A voice for the teachers

Plus: Top news of the week; Build your teen vocabulary

Good morning! Today is Saturday, August 8, 2020. You’re reading The Charlotte Ledger’s Weekend Edition.

The Ledger offers free and paid subscription plans. A paid subscription gives you access to all articles and helps build smarter original, local news in Charlotte. You can cancel at any time. Details here.

---

NEWSMAKER Q&A: JUSTIN PARMENTER

Outspoken CMS teacher says clearer leadership would ease educator concerns; Dispelling the ‘lazy teacher’ myth

Early in July, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board seemed headed toward approving a back-to-school plan that would be a mix of in-person and remote instruction.

And then teachers started speaking up. By the dozens, and eventually the hundreds, their emails flooded the inboxes of board members — raising concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, new guidance from federal health officials and new scientific studies. Board members, some citing worries about teacher safety, abruptly approved a compromise plan that called for a two-week face-to-face orientation period followed by all-remote learning.

Two weeks later, after new questions about staffing and safety arose, the board switched plans, voting 9-0 to go entirely with online learning when classes start on Aug. 17. Among parents, the move was controversial — some find it sensible, others believe it’s misguided. It was a monumental decision, and concerns of teachers seemed to be a key issue.

In all of CMS, there might be no better-known teacher at the moment than Justin Parmenter, 47, a seventh-grade English teacher at Waddell Language Academy, the K-8 magnet school in southwest Charlotte. He is starting his 26th year of teaching.

Parmenter is a regional director with the N.C. Association of Educators, the professional association for teachers and other public-school staff; he writes frequently on local education policy on his blog, Notes from the Chalkboard; and he’s widely quoted in the media.

Ledger editor Tony Mecia talked with him this week about being a teacher, what it will take for teachers to feel safe returning to the classroom and some of the sharp criticism he’s heard in the last few weeks.

Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Q. How did you get into this position of leadership?

I just have a keen personal interest in education policy and in advocating for positive changes in education policy in North Carolina.

I’m just trying to be sure that when decisions are made that educators are heard on them, because what I’ve found is that there are a whole lot of policies being crafted at all kinds of different levels that impact our students and teachers in the classroom, but they’ll never ask for any insight from the front lines, from the workers who probably have the clearest view on how that’s going to play out.

Q. Do you feel like teachers are being listened to now? Are they being heard more now? Is this a win because they were listened to?

I don’t know. The word “win” sounds a little too positive because nobody’s winning right now.

My perception is that teachers are probably feeling relieved by not having the same level of risk right now that we would have had otherwise. I don’t know if you want to characterize that as a win.

Q. What is it going to take for teachers to feel safe? Is there anything in particular you can point to?

It’s a good question. You’re not the only one to ask that question of teachers. I’ve heard that question quite a bit. But just think about the fact that we’re asking educators to offer their thoughts on what right now to me feels like something out of a history book. It’s just crazy.

And it appears that nobody really at the federal, state or local level who is in a position to know how you’re supposed to handle stuff like this seems to know exactly what to do besides wear a mask and wash your hands. So I would say, “Ask them,” but they don’t seem to know, either.

Q. They have said the presumption is we should open the schools unless it’s in a hot spot. So are we in a hot spot or should we open schools?

I’m hoping that the smartest people that we have that are in laboratories trying to study this thing and learn more about it are going to come up with some answers that we can all feel a little bit better about — that our medical professionals will issue some benchmarks that everybody can feel good about.

I don’t know that we’ll ever be able to guarantee the safety of our students and staff, but I hope we will be able to at least feel comfortable that we’re not all walking into some kind of giant experiment that’s going to end with people losing their lives because we made the wrong decision.

Teachers aren’t the ones to figure that out.

Q. It seems as though people are realizing it’s not just a matter of the board snapping its fingers and saying, “OK, we think it’s safe.” Even if they were to come out and say, “OK, I need you back in the classroom,” if large numbers of teachers don't feel safe going back, that’s a huge problem, right?

Yeah, absolutely. So I think for me where it’s going to start is with some effective leadership helping to address the fears that are behind that dynamic. The reason that teachers are reacting that way and saying they’re not feeling real good about going back in the classroom right now — I think a lot of it comes from that passing of leadership, whether it’s at the federal, state or local level. Who’s going to take responsibility to step up and say, “OK, we know what to do, and here’s what it is” and speak with a loud and competent enough voice?

We still don’t really have anything beyond this sort of nebulous 5% figure [of Covid tests coming back positive] that the CDC director said in a comment to reporters. It’s not even published in the guide. That’s about all we have so far. It’s better than nothing, but it’s not a whole lot better than nothing.

Q. What about the risks of abuse, suicide and overdoses? Those are actual risks of people staying home, and you've heard the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics talk about those kinds of things. How do you compare those risks against the risks of returning to the classroom?

That’s the big question. Those points are all absolutely correct. I don’t think you could find an educator that would dispute the fact that we’ve got kids right now who if they’re unable to come to school are dealing with all manner of problems in their lives.

Everybody’s situation is a little bit different, but those concerns are all very real. It’s a matter of trying to balance the risks of bringing everybody back into the schoolhouse with a virus that we know is running rampant right now versus trying to serve the other needs that we know that schools can effectively serve.

Maybe schools shouldn’t be the agency that is serving all of those needs. But we’re in that position because schools really end up having to meet a lot of the needs that our students have because they can’t be met by other means.

School is the best place for our kids. In-person instruction, there’s no substitute for it. It’s just a matter of trying to get to a place where this risk that we know is very real is diminished to a point where it makes sense to go ahead and do it.

Q. What kind of feedback have you gotten since all this came out in the last few weeks?

There are people on all sides of it.

There are a lot of criticisms from what I would say is a vocal minority of parents who feel like teachers are just being lazy or just want to work at home because they can watch Netflix.

There are even people who say, “Well, look, if you cared about the kids, you should be willing to go back into the building right now.” It’s a minority, and I try to keep that in mind, but it’s hard to hear that stuff.

I just have to push back on that argument of “You just don’t care enough.” I think that's really wrong.

We dedicate our lives to serving children, not because we're getting rich off of it. We believe so deeply in the power of education to make a difference in the lives of kids. It feels like we’re being asked to solve problems like lack of affordable childcare or employment problems that parents have — all of which are very real concerns. It’s a lot to carry, and everybody is carrying a lot right now.

Most of the parents that I’m hearing from are in a position of just wanting to keep their kids safe and being concerned about the drop-off in the quality of education that they’re seeing with schools closed.

Q. Do you have any concerns about virtual learning?

Sure. I mean, I have two kids of my own. I’ve got one who’s 8. I watched him sit there at his laptop and try to concentrate and try to keep learning through the spring. A lot of his needs weren’t served by that.

There is just no substitute for the ways that a teacher in person can work to build relationships and to motivate kids. A lot of those skills really don’t translate well to a laptop.

But this is where we are right now — hopefully for not much longer.

---

Today’s supporting sponsor is Soni Brendle:

---

Teen talk: Build your vocabulary

Impress and delight the young people in your life by using the words they use. The Ledger shows you how in this occasional Saturday feature.

Today’s word: FLEX (verb)

Pronunciation: fleks

Definition: to show off or boast, brag

Used in a sentence:

• “Molly loves to flex her acceptance to Princeton by wearing Princeton T-shirts every single day.”  

• “Did you see Charles flexing his new BMW this morning, when he drove past our house three times?”

Additional comment: Can be easily modified with adjectives. For example, “casual flex” to signify a humble or modest brag, or “weird flex” to describe when someone boasts about something that is not boast-worthy. (Example of a casual flex: “Wish I didn’t have to go, but I have to skim the leaves out of my brand-new Olympic-size swimming pool.” Example of a weird flex: “I just spent $100 at Starbucks.”)

Ledger analysis: A short and effective way that the younger generation uses to call others out on being showy or braggadocious. (One could argue that writing the word ‘braggadocious’ is a way to flex a robust vocabulary. See what we did there?)

— Cecilia Bolling, age 15

---

This week in Charlotte: Cooper keeps restrictions; Council members trade accusations; CMS shows hand on sports?

On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and delivers the top articles to your inbox — regardless of where they appeared — in areas including education, sports, politics and business. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.

Politics

• City Council brouhaha: (WSOC) The N.C. GOP filed ethics complaints against Democratic council members James Mitchell and Dimple Ajmera. Ajmera said it’s “purely a racist, sexist and political attack.” Republican council member Tariq Bokhari threatened “swift legal action” against Ajmera unless she retracts comments about him.

• Commissioners seek Covid crackdown: (WBTV) Some county commissioners want police and health inspectors to step up enforcement of rules mandating masks and social distancing. The county plans to hire “ambassadors” to educate businesses, and CMPD says officers have visited nearly 300 establishments and issued more than a dozen citations.

Education

• Teachers back to school: (WFAE) More than 9,000 CMS teachers returned to the classroom on Thursday to prepare for the school year. It starts Aug. 17 and will be entirely virtual until the school board decides it’s safe to return.

• College students return: (WCNC) College students started returning to campuses this week, even as some faculty expressed reservations about the potential for Covid to spread. Concerns were amplified after a video from Chapel Hill surfaced that “showed two dozen sorority girls heading off to a party without face masks.”

Business

• Still in Phase 2: (Raleigh News & Observer) Gov. Roy Cooper is keeping business restrictions in place until at least Sept. 11, which means that bars, gyms, yoga studios, movie theaters and museums will remain closed. He and Dr. Mandy Cohen, the state’s top health official, said Covid numbers are improving but remain too high to warrant reopening more businesses.

• Charlotte’s economy: (Ledger/Observer): The Charlotte region’s unemployment rate improved to 8.4% in June, down from 13.2% in May. Overall, the region lost 156,000 jobs in the 2Q, according to a report from the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, with the biggest losses in hospitality.

• Price gouging: (Ledger, subscriber-only) Complaints in North Carolina about price gouging are on the decline, after a surge of consumers reported in March and April that retailers were jacking up the price of groceries, sanitizer and toilet paper.

• Eviction crisis ahead? (Ledger) We speak with a Charlotte property manager for insights on struggling renters and the possible upcoming increase in evictions.

Sports

• Sports or no sports?: (Observer/WBTV/Ledger Web Extra) CMS Superintendent Earnest Winston told the association that governs N.C. high school sports that the school district intends to disallow sports competition during remote learning. But he later clarified to the media that that stance was just his current thinking and that no “final decisions” have been made.

• Private school sports: (Observer) Sports practice at private schools in North Carolina starts Monday. Officials with the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association will allow games starting the week of Sept. 8.

• Panthers restart: (Carolina Panthers) The Panthers released a 16-minute documentary video showing how the team is preparing for training camp despite coronavirus restrictions. “In a season unlike any other, we’re pulling back the curtain to reveal how we’re returning to football,” the team said.

Good reads

• An entrepreneur’s story: (Charlotte Agenda) How Pure Pizza founder Juli Ghazi went from food stamps to owning multiple businesses.

• Mecklenburg’s top prosecutor: (Qcitymetro) With the city’s homicides on track for another dismal year, Qcitymetro interviews District Attorney Spencer Merriweather about the challenges of prosecuting criminals during the pandemic. His office hasn’t convened a jury trial since March — and he doesn’t know when they might resume.

• Ice, ice baby: (Ledger, subscriber-only) Zippy Ice — one of the Charlotte region’s biggest ice producers — moved its headquarters from Rock Hill to Charlotte and was planning to expand. Even as temperatures climb, though, growth plans are melting away because so many events are cancelled.

---

Need to sign up for this e-newsletter? We offer free and paid subscription plans:

The Charlotte Ledger is an e-newsletter and web site publishing timely, informative, and interesting local business news and analysis Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, except holidays and as noted. We strive for fairness and accuracy and will correct all known errors. The content reflects the independent editorial judgment of The Charlotte Ledger. Any advertising, paid marketing, or sponsored content will be clearly labeled.

Got a news tip? Think we missed something? Drop us a line at editor@cltledger.com and let us know.

Like what we are doing? Feel free to forward this along and to tell a friend.

Searchable archives available at https://charlotteledger.substack.com/archive.

On Twitter: @cltledger

Sponsorship information: email editor@cltledger.com.

Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire; Reporting intern: David Griffith