On tonight’s consent agenda at the Orange County Board of Education is a resolution in support of immigrant children in our community. The resolution is similar to those already adopted by the Carrboro Board of Aldermen, Orange County Board of Commissioners, and Chapel Hill Town Council.
Given that the Orange County School Board has judged the resolution so uncontroversial they’ve placed it on their consent agenda, it’s worth noting that the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education has not passed a resolution of their own. The Board received a similar resolution during public comment at their December 4th meeting from County Commissioner Mark Dorosin, but took no action at that time. It remains unclear if they will revisit the resolution to take action on it at a future meeting.
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A great victory for the people!
It only took a few minutes tonight for the Orange County Board of Education to unanimously pass the "equal Access for Immigrant Children" resolution. During public comments I thanked the Board for taking up the issue so expeditiously and emphasized how critical it was for progressive elected boards not to cede the public discussion to the vociferous opponents of equal treatment and social justice. Chairman Steve Halkiotis explained that the Board considered and discussed the issue as soon as they had received the request from the County Commissioners, and that they all recognized the critical importance of adopting the resolution. "All of us are the children of immigrants" he noted.
As the entire context of our political conversation has shifted right, it is more critical than ever that progressive communities and officials take the lead in establishing strong, outspoken positions advancing the cause of social justice and equality, and directly challenging the regressive, discriminatory, and undemocratic policies and rhetoric of the right-wing.
Kudos to the Orange School Board, which I believe may be the first school board in the state to take such action. Whither, CHCCS?