Political Opinion: Davidson County Democrats say making good citizens starts in our schools
As part of our hyperlocal coverage, Davidson Local invites ALL registered political parties to submit a monthly opinion column by a designee.
Last month I took the opportunity to call on our young community for change. However, one might say what change do we need exactly? You might be surprised to know there are many people who do not like change in our county. It was recently said, “Don’t bring those types of issues here, we’re in Davidson, that stuff doesn’t happen here.” You see, as a woman of color who has grown up in Davidson most of her life, I am directly affected by the inequality here, so this week we will take a step back and touch on one of our most important subjects: Our School Systems.
Did you know that according to researchers at DUKE UNIVERSITY, Davidson County, in 2013, was home to the second most segregated schools in the state? This is because we are one of the very few counties which have three separate school systems, three districts with significant racial and socio-economic segregation. I can sit here and quote to you that in 2015, Thomasville City Schools served around 2,392 students majority nonwhite, while Davidson County Schools served 19,717 students 85.3% White. However, I am not here to talk only about statistics. There was an in depth article written in 2015 by Brent Ducharme, an Attorney Fellow at the UNC Center of Civil Rights, going in depth about all the numerical data. The link to his article is https://www.ednc.org/three-districts-one-county-some-context-on-education-in-lexington-thomasville-and-davidson-county/#:~:text=The%20racial%20segregation%20of%20schools,by%20economic%20isolation%20as%20well.&text=48.3%20percent%20of%20students%20passed,districts%2C%20many%20teachers%20are%20leaving.
Instead, I am coming to you from a local perspective. Let’s begin by painting a picture of Davidson County for you. My Colleagues & I refer to it as “The Doughnut Theory”. In Thomasville Specifically, you have Davidson County Schools on the outside areas of the city, think of a circle. While in the middle, you have a whole separate school system drawn out with K-12 made up of minority students. I am sure you can imagine the difference in funding both school districts receive right?
It should not matter whether you are on the right or left of the political spectrum, at the end of the day we want a better Davidson County. This means we need to have these tough conversations, even if it makes us uncomfortable. The numerical data above is from 2015, but the numbers have not changed much since the date the article was published. I graduated from Thomasville High School in 2017, and can personally attest that the students I went to school with were predominantly students of color. This is an area where we are directly failing our students.
We need to join forces, and understand that we are one. There is no reason that we have a separate school system drawn out for minorities. As a parent, you know education is life-changing, and that making good citizens starts in our schools. As a college graduate and a product of Thomasville City Schools, I am where I am because of my mentors. I had Lieutenant Colonel Merkel & Mr. Fransisco who guided me, but our TCS Students need more Merkels & Francisco’s. Our Current teachers need our support and more resources in order to ensure that ALL our children are successful, they are the future of Davidson. The ugly truth is that as of now, we are failing our students by not providing equal and equitable opportunities. ALL our students deserve EQUAL resources. They are the future of Davidson County. The time for change is now.
If you would like to discuss the Doughnut Theory more in depth, please reach out to us via our socials or our new & improved website! Education is so important. The Davidson County Democratic Party advocates for our teachers and students. Please do not hesitate to reach out, we are one, we are a community. To our current teachers, thank you.
Marlene Martinez
Third Vice Chair DCDP
