WS/FCS pass bylaws for Multicultural Advisory Council, virtual meeting format
Less than six months after Superintendent Angela P. Hairston made the recommendation for the special committee to be formed, last week the school board passed the bylaws for the Multicultural Advisory Council.
The formation of the council was one of seven recommendations made by the superintendent during a public meeting last fall. At that same meeting, the board voted 7-1 not to make African American Studies a mandatory course, but approved the the expansion of ethnic studies in the K-8 curriculum and put in place initiatives to strengthen the current African Americans Studies course, one of which was the Multicultural Advisory Council.
The goal of the council will be to ensure that every student in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools sees themselves in the instruction they experience. The council will act as an “advisory committee” to various departments within the district and collaborate with the superintendent, community groups, and others to provide multicultural-related curriculum initiatives and issues.
According to the bylaws, the council will be comprised of two sub-committees: the African American Advisory Sub-Committee and the Hispanic Advisory Sub-Committee. Both committees will have least nine members and no more than 15. Members will be appointed by the school board and will include people from all walks of life including parents, teachers, students, and others who have “relevant experience in equity issues” and “bring a connection and advocacy for local historically underserved/marginalized communities.”
When it came time to vote on the motion to approve, the bylaws passed unanimously. A copy of the bylaws for the Multicultural Advisory Council can be viewed online.
In other business, the school board also approved a motion that allows them to hold virtual meetings through the duration of the school closing due to COVID-19. Schools across the state are closed until May 15.
The motion approved by the board will allow the board to still meet and handle business while adhering to social distancing mandates currently in place.
