Residents, educators urge board to approve Tapestry charter and raise teacher pay; one commenter calls for removal of explicit library books

Several residents and educators used the May 5 public-comment period at the Clayton County Public Schools board meeting to press the board on three separate topics: approval of a proposed Tapestry Public Charter School focused on neurodiverse learners, district teacher pay and staffing, and removal of books that a commenter described as explicit.

Joaquinya Holman, who identified herself as a Clayton County resident and graduate, told the board she supports Tapestry Public Charter School and said she and other families currently travel outside the county to find appropriate programs for neurodivergent children. "We want to support and uplift this community to ensure it thrives for all who reside here," Holman said, adding that Tapestry is a Title I school with nationally recognized practices and that approval would increase local options for families.

Amy Sims, who identified herself as a parent advocate and the mother of a child with special needs, described Tapestry’s model — co-teaching general and special-education instructors in every core classroom, smaller student-to-teacher ratios and sensory rooms — and said the program would offer families an in-county choice that does not require high tuition. "Voting yes for Tapestry means voting yes to inclusion, to equity, and hope," Sims told the board.

Bradford Haddon, a teacher at Eddie White Middle School, urged the board to consider internal promotion paths for assistant principals and principals to retain instructional leaders. He also raised district staffing and pay concerns, saying he reviewed job postings and that Clayton County had 590 open positions among the 30 largest counties as of 3 p.m. that day; he said the district ranks 20th of those 30 for first-year teacher pay and urged the board to revisit pay scales to retain staff. Haddon offered to provide his data to the board for verification.

Angelica Mendez urged the board to remove an unspecified number of library books she described as "explicit" and said some titles contained graphic material and links that she called inappropriate for school libraries. She asked the board to act as "champions" for children and remove those books from Clayton County school libraries.

None of the public comments prompted an immediate vote at the May 5 meeting. Board members acknowledged the remarks; the chair said staff would present an overview of any material changes if the matter reaches an agenda item. The board did not take an immediate action on the charter application or on the library materials during the meeting.

Speakers and context - Joaquinya Holman — supported Tapestry Public Charter School and said families currently travel outside Clayton County for services for neurodivergent children. - Amy Sims — parent advocate described Tapestry’s co-teaching/special-education model and urged approval as an inclusive option. - Bradford Haddon — Eddie White Middle School teacher who raised concerns about administrator hiring practices and teacher pay; cited 590 open jobs and a 20th-place rank for first-year pay among 30 large counties (he offered his data to the board). - Angelica Mendez — public commenter who asked the board to remove an unspecified number of library books she termed explicit.

The board did not vote on any of these public requests during the May 5 meeting; staff and board members indicated that items would be considered in their normal review processes or on future agendas if applicable.