Board recognizes state-champion volleyball team and hears public comments on curriculum, transparency and community event
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Summary
The board recognized Aiden Griffin High School’s state-champion volleyball team and the district’s adaptive PE staff; during public expression, speakers raised concerns about curriculum and data privacy, urged more transparency at work sessions, and proposed a community 'America 250' poem contest.
The Pitt County Board of Education opened its Jan. 5 meeting by recognizing student and staff achievements and then heard three public-expression speakers.
Paul Cornwell, the district’s director of athletics, and board members recognized the Aiden Griffin High School volleyball team for winning the NCHSAA 3A state championship and named Laney Evans match MVP. Board members also congratulated Coach Nicole Waters, noting her coaching record and that she was named by the North Carolina Volleyball Coaches Association as state coach of the year. The board thanked Cornwell and praised district athletics.
Dawn Hester, director of exceptional children’s programs, and adaptive PE staff described programming that serves students with disabilities: bicycle-safety instruction, adaptive aquatics in partnership with ECU Health (staff said it serves over 400 students), lifelong sports adapted for all students, and Special Olympics partnerships. Jonathan Wells was recognized as the NC SHAPE adaptive physical education Teacher of the Year.
During public expression, Julie Anderson (who identified herself with Moms for Liberty) urged the board to read The New Face of Woke Education and asserted that social-emotional learning and certain programs are part of a broader data-mining effort she attributed to entities including the United Nations, the WHO, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and the Rockefellers; no district response was offered during her remarks. Trisha Workum called for increased transparency — live-streaming work sessions, offering public expression at work sessions, a five-minute time allotment for commenters, email submission options and an updated district handbook. Byung Li, representing the Pitt County Human Relations Commission, described plans for an 'America 250' TikTok poem/photo contest and asked the district to participate.
The board listened without substantive response to the public commentators and proceeded to the consent agenda and other business.