The Schools Committee of the South Orange/ Maplewood Community Coalition on Race, after much discussion, has developed a list of points aimed at making our school district more equitable and even more excellent.  The Committee sent its ideas on to the Trustees of the Coalition, who worked diligently over the summer to agree on a platform for superior schools.   In September and October the five steps were presented to the town governing bodies, South Orange-Maplewood Education Association (SOMEA),  Board of Education, and Superintendent Osborne. On November 13, Coalition Vice Chairs Sue Willis and Natalie Thigpen presented them to the PTA/HSA Presidents' Council, and on November 20, Vice Chair Linda Gadsby and Trustee Jim Nathenson made a presentation to the Maplewood Township Committee.  As an organization, the Coalition does not take positions on curriculum, but we do believe that these steps will create an atmosphere that is conducive to an increasingly excellent school system.  To see the full platform and its statement, look on our website at Five Steps. 

 
  Let me begin by thanking you for your support throughout 2007.  It has been a productive but also challenging year.  We had a terrific forum on integration in September; a stunningly successful fund-raiser in November; our Pre-School Open House was the most successful yet; we offered three Parent Advocacy Workshops for families as well as completing our Parent Advocacy Handbook.  We won a prize for our ongoing program in the schools, Aim High!, and a CHS student to whom we have given a lot of support was a finalist in the Princeton Prize for Race Relations.  We gave many community tours, including ones to realtors and also to new hires in the school district as well as to this year's Leadership New Jersey class.  We continue with our pro-integrative second mortgage loans (PRISM); we initiated an e-newsletter; and we helped to mediate behind the scenes in several important crises as well as taking public stands on important issues related to integration and inclusion. 

   In 2008 we look forward to community wide discussions on our Five Steps for Superior Schools, continuing partnerships with other organizations, and providing an incredible array of programs-- including our upcoming January 21st Martin Luther King, Jr. program.  We will continue to work on our Strategic Plan and, hopefully, move forward with a community that is ever-changing.

    It has been my honor to serve as Chair of the Coalition.  Thank you to each Trustee, our staff, and volunteers for a job well done.  We are, indeed, a community rich with talent and dedicated individuals.  Let us all rededicate ourselves to building and sustaining an inclusive, integrated community of choice for all.

    Happy holidays and best wishes for a safe, healthy, and fruitful new year.  I look forward to continuing our work together.

Carol Barry-Austin