Name: Wendy Dale
Party affiliation: Democratic
Career: Paralegal/technology contracts specialist
Degree: B.A. in Communication Studies, concentration in Rhetoric, and a Minor in Social and Economic Justice from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Q: What qualifies you to serve on the New Hanover County Schools Board of Education?
A: I have over 20 years of business and legal experience, as well as the personal experience of being a single mom to a child who struggled with ADHD and attended public schools.
Q: Name one top priority policy change you want to see and how you will work to achieve it.
A: Given that a federal court has permanently blocked the Executive Order to remove DEI policies from public schools, I think the board’s first priority should be to reinstate DEI provisions to ensure that students, teachers, and staff are treated fairly and to counteract any discriminatory tendencies. DEI has been widely adopted in most areas of public life, including business and academia, for many years. It has been shown to have a positive impact and should not be abandoned on partisan grounds. Everyone benefits from DEI policies, and I would work across party lines to convince the board to reinstate such policies, utilizing research and evidence that shows the positive impact it has had.
Q: What is your view of the current board’s leadership? What are they succeeding at and what needs to be improved?
A: I’m not happy with the way the Republican leadership has injected partisan politics into board decisions by banning books from the curriculum and requiring the removal of materials they don’t like from classrooms. It is overreach and a violation of students and teachers’ First Amendment rights.
They are to be commended for working well with others on the board and becoming more proficient at the decision-making process, moving things forward efficiently and in accordance with the correct procedure. I would like to see the board engage in more active listening and thoughtful debate.
Q: What is the biggest challenge facing the schools district?
A: New Hanover County Public Schools’ biggest challenge is its $368-million budget. While this represents an enormous responsibility of the highest magnitude, it is also the case that we need more funding for facilities, teacher and staff raises, and programs that the schools would like to implement. Making important budget decisions while also advocating to receive additional funding will be my top priority as a board member if elected.
Q: Even though the people will vote on the $320-million school bond, would you advocate for its support? Why or why not?
A: Absolutely, we should not short-change our children. The small property tax increase will be well worth the benefits received from the various bond projects, which are badly needed. For most homeowners, the increase will be less than $100 a year.
Q: What would you like to see the state legislature do regarding school funding?
A: I would like to see them return the education lottery to its original intent and actually use it to fund education. This can be done by setting a limit on payouts in order to ensure that this funding source remains available for schools. Also, they should not rely solely on the education lottery. It’s original intent was to supplement, not replace, state school funding. I would like to see the state revert back to a progressive income tax model and increase taxes enough to fully cover our schools’ needs.
Q: What is your view of the board’s role in overseeing curriculum and library book selections?
A: The main responsibility of the board should be to ensure that the curriculum is sufficient for students’ educational achievement, as well as their social and emotional wellbeing. Library selections should be as diverse and varied as reasonably possible. The board should not second-guess the experience of professional educators or try to remove books or curriculum for political or partisan reasons. Students should be exposed to controversial issues, if age-appropriate, so that they can learn to engage in respectful, civil debate. I think they should also be exposed to an objective, academic understanding of a variety of religious beliefs as part of a history or civics curriculum.
Q: What are specific actions you would support the board voting on to address its low-performing schools?
A: I would first want to understand why they are low-performing. I would want to see a nuanced analysis done to understand the specific issues facing each school, to determine what programs could be implemented to increase achievement. Funding will, of course, be a related issue as we need to have the budget to implement any proposed changes. I will support any actions that provide additional resources to under-performing schools, whether it be more teachers or counselors, afterschool programs, etc., as long as there is data to accurately define the problem and the solution.
Q: What do you think The Endowment should fund for schools versus what should be funded by the government in the school budget?
A: The Endowment is an amazing support mechanism for public schools, but it should not relieve the government of its responsibilities, particularly the state government, which has been underfunding public schools for way too long. I don’t have any particular preference on who pays for what, but I think it is the government’s responsibility to provide at least enough funding for our schools to reach their reasonable achievement goals. The Endowment funds should supplement the government funding for the purpose of its own goal, which is to make New Hanover County schools the best in the state.
Q: How do you view your role in providing information to the public and the press?
A: I believe in transparency, while maintaining confidentiality of personnel and student records or any other information that is classified by policy or law as confidential. I believe I have a right to share and the public has a right to know my personal opinion on issues even if my opinion is at odds with the board’s policy. This should not be deemed to be an intentional undermining of the board. It is simply an exercise of my First Amendment speech rights.