Calling Cabarrus, Catawba, Iredell, Mecklenburg, and Rowan Educators to Educational Equity Forum

By FRAN FARRER

Were you “CALLED?” Being called as a child to become a teacher is much like being called to become a preacher or evangelist; “The Call” is to prepare children for the future!

With 39% of our students not meeting standards, it’s imperative that educators attend the FREE Educational Equity Forum July 27, 2019, 9:30am until 1pm at the Staff Development Center in Durham, originally scheduled for Charlotte, hosted by NC ABSE Affiliate.

Betty Howell-Gray said, “God keeps blessings us to provide these PD activities to communities throughout North Carolina, and we need all educators to become more involved.”

Working in partnership with CMS and its Equity Report, they have been working with superintendents around the country seeking successful programs to improve educational equity in schools. Finally, they found Generation Ready Equity through Cultural Proficiency Professional Development Partners to be most effective with positive results from many superintendents around the country.

Districts with great Equity Plans may not be getting great results because they are not listening to voices of the students. In addition to the Equity Forum, we are also launching a recruitment, retention, membership drive.

This is great news for the community to enhance our MBK Call to Action for community to become engaged in the Village and sign up to volunteer in a school to serve as a reader, tutor or mentor. MBK focus is improving literacy, successfully graduating from high school ready for college/career.

Gray’s team is constantly on the move for education; they used NABSE's Males of Color Signature Program to implement and launch the first My Brother's Keeper Initiative in Charlotte under the leadership of former Mayor Dan Clodfelder. The Fifth Annual 3-day MBK Leadership Summit for Males of Color and Educators was held in February of this year with over 500 males in attendance.

In an effort to grow NABSE, they are recruiting NC ABSE membership in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area, as well as encouraging educators to become members of their local affiliate, Greater Charlotte ABSE, NC ABSE, and NABSE; following the NABSE guidelines, retirees receive a discounted rate.

As the child of an award-winning educator, I was excited three years ago when the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Retired School Personnel asked me to cover their quarterly meeting. Seeing retired educators not only fighting for their earned benefits, but volunteering in area schools, providing scholarships to deserving high school graduates, and educators in training, traveling to Raleigh and Washington, D.C. to fight for the rights of all students. In addition, their luncheon meetings boast distinguished state level educational personnel, CMS superintendents, and state level retired officers as well. It’s amazing, because they never stop working to improve education. The upcoming forum is yet another tool to assist in improving the standards all children deserve.

Signing up is easy; simply visit: Eventbrite or ncnabseaffiliates@gmail.com, provide your name and email address.

Betty H. Gray is Program Consultant, NC NABSE Affiliates, former Board Member and Regional Representative of the West of the National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE), the nation's premier non-profit organization devoted to furthering the academic success for the nation's children--particularly children of African descent.

Betty Howell Gray, Ed.D., Program Consultant NC NABSE Affiliates & Males and Girls of Color Events can be reached at: 425-443-4224.