We stand tall!

The Mecklenburg County CMS Board of Education Democratic Party Endorsements: What You Need to Know
On September 30, 2023, the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party took the unprecedented step of endorsing only three CMS BOE candidates, under the rationale of not wanting voters to be deceived by another DINO (Democrat in Name Only) or split votes among the many registered Democrats running for three At-Large CMS BOE seats, giving a slim advantage to Republican candidates. The “endorsement selection process” began with a controversial questionnaire and ended with a confusing, and some say biased, weighted scoring system.


In the process, I lost that endorsement by one vote.
In fact, support among the top four candidates was nearly evenly split.
We are disappointed but our campaign will work hard to earn your vote.

LET ME RE-INTRODUCE MYSELF…

My name is Shamaiye Haynes, candidate for one of three At-Large CMS BOE seats. I’m excited to share with you why I am devoting even more of my years of leadership experience and grassroots organizing to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, scholars, and families. My parents, both grassroots organizers and community leaders, taught me to give back from a very early age. My husband and I moved to Charlotte in 2012 with two of our school-aged children where we enrolled them in our neighborhood, Title I School. I witnessed first-hand the many needs of families in our community, the glaring gaps in resources, and the opportunity to make a difference for not only my scholars but all community scholars.

What I know is that schools are stronger, and students prosper when communities lend their voices and work together to achieve well-communicated goals. Since Charlotte became my home, I have partnered with communities to found The Charlotte Community Think Tank (2017), volunteered my time and talents to fill gaps where I could, and served on critically important committees to positively impact the quality of education for CMS families.

My dedicated service to education has become a movement, not for me but for our future leaders. I have consistently risen above partisan politics in my leadership roles and devoted my time and talents to issues our community has told me matters most to them–equity, transparency, and a commitment to providing a safe, nurturing environment for our scholars.
With 14 candidates competing for three seats, I am distinguishable by my consistent leadership and steadfast dedication to my community. I am Shamaiye Haynes. I am experienced. I am committed. I am the voice that families need on the CMS BOE to deliver the positive change to education that is needed, and I ask for your support and your vote during the general election on November 7, 2023. Please tell your friends about my campaign and please reach out if I can answer any questions or be of service.

“Education makes a people easy to lead but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave.” —Peter Brougham