederick Douglass or Harriet people with medical con- The town hall was pre- whereby enslaved Africans in cation in 2021. Tubman? The issue is the de- sented by the Youth Jus- America would be counted as ditions that put them at a Recently, controversy has gree to which Black history is higher risk for severe risk to tice Project of the Southern three-fifths of a person for swirled in North Carolina be- taught. It seems admin- Coalition for Social Justice purposes of a state’s pop- COVID-19 illness,” Cooper cause the history of the na- istrators are leaving out a lot said in a news conference. and the People’s Alliance ulation. Hence, the origin of tion’s oppressed people isn’t more than they are putting in Education Action Team. the “three-fifths of a man “The third vaccine and im- being adequately taught in when it comes to Black his- proving vaccine supply of YJP members said school adage.” Although this step was schools. Everyone, it seems, tory. resource officers are the taken largely for the purpose the two we already are get- has weighed in, from Lt. Gov. The State Board of Education ting will help us get more primary link in the school- of determining how much a Mark Robinson to high school recently agreed that social to-prison pipeline, and state would contribute in taxes people vaccinated more students. studies courses should be quickly.” they are working to have (as well as its representation in Of course, the issue is not SROs removed from Please see HISTORY/2A Medically vulnerable schools. The People’s Alli- people have steadily been ance is continuing its dropped toward the bottom study of SROs in Durham of the prioritization schedule Public Schools and will since the state unveiled its also form a position and initial distribution plan in make recommendations. October 2020. After former Both groups want com- White teachers in Durham schools President Donald Trump’s munity input. To share administration encouraged your opinion, visit their states to give greater prefer- websites. ence to those who are at least urged to use privilege responsibly 75 years old, North Carolina YJP leaders said there is no evidence that having adjusted its plan and nessed in the aftermath of the police in schools make stu- By Greg Childress dropped people with chronic vote … was white women edu- dents safer, but they in- THE POLICY WATCH conditions down to Phase 2 cators fuming and unraveling in the distribution schedule. stead are a direct link In Durham, plans to reopen through social media,” Bullock When the federal govern- funneling Black students schools for in-person instruc- wrote in a Facebook post titled ment again revised guide- from schools to prisons. tion continues to play out in “Dear White Women Edu- lines to include people 65 or According to YJP research dramatic fashion. This week, cators.” older toward the top of the in 2017, 10 Black youth Ronda Bullock, chair of the Bullock urged white teachers list, younger adults with were incarcerated com- education committee of the to use their privilege respon- medical issues were pushed pared to one white youth Durham Committee on the Af- sibly. She said the teachers’ even further down the list to in North Carolina. During fairs of Black People, took outrage could endanger Black Phase 4. the 2018-19 school year, white, female educators to school board members. “You The reprioritization 45% of all delinquency task for acting like “damsels in all have inherited a legacy of prompted some complaints complaints in the state distress” and for reacting an- white racial violence, and our from advocates for the med- were school-related. In grily to the Durham school public conscience is set up to ically vulnerable. Initial guid- DPS, Black students com- board’s racially split vote to re- come to your defense,” Bullock ance favored those with two prised 44% of the student open schools for in-person in- wrote. “You need to realize the or more chronic conditions, population but accounted struction. power of your public outrage, while the new guidance an- for 86% of student refer- The board’s five Black RHONDA BULLOCK. COURTESY whether or not it’s justified, nounced Tuesday allows rals. members voted in favor of reo- whether or not it’s rooted in anyone 16-64 years old with “That’s a far cry from pening schools for young chil- ist reading your posts to feel reality.” one chronic condition to get their white and Latinx dren on March 15. I’s two justified in restoring your Bullock suspects district vaccinated starting March counterparts, almost dou- white members voted against honor and safety through leaders and school board 24, though providers may ble or exactly double, the the plan. Like most school dis- some targeted act of violence members received lots of neg- decide not to open up ap- referrals to their pop- tricts in North Carolina and ac- against our board members.” ative email after the controver- pointments if demand re- ulation, which really ross the nation, Durham’s Earlier this year the school sial vote. “No, you are not mains high for earlier creates a discriminatory teachers are majority white. board voted to remain in re- solely responsible for those, groups. impact upon students. It Most students in the district mote learning for the re- but you are culpable for your Under the state’s current shows that African Ameri- are Black and Hispanic. mainder of the school year. part,” she said. “Your public guidance posted online, can students are really Bullock said she understood Teachers don’t want to return outrage at our 5 POC [People of people can get a vaccine in being targeted and fun- teachers’ frustration and to in-person instruction until Color] board members is dan- about three weeks if they neled into the juvenile jus- anger, but felt some of the educators and school staffs are gerous, and it needs to be have at least one of 18 eligi- comments on social media checked before someone is Please see STATE/2A Plase see DPS/2A crossed the line.