McQueen: Not enough black teachers in schools

Published by on May 6, 2015 | 45 Comments

By Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com

HAMLET — The president of the Richmond County local chapter of the NAACP chided county school district officials on Tuesday, lamenting how few black teachers there are in Richmond County schools.

Dr. Fred McQueen said that black students in the county system could go from kindergarten through 12th grade without ever seeing a teacher of the same skin color.

Dr. Fred McQueen

Dr. Fred McQueen

McQueen addressed Superintendent Dr. Cindy Goodman and all six elected members of the school board beginning at 5:45 p.m. — before the start of the regular monthly public meeting. There was no indication from the school district’s central office that the start of the meeting had been adjusted to accommodate McQueen.

For his part McQueen said he’d rather be on the agenda — but that he’s been unable to be listed there. McQueen said he first was told it was a policy put into place by former superintendent Dr. George Norris. But McQueen said he’s learned it’s a school board policy now and not at the discretion of the superintendent.

Lastly, McQueen lamented the loss of funding for a program for high-achieving students that previously took place at Cole Auditorium in Hamlet. The academic achievement ceremony recognized students who earned A-B Honor Roll status or better. To rent the auditorium, McQueen said, is $1,200. But with the superintendent’s signature on what then becomes a Board of Education-supported or -sponsored event, the facility rental fee is cut in half.

For two years, Richmond County Schools supported the program but that support left before the start of the third year of the program. McQueen said his organization couldn’t afford the full rental fee and the cost of putting on the program, so it was discontinued.

No one responded to McQueen’s comments. Wiley Mabe, board chairman, thanked him for speaking.

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  • Greg Dawkins

    Hopefully, all applications are looked at, both black applicants and white applicants, and the best person for the job is selected. I would want my child to have the best qualified teacher, black or white. Surely, you aren’t insinuating that applicant selection is done by race. I wonder what the ratio is of white applicants versus black applicants. Also, if they don’t apply then they can’t possibly hope to have a chance at the job.

    • just my opinion

      It is expected that the school board go out and recruit black teachers so that they are present in the classrooms,nothing is based upon merit or education or qualification.If I want a job I have to apply and be the best person for the job so shouldn’t that be the rule for us all?

      • Crystal Monique Morrison

        No its not expected. There was a suggestion made that either the school district hold a job fair or actually send a representative to university job fairs to let recent grads and others know what’s available here. That is what the PR officer and Human Resources are for, Marketing and recruitment are a part of hiring and building as well. There are several Major universities in North Carolina that hold job fairs quite regularly and that info was provided…. Several have passed since that info was presented January and no efforts or follow up has been reported after being asked for follow up. I am actively involved in school affairs due to my children being in the system. Cultural diversity for our children is a definitive thing now!!!! It must be present in our children’s formative years in order to adapt to their future in adulthood! If cultural diversity is to be taught as mandatory to adults in the working world, why can’t we expose our children now in order to prepare them….not throw them out in it blind!!!!!

        • http://www.gametillyoudrop.com/ Raymond

          Out of curiosity, what does cultural diversity mean to you?

    • Crystal Monique Morrison

      The current ratio white to black is 429 white female teachers to 29 black female, 10 non-white males that includes, black, hispanic etc., in Richmond County School district. I myself personally know 17 certified black female and Master Level teachers in this county but have to travel to areas like Robeson County, Lee County etc. Applications have been put in, but there was no response or they would offer only substitute positions. But if you go online to the district website, there still positions open from late 2014 for teaching positions that have not been fille, or maybe someone just needs to update their website!

      • Greg Dawkins

        Thanks for clearing some of this stuff up. Once you hear those numbers, it sounds like maybe something else is going on here.

        • http://www.gametillyoudrop.com/ Raymond

          I’m not saying that something inappropriate isn’t happening, but you can spin numbers to support a variety of thoughts if you want. We should not have X amount of black teachers just to have X amount. If we do that, then we should do that for EVERY race present in the US.

          • Greg Dawkins

            I agree with you all the way. Don’t just put someone in a position because of their race. They need to be able to do the job that is expected of them.

          • Christian Conservative

            Right, putting someone in a position because of their race is called racism……

          • Marcus Unchained

            I agree, but these principals are NOT hiring people of color who also qualify to teach. Thats is the real issue.

      • Hall Rick

        Crystal, if you are one for percentages please think this one over,Most postal workers here are black, most social services workers ,are black, many blacks work in the court system,if we took this to a nationwide deal, and hired according to percentages ,then only 13 percent of all workers who held city,county,state or federal jobs would be 13 percent of that work force. At some point ,you are going to have to accept ,that 69 percent of the population ,cannot ever revolve around the wants of 13 percent of the population. If you are one for percentages ,lets try to lower the 74 percent of single black mothers, lets trying to lower the crime rate among blacks from 54 percent of all crime in the usa ,commited by only 13 percent of the total population. Lets try to lower the unemployment of young blacks ,down to say 9 percent ,from the current 29 percent. Lets ask these young men to pull up their pants,and stop trying to act like thugs and ganstas, lets have some real role models, instead of gansta rappers,sports stars who best their wives,have dog fighting operations, and are into heavy drugs. Lets work on those percentages ,first . The rest will work its self out.

        • Marcus Unchained

          Discussing revised stats about african americans isnt the issue. Another idiot quoting Fox News stats. With these young men who need to “pull up their pants,and stop trying to act like thugs and ganstas, lets have some real role models, instead of gansta rappers,sports stars who best their wives,have dog fighting operations, and are into heavy drugs” Im happy that young white men do exactly the same thing and those percentages need to be worked on as well. Only an dummy think every person of color is the same.

          • don

            You sound hypocritical Marcus. Referencing people to a certain news network as “idiot” and “dummy” makes you a bigot also.

          • Marcus Unchained

            NO it actually does not make me a bigot. Another thing, you and the fellow idiots on here are talking about false ideas that are not relevant to the issue. It seems that truth telling offends the simple minded.

          • don

            Last reply. It is clear that your incapable of a respectable debate. Goodbye marcus.

          • Marcus Unchained

            NOT AT ALL!! ITS VERY CLEAR THAT YOU CANNOT DEBATE WHAT IS FACTUAL!

          • Hall Rick

            Marcus,and only a true racist would think that all whites are racist,and that their ancestors owned slaves,and all are rich. I watch and read facts,not fox . I live with lots of old saying ,learned from my parents past,before you can find fault with another ,clean your own house first. The white race is not holding down the black race ,the black race is doing this to themselves.The black race are 14 percent of the total population,yet they are responsible for 67 percent of all crime in this country,Their so called entertainers,encourage ,violence,murder,drugs,and other criminal activities . After the Baltimore riots, did they march and protest the 14 blacks killed by other blacks ? Without the white man,the blacks would have no cause to champion, and would have to stand and be accountable for themselves and surely we cant have that. Without the white man,who would pay the taxes for all the support that blacks take from the goverment?your feeble come back would be that more whites are on welfare than blacks, well duh ,there are 5 times more whites in america ,than blacks so of course that would be true. As for white privilage ,my mother picked cotton on another mans land for 1 penny a pound ,back in 1916 working side by side with blacks in cotton fields around patrick south carolina,you dont want all blacks judged by the actions of a few, then dont lump all white together as the rich man,with more head start in life. I worked tobacco fields in whiteville nc ,12 hours a day for 8 dollars pay. You are right we arent all the same huh?

          • Marcus Unchained

            I never lumped all whites together. You lumped all blacks together. Stop lying first of all! No one ever said the “white race is holding back the black race either.” The black race isnt holding themselves back either. Thats another lie you spoke. White people are NOT the only people who pay taxes to say that they do is another lie from you. You cannot watch and read facts because your paragraph is filled with lies. Faux News watcher. Pathetic

          • Hall Rick

            Lol, another uninformed and half blind liberal,in a debate ,thats just cherry,lumping people together Marcus,seems to be your forte,and i dont debate with closet racist ,like others say here ,goodbye

          • Marcus Unchained

            You are the uninformed idiot who lies on your posts to try to justify your false ideas. You respond like a buffoon and to suggest that I am a closet racist is only your way of trying to get away from the actual subject matter which is about the lack of teacher that people of color. You have shown that you lack the intelligence and maturity needed for an educated response. Good luck on your buffoon antics around those who think like you.

          • Marcus Unchained

            Stupid

          • Hall Rick

            and only a bigger idiot thinks all whites are rich and treated special ,or in this case a racist

          • Marcus Unchained

            It seems like you like to write a lot of false garbage. NO one said “all whites are rich and treated special!” You are writing that nonsense for this forum. I see you cannot debate on a mature level. This is just for fun for me now!

    • Marcus Unchained

      I know many that have applied with no call back. I would like for RCS to release the ratio of white vs person of color applicants. I have a suspicion that it will be close.

  • don

    I am so sick and tired of this “race” thing, especially when it refers to only one
    race. There are many races other than black. The Jews were far more
    discriminated. Jews also had segregated restrooms in the U.S. as
    recently as 1957! The Chinese were used as slave labor, the Japanese
    were forced from their U.S. homes in 1942 and sent to internment
    camps. The Polish were called Pollocks, Italian were called warps,
    Germans were called Nazis, the French were called Frogs. I could go
    on and on but my point is that blame and complaining is not the way
    to end racial strife.

    • Crystal Monique Morrison

      I did mention the fact in a later comment that cultural diversity is so much needed. But presenting what the statistics are, they are broken down into race and the identified races are what are listed. And we are also looking at the statistical majority of the races of students represented in our schools, 53% black, 42% white, and 5% other nationalities such as Asian, Native American, Etc.

    • Marcus Unchained

      All of those stats are irrelevant. Its about the lack of diversity at RCS not this revision history stat that you place to be a distraction.

    • Hall Rick

      Don,please read or google one million white slaves owned by black slave traders,long before the first black slave set foot on these shores,also google first black slave in usa, was owned by a black man,who came here with his slave and went to court to keep him. The book about the one million white slaves was written by a black author.

  • Christian Conservative

    If you can educate my child, I don’t care what color you are. Shame on him for being a racist.

    • Greg Dawkins

      Well put.

    • Marcus Unchained

      Shame on you for being closed minded.

  • just my opinion

    The material being taught is the same no matter what race the teacher is so why does it matter.If it is such a big deal to have black teachers teaching black students why not segregate the schools again.

    • Marcus Unchained

      So segregation is something you are pulling for??? Backwards thinking proves how “bigoted” you are.

      • Hall Rick

        Segregation is seeing signs at schools ,in chicago,stating no whites allowed,that is racism at its finest. Had i known in 1968 ,when i marched for equal rights for people of color ,in cheraw,had a cross burned in my yard,tires on my car flattened ,because I invited my best friend ,henry mcoll,a co worker to eat with me at the country kitchen,Had i known this would be how things would turn out in 2015 ,I would have stayed,home.

        • Marcus Unchained

          You have never saw a sign in chicago where there are signs saying “no whites allowed” not did you march for equal rights. You are lying and continue to lie on this forum. SMH

          • Hall Rick

            I love people who remain ,stupid and uninformed so I guess i love you Marcushttp://www.bizpacreview.com/2015/03/08/no-whites-allowed-blacks-only-hs-assembly-outrages-white-parents-so-how-did-principal-defend-it-185199

          • Hall Rick

            and if you like,Henry Mcoll is still living in cheraw ,s c listed in the phone book ,and he was and still is one of my dearest friends. Maybe we can talk one day,when you grow up and stop the labeling and name calling ,you have been taught to do.

          • Marcus Unchained

            So now you are trying the “one of my dearest friends is ……… black?” You are NOT on my level of intelligence. Yield and admit that you do not have the intelligence to continue this conversation with factual evidence and have the inability to stay on topic about the issue at hand instead of bringing up false stats about people of color that is not relevant to the news article.

          • Marcus Unchained

            Its almost charming how stupid you are with your post. I decided to check out this “website” and it is not even credible. No where on the page is there a sign “that says whites only” as you claimed. This is a conservative opinion website and you take the opinions of others and call them facts which shows how stupid you are. So even with your own evidence with that garbage website you have continued to prove to be a liar. Calling me a racist because I do not agree with your racist views is stupid. Rick Hall is another word for Stupid. I can tell you didn’t graduate from high school.

          • Hall Rick

            Marcus,one last question ,did your mom have any kids that werent retarded? The sign for no whites allowed even showed up on msnbc,morning joe show, it was two weeks ago ,it is old news,but for the mentally challenged,it takes awhile for you to research,i understand that please have the last word as I am done with ,you

          • Marcus Unchained

            Another sign of low intelligence is the fact that you use the word “retarded” as a way to insult me. Not only are you racist towards people of color, you also offend people with special disabilities. It is obvious that your mother had a future buffoon in her belly and you happen to be that buffoon that she reluctantly pushed out of her body. I feel sorry for your mother. It is evident in your sentence structure that you did not finish grade school and probably why you went to the field to work because you do not have the capacity to do any career work that requires thinking. You used a source that has no merit to support your ignorance and you failed to prove true facts. You are the definition of stupid. Instead of calling someone stupid I will just say, You must be “Rick Hall.” Buffoon

  • Marcus Unchained

    Richmond County Schools has been notorious for not hiring people of color as lead teachers in this county. People say that they are tired of hearing about “race” just do not want to hear what is the truth about what is happening in this school system. It is great to say ” I want my child to have the best education regardless of the color of the teacher.” The problem is that the principals involved are not hiring people of color who apply for these positions. For example, there is a social studies teacher who has been hired and has NOT completed his degree and works for RCS. LJ Bell does NOT have a lead teacher that is a person of color and that is not an accident. Fairview Heights only has 2 lead teachers. The ratio is absolutely appalling. If the school board does not do something about this systemic racism, they should be removed.

  • don

    1st. How can you tell what a person’s race is by reading a resume?
    2nd. RCS has had a difficult time finding QUALIFIED teachers of ANY race and have had to hire out of state.

    • Marcus Unchained

      You have truly shown your ignorance. EEOC forms are always at the end of the resume to determine your gender, age, and race. RCS does NOT have a difficult time finding QUALIFIED teachers because they would rather hire teachers out of state that only teach here for 1 or 2 years and leave with experience than hire people of color in their own county. Shame on them.

  • hanktuesday

    I sure do wish I knew what all these deleted post said. Must have been some mean stuff.

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