WCPSS officials concerned racial incidents are 'beginning to define' district
Wake County school principals on Thursday afternoon discussed the recent wave of racially charged incidents in schools, including one that was caught on camera at Wake Forest High School.
Posted — UpdatedEarlier this month, black student Micah Speed was seen pulling a white student to the ground before a teacher stepped in. Speed, who was suspended for the incident, said he had been the target of bullying and racial slurs for weeks before the fight.
Last week, three students from Leesville Road Middle School posted a video in which racial slurs were used. Although the video was not filmed on campus, school leaders disciplined the students for the incident.
The recent videos posted online highlight racial tensions and troubles in the school system.
District leaders said they are not going to run away from the problem.
“We were concerned it was beginning to define us as a school system. This is certainly not who we want to be or who we are, and it’s the reason for the urgency in bringing principals together to really begin to address issues of race in schools,” said Assistant Superintendent for Equity Affairs Rodney Trice.
Principals from around the Wake County Public School System were meeting Thursday for what they said would be a candid talk.
District leaders want to hear what is happening in individual schools in the district.
Ultimately, district officials want to start a larger conversation with the community about race. They plan to deliver short- and long-term plans to address the problems in a meeting with the school board next week.
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