June 29, 2010

Six people joined Forum co-founder Sarah Stevenson at the speaker's table Tuesday. They were, from left, former CMS school board member Louise Woods; Denise Watts, incoming CMS area superintendent of the Central Secondary Learning Zone; Pam Grundy from Mecklenburg ACTS; Stevenson; CMS District 3 school board member Dr. Joyce Waddell; CMS District 2 school board member Richard McElrath; and Rob Harrington, current chairman of the CMS Equity Committee.

In a room packed with education activists, the group of speakers addressed current CMS plans to revise the policies that created the board-appointed citizen Equity Committee. Those changes, scheduled to be voted on in late July, would allow the CMS board to decide to disband the group. Speakers Tuesday urged phone calls and e-mails to all school board members to oppose the revisions. Suggested changes to the policy update are at the Meckenburg ACTS website.

Earlier reports of the CMS Equity Committee have assessed the board's stewardship in meeting its own equity goals. Some current school board members see the committee as meddlesome and/or have refused to appoint members to the panel.