To set the region up for a future where every student is granted a fair opportunity to thrive, many non-profit organizations have turned their focus to the American school system. In particular, Community Conversations is on a mission to redefine the education landscape with its newest initiative. The initiative comes after the nonprofit’s recent success in obtaining a $50,000 grant to raise awareness for a $5.54 billion settlement that could have a major impact on 1.5 million public school students in North Carolina. Rebecca Trammel, founder, says: “Public education is the cornerstone of democracy, economic opportunities, and a healthy society.”
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Established in 2019, Community Conversations sought to address educational issues at the local level. In the same year, Rebecca realized that the challenges faced in her community were also experienced by staff and students across the state. As a result, she uncovered a state-wide solution: The Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan. Also referred to as ‘The Leandro Plan’, this remedy came in the form of court-ordered corrective actions with a corresponding budget of $5.54 billion.
North Carolina (NC) is recognized as the #1 US state for economic growth and stability. Despite this, in 2022 and 2023, its schooling system appeared much less prosperous. For example, the most recent “Making the Grade” report ranked NC 48th out of 51 in cost-per-pupil funding. Alongside this, My Future NC reported in 2013, that 31% of NC students – between grades 3 and 8 – achieved college-and-career-ready scores on their reading end-of-grade examinations.
Community Conversations hopes to bridge these gaps by providing practical solutions with long-standing results. Upon establishment, Rebecca was involved in the case of a local first-grade student who did not receive a gift from her teacher at the holiday party, unlike the rest of her class. The child was the only African-American student in the group and Rebecca took to social media to invite the community to drop off presents at her elementary school. Before the following afternoon, the office was filled with books, toys, and gifts for the little girl, all collected by the selfless community. This story had a fairytale ending, but for Community Conversations, it was barely the start of addressing some of the systemic and structural challenges that existed within this space.
In 2019, the organization brought together a coalition of activists who publicly denounced New Hanover County’s redistricting plan, which reinforced inequities and segregation. The group of advocates presented eight corrective actions to mitigate the impact of creating under-resourced schools in the area. Unfortunately, the school board chose not to respond to these concerns and went ahead with their plans. Despite this, Rebecca Trammel continued her pursuits and came across the
Leandro v. North Carolina case, which bore striking similarities with the interventions in the Leandro Plan and the corrective actions set out by the local coalition. The court proceedings proposed a blueprint and budget that could be funded by the state to deliver on its promise of an equal and sound education for every child.
Leandro v. North Carolina (1994) was a lawsuit filed by five rural counties, addressing major challenges in public education. For over thirty years, the case hasn’t led to much resolution, with the state failing to acknowledge North Carolina’s Supreme Court verdicts and minimum requirements for the $5.54 billion investment.
The Leandro Plan pledges to implement a system for teacher recruitment and development to ensure every classroom is staffed with high-quality faculty members, supported by early and ongoing learning and competitive pay. It also endeavors to elevate schools with experienced principals, dedicated to seeing all children thrive. With adequate resources, a system of accountability, and equitable pay, the Plan prioritizes the needs of educators and students, alike.
In 2024, Community Conversations launched a campaign called #IAmLeandro to propel engagement with the cause. With more people-centric policies and great potential to reshape the public education system, Community Conversations invites state leaders to implement and support the Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan and pave the way for a more fair and stable economy. The organization calls for like-minded investors to get involved in this unique opportunity to champion a brighter, more thriving future for North Carolina.
Another way to contribute is by signing a live petition open to the public that spreads awareness and encourages people to stand up for what is right. “We hope that readers will go to our website to sign our petition, follow us on social media, share their stories, take a look at where candidates in NC stand on this issue, and support us financially,” adds Rebecca.
In the future, Community Conversations will host weekly workshops illuminating the plan’s potential and commence a state-wide #IAmLeandro tour where people from all walks of life will be interviewed and granted the ability to share their views.
“Our mission has always been to cultivate prosperity so every child has access to the education they need to succeed. The state has to release the funds to right this wrong,” she asserts. “I greatly cherish people, children, and justice. I simply cannot watch this situation unfold without doing everything I can to prevent the catastrophe of millions of children never reaching their full potential, or even being able to take care of themselves. This is preventable, and the main thing that stands between children and a sound basic education is adequate funding. The time to act and mobilize is now.”
