A group of Asheville parents and community members posted a petition on Change.org:
Public schools should play a critical role in building a more equitable future. Our schools should attract all kinds of students and families, and be the first choice of our citizens. Over the past decade, gaps in student achievement have increased significantly. Staff turnover at all levels remains among the highest in our region. Student enrollment is declining. There is a lack of confidence that $70 million allocated to our schools each year is being well spent.
Families, educators & community members formally call for a resolution that the Asheville City Schools Board of Education be elected by the citizens of our city. We also recommend that City Council pursue options to expand the board of education by two additional seats through appointment. A hybrid board, composed of elected and appointed members would balance the need for accountability with the need for unity and full representation of our children. We believe that an expanded board would be able to develop a committee structure that could learn from and with our community and address persistent challenges.
Now is the time to restore faith in this most critical public institution. Elections allow the community to vet candidates. Campaigns encourage candidates to learn about the issues before entering office and to build relationships with constituents.
For all of these reasons, we call for an elected board as soon as possible.
We understand that an elected board alone will not address the barriers created by systemic inequities and structural racism. We commit to electing board members who:
- Reflect our student population;
- Commit to transparent and frequent reporting of all student data;
- Value teachers and school staff and use their input;
- Engage openly, honestly, and actively with stakeholders;
- Are accountable for the responsible use of funds, and the success of our students.
We need to merge Asheville City Schools with Buncombe County Schools. One school district. This eliminates ridiculous duplicative administration costs that the Asheville residents have to bear. It eliminates burdening City Council with school-related affairs; they have enough trouble as it is with just governing the City. I have no doubt that under a single, integrated County school system, results for Asheville schools will improve.
What are people afraid of with such a merger? What have we got to lose?