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Educators urge Edgecombe County Schools to adopt meet-and-confer and create community advisory committee
Summary
Educators and community members urged the Edgecombe County Public Schools board to adopt a formal meet-and-confer policy to give staff a voice and proposed a Community Advisory Committee to sustain engagement after redistricting.
Several educators and community leaders told the Edgecombe County Public Schools board on Oct. 13 they want a formal process for staff input and a new Community Advisory Committee to boost family and civic engagement.
Marcia Boyd Williams, president of the Edgecombe County Association of Educators, said the group has grown from about 130 members in August to more than 500 and urged the board to establish a "meet and confer" policy that would create a structured space for district leadership and educators to collaborate on student learning conditions, working conditions and related policies.
"Meet and confer is not about confrontation. It's about collaboration," Williams said, asking the board to meet with association leaders to build a process that would improve morale and retention.
Other speakers echoed the request. Stacy Smith Pittman, a fifth-grade teacher at Stocks Elementary, told the board that greater autonomy and a formal voice would help teachers make decisions that meet individual student needs. Brianna Stormbaker, representing the Edgecombe United Redistricting Working Group, proposed piloting an ECPS Community Advisory Committee in 2025-26 to harness redistricting engagement and train members on school governance, budgeting and accountability.
Why it matters: Educators' calls for a formal meet-and-confer arrangement and an advisory committee touch on how the district involves employees and families in decisions that affect instruction, staffing and student supports. The board did not adopt policy at this meeting but heard multiple public comments requesting a meeting with district leaders to begin conversations.
What happens next: Speakers asked the board to schedule meetings with association and community representatives. The board did not announce a formal timeline for adoption; the request will likely be considered by staff and board committees ahead of future meetings.
Provenance: topicintro SEG 154, topfinish SEG 296
