Minority Groups Decry Ouster of School Advocate
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Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Loudoun County's minority community is criticizing school officials for failing to renew the contract of the district's first supervisor for outreach.
Despite months of lobbying from teachers, parents and organizations representing minorities, the school system ended its contract last month with Beverly Bennett-Roberts, who was hired nearly three years ago to lead the district's diversity efforts.
Supporters of Bennett-Roberts blame discrimination and the school system's desire to maintain the status quo for her firing. Bennett-Roberts and her attorney, Michael Miller, said the termination, which occurred several months after her only evaluation, was flawed and failed to follow the school district's written administrative policies.
"We were appalled," said Reginald A. Early, president of the Loudoun County NAACP. "There is no credible reason for her contract not to be renewed, given that she was doing exactly what she was hired to do. It just doesn't make sense. There's a disconnect somewhere."
Privacy rules prevent the district from commenting on personnel issues, schools spokesman Wayde B. Byard said, adding that the district maintains its commitment to diversity.
An advertisement for the job has been posted on the school system's Web site.
Early and others in the community are worried that the district's decision will impede progress made during Bennett-Roberts's tenure and could have a negative effect on its relationship with minorities.
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In her evaluation in February, a copy of which she provided to The Washington Post, school officials said Bennett-Roberts had an "unwillingness or inability" to stay within her job description, failed to alert her supervisor of negative perceptions of the school district, failed to follow directions from her supervisor, provided internal e-mails to people outside the school system without permission of the originator and communicated with outsiders to undermine or cast doubt on equity efforts.
"You have failed to develop the trust necessary to build a cooperative relationship between outside sources and the school system," the evaluation said. "You have demonstrated unethical behavior by providing information to outside sources for the purpose of discrediting Loudoun County Public Schools."
Edward Bourne, a member of school system's minority-student achievement advisory committee, said that from the community's perspective, Bennett-Roberts's performance was "phenomenal." Many people don't think the school system is being transparent about the issue, he said. "I think there's a lack of trust there that really needs to be addressed," he said.
When Bennett-Roberts came to Loudoun in November 2005, there was no road map. Her job was a newly created position designed to focus on outreach to various parent advisory groups, coordinating parent volunteers and working with principals and schools to develop equity teams.
More than 30 percent of the school system's 54,047 students are minorities, 2007-08 figures showed.
Bennett-Roberts started a monthly diversity-training program and held several workshops and symposiums that drew hundreds of parents. She documented her experiences in a six-page report, including observations that there are no women of color leading any of the district's secondary schools and that many minority students and parents think they are not noticed. She recommended that the district undergo a "cultural audit."
Many minority parents said that for the first time, they thought they had a voice and an advocate in the school system. Nearly two dozen people from diverse backgrounds spoke in support of Bennett-Roberts at School Board meetings in April, May and June.
Bennett-Roberts and her attorney say the school district violated its evaluation policies by not having preliminary discussions about her performance, and setting goals and objectives.
Bennett-Roberts said she was notified in December that she was in danger of receiving an unsatisfactory evaluation. In February, she was told that she had not met the district's standard for progress and that her contract might not be renewed.
"I never had anything but the December meeting," said Bennett-Roberts, who has held similar positions in Baltimore and Minnesota. "I was just baffled by this whole process."
She and her attorney said they have not ruled out a lawsuit.
"This is bigger than me. This isn't just my fight," she said. "This is about an organization that needs to change. Until they turn the mirror on themselves, there will be more Beverlys."
Tagged: schools
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Rogue employee = former employee. Really. It's that simple.
Posted by obviously (anonymous) on July 9, 2008 at 6:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How many times is a minoirty employee going to sue (or threaten a lawsuit) against this school system before the community at large realizes there is fire, not just smoke, emanating from the school system's highest offices?
Posted by louiebird (anonymous) on July 9, 2008 at 12:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The year 2008 is the 40th anniversary of the end of enforced school segregation in Loudoun County, Virginia, a county whose crest is entitled "I Byde My Time."
Sadly, this same year the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) refused to offer a contract renewal to nationally known diversity trainer and consultant, Beverly Bennett-Roberts, as the Supervisor of Outreach. Despite dozens of testimonies of diverse members of the Loudoun community and employees of LCPS, the Loudoun County School Board chose to ignore the issue, dismissing it as a "personnel matter." Even when the Loudoun County NAACP attempted to open dialog on the issue of the dismissal of the African American administrator, the Board responded with silence or denial that race might play a part in the decision not to rehire Ms. Bennett-Roberts. The local press has consistently ignored this issue. Superintendent Edgar B. Hatrick III, who made the decision not to rehire on the advice of the senior staff, was also responsible for the banning of the book, "And Tango Makes Three" by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, in February 2008.
When the school system cites Ms. Bennett-Roberts for having "failed to develop the trust necessary to build a cooperative relationship between outside sources and the school system," perhaps the truth is that the school administrators did not trust the minority community of Loudoun and were fearful of their input on needed change in the schools. Perhaps it was this fear that caused the dismissal.
In a rapidly growing suburban school division in Northern Virginia, the question must be asked, "Is Loudoun County ready to deal with diversity issues in a forthright manner?" Will the good people of Loudoun allow Loudoun County Public Schools to "Byde its Time" in the delivery of fair and equitable education to all their children? The future of our children depends on the answers to these questions.
Posted by LoudounPatriot (anonymous) on July 9, 2008 at 6:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The cuts HAVE to come. The school system is sucking up too much money for administrative positions.
Posted by Hoqenishy (anonymous) on July 10, 2008 at 4:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
My tax money was going to pay for this position?? Ridiculous! I hope they don't replace her.
Posted by imack882 (anonymous) on July 10, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i have to say, as a minority, I am all for diversity and if a problem or lack of diversity is APPARENT, perhaps a diversity advocate is needed. but my son goes to a LCPS where i feel he is treated fairly and judged just like every other kid in the school- I don't see a need for an advocate for minorities in his school.
the more we separate ourselves, the more separate we become, which EXACTLY the opposite of what we need!
Posted by tttrenee (anonymous) on July 10, 2008 at 2:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
White Privilege
There are many definitions of this term, but a key component of any such definition is that in American society, white people have the option to be ignorant of the preferences shown them simply because they are white. The issue in Loudoun County is whether people of color are given unfair or unneeded breaks in this society, rather the issue is how the people with power and privilege maintain that power and privilege.
If you are uncertain of what those privileges are, read the seminal essay on white privilege by Peggy McIntosh, “Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.”
http://www.case.edu/president/aaction/Un...
Ms. McIntosh begins her essay, "I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group." She continues, “I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege. So I have begun in an untutored way to ask what it is like to have white privilege. I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was "meant" to remain oblivious. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools, and blank checks.”
The administrators and many of the School Board of Loudoun County Public Schools all carry that privilege. They are certainly people of good intentions and in some cases, laudable actions, but they fail to understand the privilege they carry. When someone comes along who suggests that white privilege exists, and that it negatively affects not only minority children, but ALL children, their response was to attack and dismiss the messenger.
The majority of responses to this news article in the Metro section were a further demonstration of the anger, confusion and desperation that exists in the American people around the topic of racism or any type of diversity issue. And they exercise their privilege as they respond with expressions of anger, confusion and desperation.
But we Americans are better than that. We Americans, a nation of immigrants (both voluntary and forced), have built a nation on ideals that are greater than the mistakes of our former lands. But to maintain those ideals, we must be vigilant in our use of those freedoms. As stated in the Preamble, “in order to form a more perfect union” based on liberty and justice for all, we must work together to protect and extend our freedoms to all citizens.
As we examine the issues in Loudoun County, we must keep in mind who has the privilege and power, and how they exercise it. For the good of our children, for the good of our community, and for the good of our nation, we must be willing to see the truth even when it feels uncomfortable and threatening. And as the Bible says,” Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Posted by LoudounPatriot (anonymous) on July 10, 2008 at 10:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
LoudounPatriot.. you sir must not work for the government.....
Posted by PaulBreault (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 3:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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