While January marks the beginning of the year for most folks, anyone lucky enough to be connected to public schools will mark this time of the year as a halfway point. We are almost halfway through the 2023-2024 school year, and about six months away from summer. If you have been listening to the news this school year, you know we need the legislature to fund and implement the court-mandated Leandro Plan, endorsed by the State Board of Education. Leandro will be revisited next month by the NC Supreme Court. While we wait, public schools in North Carolina are fighting for their lives—and that means eight out of 10 children in our state are facing the consequences. It has disastrous implications for the communities that raise them, and the educational professionals who deserve to be paid fairly.
Most recently, the supposed top advocate of public schools, the State Superintendent, is breaking campaign promises (and ethical guidelines) left and right, including expanding school vouchers to mostly private Christian schools—many of whom discriminate against children, including denying admission to LGBTQIA+ students and non-Christians—with no income eligibility to stop us from paying the tuition of wealthy families. As she headlines National School Choice Week with Senator Phil Berger, our governor Roy Cooper proclaims 2024 the “year of public schools” and calls for a moratorium on voucher expansion. North Carolinians should not be subsidizing hate with their tax dollars—$4 billion in cumulative taxpayer dollars over the next decade, in fact. Our children and our public schools need us—and we need a different state superintendent of public instruction in November…one, importantly, who endorses the Leandro Plan to ensure every child has access to a quality education.
Locally, we’re feeling the pain of these budget woes and rightwing pressures. In 2024, the discord over DPS payroll confusion has led to endless stress and frustration for our classified workers. At a time when we need to do our best at making public school employees feel valued and heard, our classified workers have had to fight for accountability and transparency from DPS administration. And while the Durham Board of Education can’t speak on it until the investigation is complete, I am proud of the workers and community members who have rallied in support.
Our children deserve better than this chaos. If school workers are scared or struggling, the entire community will feel it. As our school year is unfolding, and children are learning to read, writing their first sentences, and conducting science experiments, we want our schools to be a safe place for them. We want our schools to be a place where lifelong friendships are forming and dreams are being bravely pursued. We know our teachers, custodians, bus drivers, IAs, and other critical staff are the backbone to making this happen.
If we want to prioritize learning, we need to face anything that prevents reliable transportation, functional cafeterias, and clean classrooms. When we are talking about broken trust, or budget issues, or feeling scared, we are talking about children, too. I want the Leandro Plan fulfilled. I want a state superintendent elected in November that will fight for our public schools, even as Gov. Cooper’s tenure ends—and then I want a new governor who will keep up the energy for our public schools.
Most of all, I want to make sure here in Durham we are righting any wrongs, and supporting our families and workers. Right now, we’re all we’ve got.
Jovonia Lewis is a member of the Durham Public Schools Board of Education and a candidate for the Durham County Board of County Commissioners.
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