The principal and a teacher at Bunnell Elementary School in Florida were placed on administrative leave after allegedly singling out Black students for low test scores during an assembly.
The incident involved fourth and fifth-grade students being removed from class to attend an assembly in the cafeteria.
LaShakia Moore, who is the interim superintendent for Flagler County, addressed the situation in a news conference, apologizing to the school’s families, students, and staff.
She took ownership of the situation and emphasized her commitment to the success of the students, both as an educator and as a member of the community.
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“I am not deflecting this. I own this, but I have been a longtime educator here in Flagler Schools,” Moore said.
“I am committed to the success of these students not only because I am an educator, but because I’m a member of this community. So I need you as a community member, I need every community member, I need our business partners, I need our faith base — I need everyone to come together, one, around (having) a hard conversation,” Moore added.
Moore urged community members, including business partners and faith-based groups, to come together for a difficult conversation regarding the incident.
Flagler County School Board is taking the situation seriously saying the principal will remain on leave until a thorough investigation is conducted.
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The intention behind the assembly, which was apparently to motivate African American students who had scored below a certain level on tests, seems to have been misconceived, as indicated by the School Board Chairperson Cheryl Massaro.
“It should not have happened. Flagler schools does not support, you know, segregation,” Massaro said to ClickOrlando.. “Bring them all in, bring them all in. That’s all that matters, bring them all and talk to all of them. Give them all the same supports. Don’t isolate it to one subgroup, and that’s when the line got crossed.”
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