Chapel-Hill Carrboro City School (CHCCS) District Superintendent Pamela Baldwin delivered a state-of-the-schools address on April 11, discussing progress in her first year as superintendent, as well as plans for the future.
The meeting began with School Board chair Rani Dasi addressing the shooting threat at Chapel Hill High School the day before and thanking the faculty and staff of the schools and local law enforcement for their cooperation. Dasi praised Baldwin on her first year in office but also made reference to the amount of work that still needed to be done.
High school students introduced keynote speakers including assistant superintendents Todd Lofrese and Rydell Harrison. LoFrese discussed three main points in his speech: school safety, budget and capital facility needs.
“Let me assure you that safety is, and always will be, our top priority,” LoFrese said in reference to the shooting threat against Chapel Hill.
LoFrese also mentioned that the administration plans to use the budget to prioritize teacher salaries and behavior support in middle and high schools. In terms of facility needs, Lofrese mentioned that, due to the money being spent on the reconstruction of Chapel Hill High School, there is little money left for maintenance on other district facilities. However, there has been a statewide school facility bond proposed that could provide the district with additional funds.
The new Chapel Hill High School building will include a complete new academic building, a fully closed campus and flexible learning spaces.
Harrison explained the goal of ongoing and timely support of the schools in our district and “establishing clear definition of personalized learning.”
In Baldwin’s speech, she touched on her enjoyment of working as the superintendent, the importance of teachers in the district and the areas that still need improvement.
“I wake up looking forward to come to work every single day,” Baldwin said of her time working as superintendent, attributing much of her success to her coworkers.
Baldwin believes in the importance of making school fun for students without sacrificing rigor.
According to Baldwin, when she first began working as superintendent; she was often asked what she would “bring.” In her speech, Baldwin emphasized that she is not here to “bring” new changes to the district, but instead to encourage others, such as teachers, to do so.
One of the last points that Baldwin emphasized was that the district community was only scratching the surface of equity. “This school district provides an amazing experience for most of our students,” Baldwin said.
She went on to explain issues surrounding the achievement gap in our district and student stress and anxiety. “I would remove [class rank] if I could, but that would require legislation,” Baldwin said.
Baldwin ended her speech by addressing the poor conditions of many of the facilities in the district. Baldwin said that sites in the district that require refurbishing need to be prioritized. Baldwin also addressed the problem of a lack of teachers and transportation workers in the district.
“Perfection is not in reach, but excellence is.” Baldwin said. “While there is so much to do, I think we are off to a great start.”
