The People's Alliance Education Action Team is grateful to the Durham Board of Education for making the difficult and necessary decision not to renew the employment contract of DSA's principal David Hawks. The Ed Team has been deeply concerned about the Board's lack of willingness to hold principals accountable for poor leadership and actions incompatible with Durham's progressive values.

In particular, we view concerns about disparate treatment of Black and brown students as highly egregious. Black and brown students and families at DSA have been expressing deep skepticism of Principal Hawks for a long time now, and we are glad to amplify their voices and join in the chorus calling for better leadership in our public schools.

We have expressed these concerns to all Board members for many months, and we are glad to see that the Board has taken steps to begin the journey of greater accountability for those in leadership. We also positively note the change of leadership at Lowes Grove, and we hope that, held together, these actions begin to firm up a greater willingness on the part of the Board to intervene on behalf of students, families, and teachers who deserve better from principals and senior administrators within DPS.

In Solidarity,

The PA Education Action Team