A Special Message from Club Blvd’s PAAC Co-Chair
I’m honored to have many Durham moms supporting my campaign. This week I’m sharing a message from Monica Burney, Co-Chair of the Parents for African American Children (PAAC) at Club Boulevard Elementary. I’m looking forward to sharing more messages from moms in the coming weeks.
Parenting: no matter how we come to it, it is a journey. Sometimes we feel like we are walking along a winding path or dropped in a jungle with no map! Even though it’s filled with excitement, “lost and confused” describes many days on my journey. But the power of community can serve as a guidepost to help show the surest path to success.
It is through community that I have come to know Millicent Rogers. When we met, I was heavily involved with my two oldest children at Club Boulevard Elementary as part of the Parents of African American Children group. I had been a part of this group for a couple of years. The goals of PAAC are to address the achievement gap by focusing on academics, culture, and community. This group formed out of frustration of a stark reality that Black Students at our school were failing at disproportionate rates than White and Latino students. A support community was developed to share ideas, encouragement, and strategies.
At the time Millicent joined us, we were at a crossroads. We were established in our school community but thinking about ways to enhance our connections within the existing PTA structure. It is here where I saw, firsthand, the strengths in Millicent’s leadership. Millicent came into our school as a new parent and joined PTA, immediately offering her skills in understanding and explaining procedures, board roles, and responsibilities. She also involved herself with our PAAC community events by coming to our meetings, representing our interests in the larger school setting, and volunteering at PAAC sponsored events. Her energy level was a welcome shot in the arm for Club Blvd!
Knowing the work a person does is important, but I like to observe how they work. As Millicent came into our school and community, she demonstrated her ability to think critically about procedures that had been in place for years that we weren’t even always sure why we were doing them in the first place. She did not do that in a rude way but was contemplative. She also demonstrated a consistency that enhanced our efficiency as an organization. Because she was an expert at many things procedure-related, she was always willing to share her knowledge to improve our PTA’s organization. She was also quick to share resources from her other connections in the community. Navigating this information flow requires a balance of tenacity and diplomacy that I’ve watched Millicent navigate well. She values working together and bringing people from diverse backgrounds into common spaces to advocate for what’s best for students. I understand these things not from anything she said but from what I’ve watched her do.
Millicent being a part of our community was an asset. She proved to be honest, collaborative & consistent. Her critical thinking raised the expectations and outcomes of our organization. I think the same can be done at the next level, and I hope to see her get the opportunity to do so.