Durham Public Schools Board of Education District 2: Nadeen Bir

Name: Nadeen Bir

Age: 45

Party affiliation: Democrat

Campaign website: https://nadeen4durham.com/

Occupation and employer: Co-Executive Director Press On South

1. What is your past or current involvement with Durham Public Schools? What makes you qualified for this job?

I’m a super engaged parent of two kids in DPS. I’ve been in the PTA for three years and served as fundraising chair, supported Latino parent organizing, coordinated dineouts, helped with cultural events and supported school response to protect immigrant students. This year I’m a room parent for a 4th and 5th grade classroom, which is actually a lot of work – more than you would expect. I’m constantly checking in with the teacher and asking if she needs anything. Most recently, I was part of the Public School Strong team for immigrant defense at our school where I played a key role in communicating with Spanish speaking families to bring them food and check on them; and I organized allied parents to grocery shop, do food drop offs, and walk kids to school when parents felt unsafe to do that. Additionally, my husband is a music teacher at Lakeview School, so our family is very invested in Durham Public Schools. 

I have worked for many years in youth empowerment, youth liberation, advocacy, and organizing for education, anti-racism and anti-oppression, and would bring this background to my role as a school board member. In my previous job at El Centro Hispano, I ran a youth group, organizing student forums and workshops, and supporting Spanish speaking youth and their parents to access resources. During my ten years working at Student Action with Farmworkers, I taught young people how to be in solidarity with farmworkers across NC. In that role, I helped coordinate the Adelante Education Coalition and the Farmworker Advocacy Network and helped lead three legislative campaigns – a campaign that would grant in-state tuition for undocumented students who qualified, a campaign to improve living and working conditions of farmworkers and migrant students who come from farmworker families, and a campaign to stop children from working in the fields in North Carolina. I also co-founded Mothers* for Ceasefire, which is a parent-centered, multi-racial, multi-faith, movement building space that has been fighting for the end of the genocide of Palestinians. 

I also bring extensive experience in management, HR, and finance – and how these systems can be used to support healthy working conditions and sustainable organizations. I served in a management role at El Centro Hispano and Southern Vision Alliance, and currently serve in a non-hierarchical co-management role at Press On South as a Co-Executive Director. In those roles I have experienced building collaborative budgets, managing staff, streamlining hiring processes, writing personnel manuals and operation manuals, figuring out solutions to problems, developing organizational budgets, grassroots fundraising, and designing and implementing performance improvement plans. My experience in the operations world, human resources, and finances will help me approach the school board role as a management role – the school board must manage and support the superintendent to effectively run our schools and make them the best they can be.

2. For incumbents, what has been your greatest accomplishment on the board? For newcomers, what change would you bring to the board?

In a political moment when public education is under attack, we need strong school board leadership to ensure our district is moving with integrity and the community can stand behind it–not messy budgets and abuse cover-ups. DPS needs to be ready for honest conversations, accountable leadership, and schools that put students and workers first. As a newcomer, I would work to change the culture of DPS administration. Parents and educators are disappointed with the lack of transparency, lack of accountability, budgeting mistakes, and corruption. There have been flagrant violations when it comes to budgeting and Human Resources. This is unethical and undermines public trust in DPS.

I believe the incumbent has been a part of the system so long that she cannot be an effective change agent. 

As a nonprofit professional I have the expertise to supervise the superintendent and support him to make better choices as he hires and manages his cabinet. It would be my job to have a good rapport with other board members and the superintendent, but I will be accountable to the DPS mission first. I would center the children of Durham, not political relationships. I would also help think through systems such as the payroll system to improve them.

I know how to write a budget, read a budget, manage a budget, and I would never approve a budget that isn’t in alignment with the strategic plan and that doesn’t have funding. 

My experience of having worked with unions also sets me apart from the incumbent and makes me better suited to support the superintendent in being successful in the meet and confer process. I believe in co-governance and collaboration, and recognize the value of coming to agreement on policies that would benefit DPS. 

I am an immigrant, I speak Spanish fluently, and I can communicate with different people in the DPS community. Additionally, being a parent of two DPS children and a spouse to a DPS teacher brings an important perspective- having great public schools is not an abstract value that I hold, it is a deeply felt personal need. 

I would be an active change agent to bring back dignity and integrity to DPS. We need transparency. We need to fill vacant positions, we need more training for workers, and we need better pay for workers so that we can retain staff. We also need to hold administrators accountable so they don’t feel like they can get away with committing crimes and covering up abuse. DPS has an integrity problem when it comes to both finances and HR practices, and I am ready to bring my expertise in management and compliance to make DPS stronger–so that we can better stand up to attacks from the people who want to topple the institution of public education. 

3. For the past two years, the district has uncovered budget shortfalls and had to make midyear cuts and adjustments. How can the board ensure that every DPS dollar is being put to best use?

The recent crises were avoidable and are not an acceptable way to run our school system. While it is normal to have some variation between budget and actuals, the Board’s role is to have oversight and approval of this budget, and I would take an active role in this process. The DPS budget must be both public and transparent.

The first step to ensure that every DPS dollar is being put to best use is to start with grounding our budgeting in the existing 2023-2028 Strategic Plan: focusing on the mission and vision, SMART goals for the year, and carrying out detailed workplanning that involves the Board as well as top administrators. That workplanning will allow us to understand what each item’s estimated and real costs are, assuring fewer mistakes in budgeting. The budget process allows us to be clear on what we can afford and what we can’t afford. After the year ends there should be a robust evaluation that shows our accomplishment in regards to what our goals were and see if we are spending our money in a way that effectively carries out our mission. 

Budgeting should allow us to understand committed income, pending income, starting cash, and fixed expenses. It allows us to estimate less fixed expenses, plan for emergencies, and ideally, build an operating reserve. During the budgeting process, the board should see a year of detailed expenses, broken out month by month. 

As the budget year goes on, the board should receive month to month reporting and see a breakdown of budget to actuals. Board members should be able to see reports and ask questions, like, why was there overspending here or underspending there? Board members should also be provided with a cash forecasting document to show what expenses are coming up in future months and what income is expected, so we can work with DPS administration to prepare before a crisis happens.

Of course, DPS will always need more money, but we also need to be good stewards of the money we do have.

4. The superintendent is the board’s sole employee. The current board recently unanimously extended Anthony Lewis’s contract for another year. What letter grade do you give Lewis, and how could he do better?

Dr. Lewis needs and deserves more time to continue strengthening the fiscal, structural, staffing, and academic foundations of Durham Public Schools. For now, I would assign Dr. Lewis a grade of “incomplete.” In many ways he is a clear upgrade for DPS compared to previous Superintendents. Dr. Lewis has remade much of the central office, been present in the community, participated in listening sessions, and developed relationships with a number of key stakeholders. There are positive signs of academic growth among key sets of students: 90% of Durham’s public schools saw growth, with over half of the district’s schools earning A, B or C grades.

While recognizing that Dr. Lewis began his job under extraordinarily complex and difficult circumstances, I do believe he missed important opportunities to build trust with the educators and school based staff that our students work with and rely on every day. While working with the Durham Association of Educators to enact a Meet and Confer Policy, he has at times appeared to have an unnecessarily adversarial relationship with the organization that represents a majority of DPS workers. Educators are the backbone of our schools and DAE can and should be treated as an invaluable thought partner in school improvement. However, I have seen progress and there seems to be more trust developing and agreement being made on co-creating policy with the DAE.

Dr. Lewis has brought in some extremely capable and talented cabinet level staff, such as new Chief Finance Officer Jeremy Teetor, yet has also made unforced errors, such as the promotion of now-indicted Tanya Giovanni to the second most powerful position within DPS. Although the board’s job is to supervise the superintendent, it would be in the board’s purview to support the superintendent to make better hires, develop a system of accountability, management, and evaluation of his top cabinet. The board should express concerns and give the superintendent direct feedback about his cabinet.

From a practical standpoint, my evaluation of the Superintendent in collaboration with other Board Members would be a confidential personnel matter. I believe in using evaluation tools to assess quantitative data and qualitative data on how the superintendent is excelling at his job or ways for him to improve and this could shape a professional development plan for him. I do think he would benefit from a more robust evaluation process and formal check-ins. My understanding is that the current tools to evaluate the superintendent are the McRel Tool which is about behavior and is evidence based. Additionally, implementing a 360 evaluation that evaluates the superintendent’s progress on his job description and progress on the DPS strategic plan could be a useful tool. 

To be effective in his role, Dr. Lewis needs and deserves strong public support from the Board of Education. Therefore, once elected, any concerns or critiques I have of the Superintendent would be discussed directly with him and/or in closed session with my colleagues on the Board of Education. 

5. Nearly every public school district in the state saw a decrease in enrollment this year. Durham’s was particularly dramatic, with over 1,000 fewer students than last year. With kids leaving for charter and private schools, what can DPS do to convince parents that public schools are the best option for their students?

We have to be honest about the fact that many parents had difficult or negative experiences in public schools themselves when they were students or with their own kids. In order to retain our DPS students, we must do better at improving the performance of our schools. No more complaints or excuses. This includes enhancing student and staff safety, improving academic instruction, and making our schools as accessible as possible in terms of language, transportation, and before/after school resources.

Our system is underfunded and understaffed due to disinvestment by the North Carolina General Assembly. This has a real impact every day on the experiences students have in the classroom and how parents perceive our schools. In reality, the board, administration, DPS staff, families and youth must come together to lobby at the General Assembly about the need for fully funding Durham Public Schools. As a former director of organizing and advocacy, I have trained thousands of young people to fight for in-state tuition at the NCGA and I would love to train up a mass contingent from DPS. This would serve in lobbying legislators and be a real life lesson in civic engagement. Part of that lobbying training would include being proactive about publicly telling the stories about the great things happening in DPS and be clear that most charter schools underperform compared to DPS. 

I will improve enrollment recovery efforts by prioritizing equity, access and support for historically underserved families because I understand what being underserved means. We have to engage with families where they are at to hear directly from them what they need and why they aren’t happy with DPS. To facilitate this, I will intentionally create spaces in which I, along with DPS administration, can hear from and engage with families currently enrolling their kids in charter schools. We must rebuild trust and confidence among these families so that they again perceive DPS as the best option for their children. 

6. DPS is committed to equity in education, but the “achievement gap” between white students and students of color persists. How can the district better fulfill its most basic mission of educating every child?

If Durham Public Schools wants to address the achievement gap we have to get serious about root causes. Black and brown students within DPS are facing structural inequality within and outside of school, and the district must partner with the city, the county, the state, and the business community to support Durham residents to have access to affordable housing, a living wage, and healthcare. Free universal early childhood education for all children in Durham would benefit students of all backgrounds, but particularly families of color. 

At the same time, there’s a lot we can do better across the district to support our students of color. We need a living wage for all staff in order to attract and retain DPS staff and educators who are people of color, so that students see themselves reflected in the adults around them each day. We need culturally responsive curricula. We need school wide tutoring programs and to fully fund and staff the AIG nurturing program K-2. We need to be proactively identifying students who need IEPs. And we must actively support immigrant parents and working class and poor parents in navigating the school system, so they can advocate for and support their kids. We must connect families with evidence based free programs such as Motherread and Parent & Family Advocacy and Support training. 

7. North Carolina recently received an “F” grade from the Education Law Center, which reported that the state is second to last in average funding per student. As of January 2025, the state legislature hasn’t passed a budget, leaving educators without a cost-of-living adjustment. What can the Durham school board do to help student outcomes with a state government that seems uninterested in supporting public schools?

Public education is under attack. The people in power at the state and federal levels have shown through their actions that they do not believe that public education is a human right. As a school board member, I see my role as leading our community to powerfully fight for more funding and to defend our schools. One key priority of my campaign is budget transparency, and as a competent financial expert I am ready to get into both the macro level view of the budget as well as the nitty gritty of the budget. Board members need to truly understand how DPS money is being spent. My vision for navigating tough conversations is to have honest, open, and mission driven dialogue to prioritize spending money appropriately and transparently. As board members we have to build our relational power to truly understand our values and we have to work to prioritize student outcomes and not anyone’s future political aspirations. I also believe that by doing the best job we can with Durham Public Schools we can increase our enrollment and gain more funding. 

As an operations professional, I have often had to navigate tough budget conversations, and I have recent experience pulling out all the stops to fund my organization’s budget. I started by informing my coworkers, board of directors, and supporters of the shortfall. Then, I organized the team into crunching numbers, scenario planning, budget forecasting, and picking up the phone and asking for donations. I had to become a coach and cheerleader for other people on my team, and every single person had to be on the same page. The work that we put in together brought the team closer and has put the organization in a great financial position. 

8. The majority-member staff union Durham Association of Educators (DAE) has, at times, clashed with the superintendent and the board over policy and procedure. What kind of relationship should the board have with the DAE, and how can you balance pressure from staff with pressure from administrators and taxpayers? 

I have the experience to balance pressure from the staff, administrators and taxpayers because I will be accountable to the mission of DPS which is to embrace, educate, and empower every student to innovate, serve, and lead. In order to reach that mission I see the DAE’s work is in alignment as they self-identify as leading the fight to defend and transform public schools so that every young person can achieve their full potential and live happy and healthy lives. Taxpayers like myself and other parents are desperate for our kids to get a rigorous education, have healthy childhoods and successful adulthoods. 

I have to note that the Durham Association of Educators has a majority member staff union. DAE is doing the hard work of identifying issues and coming up with solutions, a process that will improve the whole school system for all DPS students and workers. This is an important culture shift that will benefit our students for years to come. I see the Meet and Confer process, through which the DAE can make policy recommendations directly to the superintendent, as a gift to the administration. As a school board member, my role would be to advocate that the administration be open to issues and solutions raised by the union, and also share seats at the table to negotiate and come to agreement. I love that we have a strong union that is already working with their membership and community to come up with priorities, draft language, and come to the table to ready discuss – this framework benefits everyone. I also love the process of administrators taking action on what educators and staff are facing. Taxpayers will benefit when our schools are stronger, and when working conditions are better, our students’ learning conditions will improve. 

At the same time, I am clear eyed that the best way to address the resource and staff shortages in Durham, as in every school district, is through significant funding increases from the General Assembly. As long as North Carolina ranks 50th in per student spending, we are going to have to make difficult decisions in our local budgeting and will not be able to do everything that I, or that DAE, wants to do for our students and our staff. The advantage of Meet and Confer is that it creates a space in which DAE and the DPS administration can work through those difficult decisions together. Ultimately it is easier for parents and groups like DAE to accept our budget limitations when the budget is transparently discussed and collaboratively developed. I am optimistic given the recent agreement between Dr. Lewis and DAE regarding budget transparency. 

9. With Durham School of the Arts and Northern High School moving to new buildings, the district still owns the defunct former sites of those and other schools. What should the district do with those sites? If it is beyond the jurisdiction of the school board, how can the board work with the county to make those sites useful for the Durham community?

I would engage with community members, experts, and the county in making decisions about DSA and the old Northern campus. The board is deciding to engage with UNC’s DFI program to do feasibility studies on reuse expertise in land use, planning, and public-private partnerships. It is important that any future use should be guided by community input, equity, and long-term benefit to students and families. As a Board member, my role will be to ensure a transparent process that includes a wide range of stakeholders: students, families, educators, neighborhood residents, and community partners.

The Durham School of the Arts site represents a valuable public asset: it is a beautiful historic structure, with lots of land and open space, centrally located in the heart of downtown. Old Northern High School is located in expansive North Durham. Done thoughtfully, the future use of the buildings can expand opportunity, strengthen community partnerships, and ensure that this public space continues to serve Durham students for generations to come. There are community members that are excited about both sites in regards to expanding educational opportunities and community building for our students.

What I will not support under any circumstances is the lease, sale, or transfer of DPS or Durham County property or assets to charter or private school operators. 

10. Thousands of students have stayed home from school during federal immigration enforcement sweeps. On one November day when agents were in the Triangle, over 20% of DPS students stayed home from school. What can the board realistically do to make DPS a welcoming and safe environment for all students, regardless of immigration status?

All of our students have the right to education, and it is a tragedy that CBP and ICE are terrorizing our communities and preventing our young people from accessing school. One of the 7 roles of a school board is to develop, pass, and monitor policies that enhance conditions for goal achievement and equitable school environments. In light of heightened immigration enforcement there is an opportunity for our district to add language to ensure the physical and emotional safety and learning of our students. The Board can strengthen the current policy 5120 called Relationships with Law Enforcement to include:

-Any law enforcement officer attempting to make an arrest at school, must have a signed judicial warrant with the student’s full legal name on it. 
-Warrants must be vetted through the office of the superintendent and be cleared as valid before any law enforcement is allowed entry.
-Law enforcement officials must provide interpretation services when interviewing someone with limited English. No school personnel should be used as interpreters.
-To protect the constitutional rights and safety of all students, non-local law enforcement are not permitted to arrest any students on school premises or at school events.
-Access to confidential student information can only be given in compliance with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena. We are charged with keeping student information private. 
-ANY request for information, interview students or access to a school site by any law enforcement agency shall be immediately forwarded to the Superintendent for review and decision on whether allowed to the site. 
-Mandatory know your rights training for staff and students on how to protect student information and policies related to law enforcement in schools. 

We can’t stop ICE, but we can put our values into action by strengthening this policy to protect students of all backgrounds. Federal officers are targeting not just undocumented immigrants but Brown and Black citizens. Even updating the policy with a few changes would make a big difference for our district. No staff member should be stuck without information about school procedures and leaving our DPS children vulnerable. And the law states that all students should have access to an education regardless of their immigration status.

11. Give an example of an opinion, policy, vote, or action you changed based on constituent feedback. If you have not yet held elected office, describe a time when you changed your position on an issue after listening to those affected by it.

I have changed my position on issues after listening to those affected by it and listening to people who are in solidarity with directly impacted communities. My life experience as an immigrant and person of color in the United States has given me an important lens to process social justice issues, and has made me more empathetic to struggles that those in other communities face. 

A specific example is learning that racism was structural and systematic. Growing up in the United States in the 80s and 90s, I was taught that racism was just individual, interpersonal actions taken by some people who were racist, and that everyone else was supposed to be color-blind. In 2002, as a young adult, I attended an anti-oppression workshop for the first time. I encountered Black feminist thought and learned to understand the way oppression is embedded in interpersonal relationships, institutions, and the culture in the United States. I realized that everyone exists in some mix of privilege and oppression, in regards to race, immigration status, language, ability, gender expression, sexuality, literacy, education, family structure, religion, classism, ageism, and more–and that these impact us over the course of lives. In fact, the “colorblind” narrative that I received as a young person is actually a harmful narrative that allows racism to continue to flourish without rooting it out! This understanding gave me more clarity on my own life experiences as a person of color, and also helped me realize that I held embedded biases of my own that I needed to work to undo.

12. If there is anything else you would like to address, please do so here.  

It is with a lot of thought and care that I have chosen to challenge the incumbent in District 2, Board Chair Bettina Umstead, who has represented the district since she was appointed in 2016. I have heard people say they believe I would be a great school board member, they just wish I were running in a different district because DPS is in a moment of crisis and needs the continuity of leadership that Ms. Umstead would provide. The reality is that DPS has not been well governed during her tenure. DPS needs new leadership to face this moment of crisis. Right now DPS and District 2 needs a Board member with finance and HR expertise, with fresh and innovative solutions, ready to shake things up and change how DPS operates. If entrusted by the residents of District 2 with a seat on the Board of Education, I will do everything in my power to work with Dr. Lewis to transform the culture of DPS so that educators are excited to work in this district, so that students are able to thrive in each and every one of our schools, and so parents are excited and confident to send their children to DPS. DPS cannot afford to lose anymore students or staff members.