June 6th, 2020

Dear Steven Lockard, Angela C. McCauslin, and members of the Carroll County Board of Education,

We alumni, students, parents, and general members of the Carroll County community are proud of the education offered by the Carroll County Public School system. As we’ve gone into the world, the knowledge and skills we developed in our primary and secondary educations have served us well and allowed us to contribute meaningfully to our communities. It is because of this strong foundation that we, as emerging and established adults, have the desire to continue learning through both formal institutions and informal studies. Our gratitude is what compels us to work to improve the system so that the next generation of students are able to make further strides toward a more just world.

In light of recent events, we as a community have felt an overwhelming amount of pain and sadness due to the continued cycle of racism and violence in this country that disproportionately affects Black Americans. Many of us who are in the non-Black community have reflected and found ourselves to be largely ignorant to the difficulties and plight of the black community. Moreover, while we would like to think that racism does not exist within our communities here in Carroll County, recent events have made it clear it does, and many of us can attest to seeing racism in our time at CCPS. 

We believe that change in our community starts with change in the schools. In order to create a more just and equal society it is necessary for many of us to “unlearn” the narrative that we have been born into and that has been reinforced throughout our time in the Carroll County education system, a narrative that focuses more on white America and the peaceful parts of our history and glosses over the Black Americans’ contributions and historic traumas that persist to this day. 

We believe that now is the time for these changes to be implemented. Over the years, white people of our country have created an unjust society in which the lives of people of color are disregarded and their pleas ignored. However, the world is beginning to change - terms like “white privilege” and “institutionalized racism” are becoming common not only in academia but in regular conversations among Americans. Thus, we believe that it is time for Carroll County schools to adjust to this as well. The talented educators and workers here in Carroll County have an outsized role in the development of our young people. Change in the school system will lead to a more just and equitable society for all. 

When we as young people are not taught the full depths of our history from perspectives outside of our suburban and white bubble, we grow into adults that perpetuate the same mistakes and pains of our past. For this reason we believe that it is imperative that future generations have a more comprehensive education of our history as a people - not just white people but an American people. Generally, we request a school system and curriculum that is more inclusive of the role that people of color, and particularly black people, have played and continue to play in our society. 

To this goal, we have five specific changes we need to see. In order to ensure a continued effort that is transparent and in the best interest and collaboration of the community this action plan will be supervised by an advisory committee of passionate community members, activists, and local organizations Our current plan is as follows:

1. Require that Black history and Black voices be included in the current curriculum. Beginning at the elementary school level, each social studies class should include a unit on black history. We believe that high school history classes need to pay a particular attention to black history, and this extends beyond the civil rights movement. Incorporated into this curriculum should be field trips to relevant sites.

2. In English classes, require at least one long-form piece of literature be taught from a Black author every year. There is a wide range of excellent literature by Black authors, and this change will expose Carroll County students to voices outside of their own. 

3. Require an elective class be offered at the high school level on the history of people of color in this country. This course should examine all aspects of the impact of slavery on America, from the first slaves transported to America to Jim Crow and the lasting impacts felt by our student population felt in stereotyping and microaggressions. We also believe this class should touch on the experiences and injustices faced by other minorities in this country.

4. Require that more minority educators be hired in the district. Carroll County teachers are 96% white, despite the county educating nearly 15% students of color. Hiring more minority educators will enhance the learning experience for all students and improve outcomes for the district. 

5. Strengthen county mental health resources available to students and work to ensure that these resources are culturally competent. Adequate mental health resources can help students gain insight into their own biases, build resilience, and cope with injustices they have suffered. 

In your letter addressed to the parents of Carroll County students on June 4th, you stated that “We will continue our partnership efforts with organizations throughout the community, such as the Carroll County NAACP and Carroll Citizens for Racial Equality to further seek out all opportunities to support the safety, well-being, and success of all of our students. We also will continue to provide a safe place and opportunity to hear the voices and experiences of our students, families, and employees of color and for courageous conversations to continue.” While these are powerful and encouraging words, we fear that they may be empty promises. Furthermore, we don’t believe it is enough to merely continue what partnerships already exist but that a deeper relationship must be formed. We hope that by forming an advisory council with these partners and other local groups that such a plan will be upheld and put forth by a responsible and culturally competent group of passionate Carroll County residents. 

While we understand the importance of remaining impartial in education, and feel that for many years topics of civil rights and race have been seen as “political”, as a community, we believe these are merely issues of human rights and are inherently bipartisan. Students have a right to accurate and complete information, and educators have a responsibility to provide it without bias. Teachers should encourage students to utilize and strengthen their critical thinking skills to assess all of the information and develop their own conclusions. We do not feel that we were taught the full story in CCPS, which we know is not what our education system stands for.

By the start of the next school year, we demand a concrete plan and timeline for the ways in which these demands will be implemented. We believe that with the inclusion of an advisory board to help bring this vision to light that the Carroll County education system may provide future students with an education that is more equitable and accurate to the state of our country and its history. A vision that we hope is held in high regard to you as stewards of education. 

Those of us that have graduated have realized that our Carroll County education has been an indispensable resource to draw upon. Thank you for considering our ideas to improve the education system we so value. We look forward to your response, and will be following up in the coming weeks with the hopes of a vision for a better future. 

Sincerely, 

Those impacted by the CCPS Education System