CHARLOTTE, NC – Frustration over student achievement boiling over at Tuesday’s Charlotte Mecklenburg School Board meeting. It was the first meeting since the interim superintendent walked out of a meeting with faith and community leaders.
“Please listen and let us be advocates for the children we say we’re going to serve,” said Amani Fisher, a speaker at the school board meeting
Fisher is upset with the board and superintendent for their handling of student achievement.
“It is important that we convene with our parents and our students and make sure that the resources get to every student in there,” said Fisher.
Forty two schools in the district are under performing. Across the board, student achievement has skidded due to the pandemic.
Last week, Interim Superintendent Hugh Hattabaugh walked out of a meeting with members of the African American Faith Alliance for Educational Advancement.
“What was obvious was the disrespect. The dismissive attitude,” explained Rev. Jordan Boyd.
Boyd was at the meeting. He says there needs to be concrete solutions that are worked on together.
“If this is how it’s going to be when it gets tough, he is not the one. We do not run away when it gets tough. We don’t run away when the questions get tough. We stand and face it,” said Boyd.
In a statement, Hattabaugh says in part:
“Unfortunately the meeting began with a confrontational tone and was less-than-productive from the start.”
“After an hour and a half of attempting to redirect back to the agenda. It became clear that the meeting was not going to lead to collaborative solutions for the students we serve — and I left.”