When given the choice between an administration with a literal public school teacher in leadership and Trump’s radical vision for public education laid out in Project 2025, Durham overwhelmingly chose public schools. When given the choice between a governor who has been a tireless advocate for public schools and their employees and someone who wants to get rid of public schools as we know them, Durham overwhelmingly chose public schools. And when given the choice between a longtime public servant dedicated to improving public school outcomes and a homeschool mom who wanted to abolish public schools, Durham overwhelmingly chose public schools.
On November 5, Durham stood united that here in the Bull City, we believe in public education as an institution.
But if you go on just about any social media platform and tune into the locals, attend a school board meeting, or even just talk about public education with your friends, family, and neighbors, “united” isn’t exactly the word that comes to mind. Divisive, messy, disrespectful, and perhaps a few four-letter words as well. As a mother who ended up in the principal’s office fighting for my children to be treated fairly twice in the last week, I’m sure I’ve embodied these words at times too. But I’m reminded of the motto of the Durham Association of Educators, “in this together.” We should be. From a raw electoral numbers standpoint, if any community in North Carolina is able to fight together instead of with each other, it’s the place I’ve called home my entire adult life. But do we? Lately, it doesn’t feel like it.
When my child called me from school in tears this month because a teacher was bullying them, my first reaction wasn’t “unity.” As I shot off an angry email, cc’ing the principal supervisor, “support” wasn’t top of mind. When I had to tell a client I couldn’t meet before 9:15 due to a lack of consistent bussing for my high schooler, I certainly wasn’t feeling “togetherness.” Believe me when I say that I am angry, just like many other Durham parents who feel like their children are not getting what they need— what they deserve. But anger, however righteous, isn’t going to get the job done. And the really frustrating thing is that while we bicker here at home, we have actual enemies making plans: plans to suffocate our schools with a lack of federal funding, possible plans for a state takeover, and even though we “broke the supermajority,” I feel confident that there is trickery afoot that could further starve our students of the resources they need to thrive. Instead of supporting our shared vision for thriving public schools, we’re cannibalizing our own through manifestos, raised voices, and angry social media posts, not proudly carrying the mantra “in this together.”
I don’t claim to have all the answers. I’m not sure how to fix all of the problems we have in our public schools, especially at this exact moment in time. But I also think that performative calls for blanket resignations, middle fingers at school board meetings, and perhaps rightfully earned “I told you so”s aren’t helpful. We’re in a bussing crisis. We’re in an EC crisis. We’re in an racial opportunity gap crisis.
It’s easy to get angry and blame others, and it’s a lot harder to figure out how to support each other. So do you have a flexible work schedule that allows you to take a zoom meeting from the carpool line? And could you pick up a couple other neighborhood kids while you’re at it? Do you have the resources to privately supplement your child’s educational needs while DPS struggles to fully staff its EC Department? I’m not saying these actions are easy, and I certainly know they’re not convenient. But these are Durham’s children—these are our children. I believe that community problems have community solutions, and if any community can do that for each other, it’s the Bull City.
Jenny Jones Coldren is a lifelong North Carolinian, mom of three DPS students, former DPS educator, education advocate, and political operative who has worked on multiple local campaigns and competitive Democratic campaigns across the state. Follow her on social media @jennyjonescoldren.