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the first speaker during public comment at tonight’s charlottesville city school board meeting is addressing severe bullying of her granddaughter, which she says recently culminated in a physical assault.
next speaker is from the local NAACP, with a response to the recent propublica article about the racial disparities in our city schools. “if anyone is surprised by the information & data in this article, they have not been paying attentiopropublica.org/article/charlo…vJGE
charlottesville city schools have a long history of racial divide. schools closed rather than integrate in the past.
readthehook.com/94922/cover-lo…
readthehook.com/94922/cover-lo…
“by the time it hits the pages of the new york times, the damage to our children has already been done,” by denying our children equal access to education, the whole community suffers.
the first speaker is back at the podium, with her granddaughter who has been the victim of bullying & assault. she’s too afraid to speak, but is relaying messages through her grandmother. she says she’s afraid & feels unsupported by the adults who should be keeping her safe.
lisa woolfork, who was quoted in the recent propublica piece, is up next. “you are equipped to address [these problems], if only you would meet them head on.”
“this is another instance of the ways white supremacy becomes naturalized in our education system.”
“this is another instance of the ways white supremacy becomes naturalized in our education system.”
“teachers are a crucial factor in accountability.” “they often set ceilings on black student achievement.”
lisa, a uva professor, says of black students in her graduate cohort, “every one of us had been told by a white teacher that we were inadequate.”
lisa, a uva professor, says of black students in her graduate cohort, “every one of us had been told by a white teacher that we were inadequate.”
in response to the propublica article, a charlottesville teacher made some harmful comments on facebook. lisa is calling for accountability for those remarks.
several parents have taken the podium to call for accountability for not only this teacher’s remarks, but for the other teachers who agreed with her on the post. 
heartbreaking stories from parents of students of color. “it was an open secret among six and seven year olds” that another teacher in the city schools treats white & black students differently - “the students themselves notice it.”
the next speaker is an educator who asks the board to be careful how they talk about this achievement gap — they’ve said “some students are not achieving as well as we want them to be,” but the speaker argues that this is being done TO THEM & words matter.
the board is thanking the people who shared their stories during public comment tonight. board member lisa torres says she looks forward to engaging with the community in these “deeper & tough conversations.”
board member sherry kraft responds to one speaker who had concerns about the enforceability of the antiracist dress code statement they’ve written. kraft says their legal counsel says the statement they’ve written is enforceable.
board member leah puryear tells the young girl who has been bullied & assaulted that she “may not feel” like she has what she needs to get through this, but she does. puryear says she knows this because she was the victim of bullying by a student a few years ago... 🤷♀️
what a weird and dismissive thing to say to a middle school student who has been harassed, abused, and physically assaulted. you are an ADULT, ms puryear.
“i don’t want us to lose sight of the accomplishments of our students,” says dr rosa atkins. despite the gap between black & white students, black students have made gains & she wants to make sure that’s recognized.
and now the second reading of the city school board’s resolution on hate symbols in schools
and they’ve unanimously adopted the resolution! some snapping & clapping from the audience (which no one was brutalized by police for, unlike at a county school board meeting)
