Hamilton sees system as one for all children

Jean Hamilton has a lot invested in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools system - her two children attend Estes Hills Elementary School and Phillips Middle School.

Hamilton is one of four candidates vying for three open seats on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education.

Running for the first time, Hamilton said she wants to be on the school board to help improve the quality of education for each child and to better voice the concerns of teachers.

Hamilton said she believes that her volunteer experience in the community and a doctoral degree in economics from the University of California at Berkeley will allow her to analyze statistics and use them to make decisions.

After moving to Chapel Hill four years ago, she committed herself to various activities within the community, including starting the African-American Parent Support Network at Estes Hills

She also has served as a mentor at the Women's Center and co-coach of an Odyssey of the Mind team of third-, fourth- and fifth-graders.

Members of the current school board and Hamilton agree that closing the achievement gap should be the district's top priority.

To accomplish this, Hamilton stressed a need to foster better relationships between teachers and students.

"Tutoring and other methods need to continue," Hamilton said. "Different students need different instruction, and a good relationship needs to exist between teachers and students.

"We need to be able to help slower performing students to rise up."

Hamilton also advocated a stronger communication system between the school board and teachers.

She suggested a forum to better understand the needs and concerns of the teachers.

"We need to focus on fundamental things so that children understand the material," she said.

"We need true partnerships with all parents, teachers and the administrators and make them part of the decision process."

Hamilton also said smaller class sizes and better working conditions are needed to promote a more productive environment for the teachers and students.

"The teachers are doing the work," she said, adding that working conditions need to be improved for the sake of both teachers and students.

"Twenty-eight students in (a class in) elementary school is a lot, and we need more assistants to make functions in the classroom easier. Smaller class sizes always help."

Hamilton proposes an ongoing assessment of the system and not waiting for test scores to come out to make decisions.

"We need to be open and honest about the challenges concerning the district," she said.

"We need to accomplish our mission - making sure every student can reach their highest potential - to provide excellent education for each and every student, but we're not doing it."

 

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.