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NAACP education chair accuses UCPS administration of limiting engagement, cites unimplemented recommendations and Monroe High performance
Summary
Reagan Shaw, education chair of the Union County NAACP, told the board a scheduled meeting with district leadership fell apart after the superintendent sought to dictate which NAACP leaders could attend; Shaw cited unimplemented Citizens Advisory Committee recommendations and a 71% non‑proficiency rate at Monroe High as examples of accountability failures.
Reagan Shaw, education chair of the Union County NAACP, used the board’s public comment period to publicly criticize the district’s approach to engagement and accountability, saying a scheduled meeting with UCPS leadership failed because the superintendent attempted to dictate which NAACP leaders could attend.
“No public official gets to decide who represents the NAACP,” Shaw said, adding that the organization determines its own leadership and representation. Shaw said the NAACP prepared a memorandum of understanding to address urgent concerns about operational transparency and communication and that a scheduled overview by Reverend Stringfell was interrupted by technical problems at the meeting.
Shaw said that five years after a Citizens Advisory Committee process, important recommendations remain unimplemented and that districtwide narratives of success hide concentrated failure. He cited Monroe High School’s non‑proficiency rate, which he said is 71%, as an example of concentrated need the district must confront rather than obscure with averages.
Shaw urged good‑faith engagement on equal footing, saying the NAACP is prepared to “engage constructively” but that requires respect for the organization’s independence and willingness to address substantive issues rather than optics.
Superintendent Dr. Andrew G. Hulahan responded later in the meeting when board member Jimmy asked about correspondence. Hulahan said an invitation had been sent to the current NAACP president (identified in the meeting as Mr. Hanley) and that a meeting was arranged with Reverend Kurpatre and superintendent staff; Hulahan characterized the outreach as consistent with the district—s efforts to meet.
The exchange did not produce a formal action item at the meeting. Shaw’s remarks were part of the public comment period; board members and administration acknowledged the concern and said follow‑up meetings and communications were underway.
Key quote from the public comment: “When engagement can be managed, controlled, and kept safely on the district's terms, it is welcomed. But when an independent organization insists on meeting on equal footing, the response is to try to control the structure of the engagement or to walk away.”
