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December 02nd, 2023

12/2/2023

What do the next steps look like?

I have been asked by so many of you, "What's next?". The what's next for me is that I keep going, keep showing up, stay involved and push forward every platform issue I offered you this past election.

I said YES to the Bonds!

I am extremely glad the bond referendum passed and I want to start bringing vital information about the bonds to the community. A little known fact is that CMS has a committee called the Bond Oversight Committee which I've had the privilege of serving on since 2019. The purpose of this committee is to review each bond package and to ensure that as funding allocated from the county, our school district is completing projects accordingly. I want to make sure that the next time we have a bond referendum, you are informed and able to understand every aspect of bond related projects.

Community Schools Model

Next steps look like the continued exploration and advancement of the Community Schools Model. Since 2021, the organization I started (The Charlotte Community Think Tank), under my leadership has been partnering with Communities in Schools. Both organizations are exploring the model in two CMS Schools - Hidden Valley Elementary and Martin Luther King Middle School with grant funds from the Belk Foundation and The United Way of Greater Charlotte. We hope our efforts will lead to several full implementations

There are still some policies that need to be strengthened in order to bring this phenomenal framework to CMS. I'll continue to work with the school board to achieve this goal.

Advocate for Standard Disciplinary Interventions

On the campaign trail you heard me talk about Restorative Justice Practices. I believe in restorative justice and the promise it holds for schools and our community. I want to move it forward but I learned something new in the process of supporting RJP. I learned how many parents do not understand what interventions are in place in the schools currently. This poses an even bigger issue. My plan is to dive deep and raise questions about what the interventions are, are they consistent, and are they proactive vs. reactive. Are we sending children through processes that criminalize behavior? These are questions I really have to answer before pursuing RJV. I think you understand the point.

Advance Arts & Enrichment

Due to high stakes testing, we have doubled down on becoming a community hyper focused on academics and less attuned to the social emotional needs of children. Arts and enrichment move children forward academically and provide more well rounded students. I hope to be appointed to a board to make an impact. I will work with the equity committee to bring consistency to schools that need it the most. I will press for more equity and identify solutions.

Decentralize Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

This is the one platform issue that I believe I will have very little impact on without being on the board. However, I'll continue to advocate for this because I believe it will move equity, advance students, and lead to more accountability.

After the election, I learned so much more than I already knew, and I am so grateful for the experience. I promise to remain active just as I have been faithfully since 2016.

I plan to run for District 2 School Board in 2025! I hope to receive your support now and moving forward.

VIEW ORIGINAL PLATFORM STATEMENT

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We stand tall!

10/12/2023

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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

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IT'S ALWAYS A PRIVILEGE TO BE PART OF THE SARAH STEVENSON TUESDAY FORUM

9/25/2023

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I officially said YES to the Bonds!

View Tuesday Morning Forum

MS Board at-large candidates Juanrique Hall, Claire Covington, Bill Fountain, Shamaiye Haynes and Annette Albright addressed questions at the Forum this morning. Peggy Capehart and Omar Harris did not attend. More candidates have been invited for Sept. 26.
The contents of this video may help inform voters about their choices to fill three at-large seats on the nine-member CMS board. When a video from the Sept. 26 session is available, it will also be posted below. But in all likelihood the two banks of candidates will not be answering the same questions, and few direct comparisons will be possible. There is also no amount of footnoting that could offer voters enough information about the accuracy or context of what was said – or what was not said. So what information might a voter gain from the video to help inform impressions in the run-up to an important community-wide election?
– After listening, can you define who each person is, and why they are running? Or who one or two of them are and why they are running?
– When were candidates offering nuanced answers? When were they dodging?
– After listening, do you have a sense of what each candidate believes is behind the extraordinary, nearly 100% turnover in Board of Education membership in the last months? Do candidates offer a vision that you think will rebuild voter support for the school district’s board in the future?
–If the election were today and you had only one vote, who would get that one vote and why?
In the video below, a portion of the video image during a response by Annette Albright is covered by a still picture, when the City of Charlotte’s pan-tilt-zoom Webex video camera went panning off stage left to display the wall blocking the view of beautiful Mountain Island Lake.

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September 08th, 2023

9/8/2023

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In 2016, Shamaiye vowed to work with other parents to support the school not only for her kids but other kids. Promise Kept!

www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/education/article100456512.html

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shamaiye haynes ally for teachers! red for ed 5/1/2023

9/8/2023

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In 2019, Shamaiye proudly stood with educators to advocate for teacher pay, dignity and respect and advancement of CMS! Article from News & Observer HERE

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Grateful for a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

9/5/2023

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Cherry Community!

The Cherry Community did an outstanding job organizing the neighborhood parade and to commemorate 132 years of being a neighborhood. I look forward to celebrating with them again soon and also next year!

Annual Labor Day Parade Uptown

I enjoy the Labor Day Parade every year for a few reasons! The parade is a practical way to celebrate workers and their efforts both past and present. Labor Day is not just a day off. It reminds us of all the sacrifices workers made so we can have vacation days/paid time off, health benefits, a five day work week and so much more.

It's also a time to connect with other candidates that have put themselves out there to serve. Over the years I've met so many of the best people in Charlotte at the Labor Day Parade.