DR. JANICE WALTHOUR, CHAIRPERSON
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Mission
The NAACP education committee works to ensure that all disadvantaged students and students of color are on the path to college or a successful career by ensuring access to great teaching, equitable resources, and a challenging curriculum. We are dedicated to eliminating the severe racial inequities that continue to plague our education system. Our ultimate goal is that every student of color receives a quality public education that prepares him or her to be a contributing member of a democracy. |
Our Work
Our work includes advancing solutions to decrease racial and socioeconomic gaps in education, promoting inclusion for all students, and improving learning conditions to ensure health, safety, and success. We work to increase resource equity for the neediest children, ensure college & career readiness, improve teaching, improve discipline and Curriculum and Instruction.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Back to School Fair
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ANNUAL EVENTS
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Claudia Pickeral Scholarship Event
BECA Scholarship Fair
The St. Mary County Business, Education and Community Alliance, Inc. (BECA) assists the NAACP with the administration of the Claudia Pickeral Scholarship. For more information on the application process contact BECA at 21783 North Coral Drive, Lexington Park, Maryland, 20653, phone number (240)725-5805, www.smcbeca.org. |
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College & Career Fair
Students receive information about college, career and scholarship opportunities. We also celebrate African American History Month by featuring Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Local colleges, career representatives, and community support services are included as well.
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FOR YOUR INFORMATION (FYI)
The Maryland Lynching Memorial Project
Equal Justice Initiative(EJI) Community Remembrance Project here in the county. EJI is collaborating with communities to memorialize documented victims of racial violence and foster meaningful dialogue about race and justice. We had one documented lynching in St. Mary’s County, a young African American man named Benjamin Hance. (See Bryan Stevenson https://eji.org/bryan-stevenson/ and https://museumandmemorial.eji.org/memorial
Maryland New State Department of Education
video
National, State and Local Strategy
Education Committee of the national board, in concert with education chairs and leaders from across the Association, have settled upon a four-prong strategy to improve educational achievement for disadvantaged students:
Increasing Resource Equity: Target funds to neediest kids
Ensuring College & Career Readiness: A path to success after graduation for all students
Improving Teaching: Growing our own great teachers now in underserved communities
Improving Discipline: Eliminate zero tolerance; keep kids in school* All applied to turnaround schools
Increasing Resource Equity: Target funds to neediest kids
Ensuring College & Career Readiness: A path to success after graduation for all students
Improving Teaching: Growing our own great teachers now in underserved communities
Improving Discipline: Eliminate zero tolerance; keep kids in school* All applied to turnaround schools
Pre-K-12 Education
Every child should have access to high-quality public education. St. Mary’s County NAACP focuses on educational equity and we are committed to oversight to ensure that St. Mary’s County Board of Education and St. Mary’s County Public Schools are successfully implementing the Educational Equity Policy COMAR 13A.06. This includes ensuring that all students, regardless of their individual characteristics, have equitable access to and benefit from high-quality instruction as well as social and emotional resources and support. And to ensure that an equity lens is applied to reviewing policies, regulations, and procedures. This lens is also applied to resources, programs, practices, decision-making, and/or actions that will impact our students.
Call to Action
Advocate for the development and implementation of policies, regulations and practices that secure equity in education and eliminate race-based discrimination to ensure the health and well-being of all persons. Work collaboratively with community partners to fulfill the mission.
Dismantling Racism and Privilege in Our Schools and Community
Co-facilitate quarterly meetings with the Superintendent of St. Mary’s County Public Schools(SMCPS), Board of Education Representatives, SMCPS staff and community partners.
- Focus: COVID- St. Mary’s County Public Schools
- Focus: Monitor Equity in Education Policy COMAR
- Focus: Monitor Equity Task Force Recommendations
- For Your Information: “NAACP” Equity Taskforce Recommendations (Submitted to the Task Force in 2019
- Equity in Education Regulations
- 2021 Focus: Citizens’ Advisory Committee for Equity in Education – Request made to the BOE 12-16-20
- Re-Educate St. Mary’s County- Open Letter from Students & Former Students
St. Mary’s County NAACP Education Committee Notes & Updates
- Committee Meeting Dates
- Dismantling Racism & Privilege Quarterly Meetings Dates
- Notes
Take Action
- Petitions
- Letters to Elected Officials
- Press Releases
RELATED LINKS & MEDIA RESOURCES
St. Mary’s County Board of Education Meetings
St. Mary’s County Health Department
St. Mary’s County Public Schools - Equity Corner
St. Mary’s County Library
St. Mary’s County Museum Division
St. Mary’s County Commissioners
Sierra Club of St. Mary’s County
Together We Will
Big Conversation: Dismantling Racism in Southern Maryland
Maryland State Department of Education
Strong Schools Maryland
Maryland Lynching Memorial Project
Historic Sotterley
Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions
Preserving footprints in African American History.
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Minority Outreach Coalition (MOC)
Promoting health, education, logistic and the general performance for minorities in our community in an effort to remove disparities.
St. Mary’s County Health Department
St. Mary’s County Health Department promotes healthy choices, opportunities and environments for all who live, work and play in St. Mary’s County.
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