The Charlotte-Mecklenburg School's Superintendent, Earnest Winston, has made multiple public comments on the topics of discrimination and antiracism, most recently explaining in an interview with Brett Jensen that "it is important for families to have a really good solid understanding of what it is that we are teaching and what it is that we are not teaching".  He also stated in at the July 13th Board meeting that these topics are "not taught in our schools and not promoted in our schools". However, evidence to the contrary has been brought to light over the past few months that principles such as white, male privilege, power dynamics, systemic racism, implicit bias, and social justice (with a focus on equal outcomes and collective action such as activism) are indeed being taught in our district's classrooms. This has left many community members confused on the Board of Education's view on these topics and alignment with SI Winston's comments. 

This resolution is a public way for the Board to confirm their alignment with SI Winston's statements and send a clear message to the community that nondiscrimination and our student's constitutional rights are being upheld now and in the future.

Signing this petition will be asking the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education to vote on this resolution in a public board meeting. 

RESOLUTION TO ENSURE DIGNITY AND NONDISCRIMINATION

A RESOLUTION OF THE CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION (the “School Board”), DECLARING ITS OFFICIAL POSITION TO ENSURE DIGNITY AND NONDISCRIMINATION IN SCHOOLS.

WHEREAS pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. §115C-47, the School Board is empowered and has the duty to provide students with the opportunity to receive a sound basic education and to make all policy decisions with that objective in mind; and

WHEREAS policies are the primary means by which the School Board expresses its vision for the school district. In formulating specific policies, the School Board is guided by its duty to provide students with the opportunity to receive a sound basic education and is further guided by governing principles it considers critical to meet that obligation by providing a system of excellent schools where students can succeed; and

WHEREAS the NC Department of Public Instruction adopts standards while local school boards adopt curriculum; and

WHEREAS the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system, including the teachers, administrators and all school employees, are a dynamic educational team in partnership with the entire community, to prepare all students with the knowledge and skills necessary to become successful, responsible, contributing citizens by providing a caring, disciplined, world class learning environment, which challenges students and staff to perform to their potential in a changing, competitive world; and

WHEREAS the School Board recognizes the importance of diversity of backgrounds, opinions, and expression as foundational to providing students with the opportunity to receive a sound basic education; and

WHEREAS the School Board is dedicated to providing each student educational opportunities that respect the dignity of others, acknowledge the right of others to express differing opinions, and foster and defend intellectual honesty, freedom of inquiry and instruction, and freedom of speech and association; and

WHEREAS the School Board recognizes and promotes the equality and rights of all persons as found in the North Carolina Constitution and United States Constitution; and

WHEREAS the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School’s Political Activity Policy states that employees are prohibited from encouraging or supporting a political issue during work hours, and

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School district will not promote the following:

1. That racism is ordinary and the usual way our society does business;
2. That an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist and/or sexist, whether consciously or unconsciously.
3. That an individual is either a member of the oppressor class or the oppressed class because of their race or sex;
4. That an individual's moral character is determined by his or her race or sex;
5. That an individual, based solely by virtue of his or her race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex;
6. That an individual, based solely by virtue of his or her race or sex, should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress;
7. That individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment due to the individual's race or sex, or an individual should receive favorable treatment due to the individual's race or sex;
8. Meritocracy or traits such as, but not limited to, a hard work ethic or the scientific method are racist or sexist or were created by members of a particular race to oppress members of another race;
9. That the advent of slavery in the territory that is now the United States constituted the true founding of the United States, or the preservation of slavery was a material motive for independence from England.

This resolution is signed the ____ day of ___________________ by the Board of Education for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and will go into effect immediately.