Education
The Every Student Succeeds Act Focuses on Accountability and School Performance
By Dr. Elizabeth Primas (Program Manager, NNPA/ESSA Public Awareness Campaign)
Sixteen states and the District of Columbia submitted their proposals for implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) on April 4, 2017. The remaining states are required to submit their proposals on September 18, 2017. A review of the first proposals submitted, which included Arizona, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont, showed some improvements, as well as areas of concern, related to how education officials plan to address accountability and school performance at the state and local levels.
Multiple state plans emphasized their intentions to provide well-rounded curriculums; ensuring students have increased access to high-quality science and social studies in addition to reading and mathematics. In fact, more than half of submitted state plans include assessments for science and social studies in addition to the required English Language Arts, reading and mathematics. Some states went as far as including fine arts, music, physical education, and library media specialists. Therefore, state plans stress the importance of a curriculum that focuses on more than reading and arithmetic.
In addition to providing a well-rounded curriculum, states included in their accountability systems plans to strengthen their existing strategies while introducing new approaches, as they move forward. New Jersey proposes to double count the academic performance of student subgroups in school evaluations to ensure that the needs of struggling students’ do not go overlooked. Nevada’s plan proposes moving towards the creation of Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) for each student. This ambitious goal will measure student engagement, achievement and growth, while providing a more holistic view of school success.
However, Oregon, Connecticut and Tennessee propose to combine subgroups for accountability measures. This process will mask exactly which students are struggling, and assumes that corrective measures for each subgroup would be the same. ESSA requires states to report data for each subgroup; presuming that detailed data reporting will highlight areas of inequity. Combined subgroup reporting does not meet the intent of ESSA and could result in stagnant academic progress. Arizona and Maine submitted plans that are underdeveloped and fail to provide details as to how they will address ESSA’s requirement to incorporate student subgroup data in their accountability system. Many states do not detail how their proposed strategies will be implemented or provide data to prove rationality for such strategies. Other proposals do not include proficiency targets, or methods for measuring whether students are reaching the state’s grade-level standards.
Overall, every submitted state plan can expand on their current proposals to develop accountability systems that ensure that “all” students make progress. States that have not submitted their proposals for ESSA should take time to review the state plans that have already been submitted and use them as a guide to improve upon their own proposed accountability systems. States that plan to submit proposals on September 18 should also take note that states that have been most successful at developing comprehensive plans, with an increased focus on the progress of all student subgroups, have effectively and consistently engaged parents and other education stakeholders.
The following is a brief overview of state plans that have already been submitted with a focus on their accountability systems.
Arizona:
Strengths
Arizona’s plan proposes to equally weigh students’ academic achievement as well as their growth over time. Their submitted state plan also includes a variety of indicators to measure school quality, which would provide parents more transparency when selecting schools.
Weaknesses
Arizona’s plan lacks details, especially on how it will meaningfully incorporate subgroups into its accountability system, how it will identify schools for improvement, and the criteria low-performing schools would need to meet to exit improvement status.
(Source: https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_ESSA_PlanReview_AZ_Final.pdf)
Colorado:
Strengths
Colorado makes a laudable effort at including more students in its accountability system by lowering the threshold at which it includes subgroups for accountability and reporting purposes—including additional ways to capture data from schools with low-performing subgroups—and creating a methodology for including subgroups when they separately do not meet the minimum number of students required.
(Source: https://www.supportjeffcokids.org/essa-improving-colorado-education/)
Weaknesses
Colorado is proposing to shift to an entirely normative approach, where all indicators and the accountability system itself are based on relative performance, not a predefined standard. That approach may not be sufficiently clear to parents, educators, or other stakeholders, and it means the accountability system has no incentives aligned to the state’s professed goal of college and career readiness for all students.
Colorado has also not finalized a number of decisions in its accountability system, leading to uncertainty about how exactly it will be implemented in practice.
(Source: https://www.supportjeffcokids.org/essa-improving-colorado-education/)
Connecticut:
Strengths
Connecticut includes a robust list of measures in its accountability systems, including art, physical education, science, and college enrollment rates.
Connecticut has used the State Board of Education’s five-year comprehensive plan and the “Next Generation Accountability System” as a foundation to its ESSA plan. Although it hasn’t fully succeeded in aligning its proposed accountability system with its professed long-term vision, Connecticut could take specific steps to strengthen the cohesiveness of its efforts.
(Source: https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_ESSA_PlanReview_CT_Final.pdf)
Under the state’s proposed accountability system, schools will be competing against each other for their place in the rankings, rather than against a predetermined standard. That lack of front-end transparency will present a challenge for educators, who won’t have clear goals to shoot for at the beginning of each school year. The state’s exit criteria also allows low-performing schools to leave improvement status only once they jump enough schools in the state’s rankings.
(Source: https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_ESSA_PlanReview_CT_Final.pdf)
Delaware:
Strengths
Delaware’s accountability system is built on the backbone of strong college- and career-readiness standards and tests. Delaware has put in place many policies to steer more students toward college and career success.
Delaware has carefully selected a simple list of high-quality indicators to include in its accountability system.
By including science and social studies in the accountability system, the state is signaling the critical importance of a well-rounded education for all students. Delaware’s approach to measuring English language proficiency contains several interesting, innovative experiments.
(Source: https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_ESSA_PlanReview_DE_Final.pdf)
Weaknesses
While Delaware’s framework is strong, its plan is vague in several areas. It does not articulate how most of its individual accountability components would be measured, or how they would factor into overall ratings. Delaware’s plan seems to propose multiple school-identification systems that the state is still considering, but all are underdeveloped.
(Source: https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_ESSA_PlanReview_DE_Final.pdf)
District of Columbia:
Strengths
By including a 25 percent weighting for specific subgroups and lowering its minimum subgroup size for accountability purposes to 10 students, Washington, D.C. is attempting to ensure that more students are included in its accountability system and their performance is monitored more closely.
(Source: https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_ESSA_PlanReview_DC_Final.pdf)
Weaknesses
The District of Columbia’s submitted plan lacks detail as to how it will achieve its goals, specifically in reference to the lowest performing schools and subgroups. The District seems to supplement its lack of detail with proposed development of additional plans with deferred stakeholder engagement. There is concern that the continuous under performance of student subgroups will not sufficiently affect a school’s rating.
(Source: https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_ESSA_PlanReview_DC_Final.pdf)
Illinois:
Strengths
Schools with consistently underperforming subgroups are excluded from receiving exemplary or commendable school ratings. Illinois continues to prioritize academic performance in its accountability system, however it does suggest the possibility of including an early learning indicator as well as one for fine arts.
(Source: https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_ESSA_PlanReview_IL_Final.pdf)
Weaknesses
Illinois’ primary focus on the bottom 5 percent of students may lead to the maintenance of significant gaps within school districts, as long as subgroup performance does not fall below the bottom 5 percent.
Louisiana:
Strengths
Louisiana clearly defines their school rating system allowing for maximum transparency. Louisiana’s inclusion of science and social studies assessments prioritizes a well-rounded curriculum. Schools with consistently underperforming subgroups will be ineligible to receive an “A” rating.
Louisiana is proposing to use a low subgroup threshold of 10 students; capturing the performance of more students.
(Source: https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_ESSA_PlanReview_LA_Final.pdf)
Weaknesses
Louisiana does not sufficiently flag schools with subgroups of students who are not well served by the school. The submitted plan does not specifically include student subgroup scores in its statewide A-F grading system.
Maine:
Strengths
Maine proposes a small subgroup size of 10 students. A smaller subgroup size will be beneficial to a largely rural state like Maine, which is also primarily monolithic. Maine also proposes to lower the summative rating of schools if specific subgroups routinely underperform.
Weaknesses
Much of Maine’s plan is still incomplete, including final accountability indicators and weighting and more complete description of its school identification plan.
If the state intends for 90 percent of students to be college- and career-ready, it would make sense for Maine to include an indicator of college and career readiness in its accountability system.
(Source: https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_ESSA_PlanReview_ME_Final.pdf)
Massachusetts:
Massachusetts’ plan does not connect the dots between its long-term vision and how that vision will be embodied in its accountability system. As a result, it misses multiple opportunities to tie these together in meaningful and actionable ways.
Michigan:
Strengths
Michigan’s plan is notable for the inclusion of science and social studies assessments in the accountability system time with fine arts, music, physical education and access to library specialists.
Weaknesses
Michigan’s plan presents three potential accountability systems that it’s considering, but it hasn’t finalized its choice, and all three systems are underdeveloped.
(Source: https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_ESSA_PlanReview_MI_Final.pdf)
Nevada:
Strengths
Nevada has built its accountability system on high-quality standards and assessments that are aligned to college and careers, and the state’s accountability framework is based on ambitious goals and interim targets.
Nevada’s use of chronic absenteeism, school climate, and the completion of individual learning plans to measure student engagement broadens the accountability system and will present a more holistic view of school success.
(Source: https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_ESSA_PlanReview_NV_Final.pdf)
Weaknesses
Nevada does not include student subgroup data in its overall school rating system. Without student subgroup data as a variable for school ratings, the academic performance of underserved students may be overlooked. Nevada increases its subgroup size from 10 to 25 for schools identified for targeted supported, an inconsistency that could have ramifications for students in smaller schools.
New Jersey:
Strengths
New Jersey has developed a statistically sophisticated accountability system built on rigorous college- and career-ready standards. It has set goals at multiple performance levels, and it will be holding schools accountable for a short list of high-quality indicators, including strongly emphasizing student achievement and growth.
One of the most promising components of New Jersey’s plan is the weighting it puts on subgroups within the state accountability framework. By double-counting its student subgroups, New Jersey is attempting to ensure that schools prioritize the needs of all students.
(Source: https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_ESSA_PlanReview_NJ_Final.pdf)
Weaknesses
New Jersey has done the hard work of creating strong college and career standards accompanied by long-term goals, but the state undercuts these objectives by hinging its accountability system entirely on percentile rankings rather than objectives standards.
(Source: https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_ESSA_PlanReview_NJ_Final.pdf)
New Mexico:
Strengths
The state has included a goal to reduce the percentage of post-secondary enrollees who require remediation, and the state’s accountability system includes a college-readiness indicator. Holding schools accountable for this measure will help the state move closer towards its long-term education and economic needs.
New Mexico also has a strong and clear plan for how it will build on its current school accountability system and adapt it over time. That includes consideration to how schools that are already identified as low-performing will continue to progress along school-intervention timelines.
(Source: https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_ESSA_PlanReview_NM_Final.pdf)
Weaknesses
New Mexico does not include student subgroup data in its accountability system. Instead, the plan includes student growth for the lowest performing students, however it is unclear rather the consistent underperformance of the lowest performing students would affect overall school ratings. Furthermore, Nevada’s proposal to set different achievement thresholds for different subgroups could imply that low performance is acceptable for some and unacceptable for others.
North Dakota:
Strengths
The state has outlined a simple, clear list of accountability indicators, and its plan places a strong weight on student achievement and growth; it proposes to include a simple measure of student achievement and a growth model that expects greater progress from lower-performing students.
Weaknesses
North Dakota does not weight subgroup performance in its accountability system, and it proposes to cap the number of schools identified for targeted support at 10 percent of schools.
(Source: https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_ESSA_PlanReview_ND_Final.pdf)
Oregon:
Strengths
Oregon proposes to reduce their subgroup size from 40 to 20 students, capturing the performance of more students. Oregon also proposes to use at least three years of data from previous years to inform improvements in their accountability system, lowering the required subgroup size to seven for this purpose.
Weaknesses
While Oregon’s description of the indicators in its accountability system is clear, it is not apparent how the indicators, weights, and subgroup performance are combined to identify schools.
(Source: https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_ESSA_PlanReview_OR_Final.pdf)
Tennessee:
Strengths
Tennessee aligns district and school accountability systems that rely on high-quality indicators. Tennessee’s inclusion of a ready-to-graduate indicator focuses on students demonstrating college and career readiness, which goes beyond just earning a high school credential.
Tennessee’s accountability system assigns considerable weight to subgroup performance.
(Source: https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_ESSA_PlanReview_OR_Final.pdf)
Weaknesses
Tennessee proposes a “BHN” subgroup for their accountability system; combining the performance of Black, Hispanic, and Native American students; the state suggests that the uneven distribution of these ethnicities across the state inhibits them from collecting data effectively and a combined subgroup would allow them to capture the scores of more students. A combined subgroup for students of color is offensive, assumes that improvement measures would be the same for each group, and does not meet the equitable intentions of the law.
Vermont:
Strengths
Vermont uses its ESSA flexibility in creative ways to attempt to hold schools accountable for students who would otherwise be overlooked. Finally, Vermont’s decision to incorporate both a school’s current score and its year-to-year change in a matrix approach is creative and will help the state identify the schools that are struggling the most.
(Source: https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_ESSA_PlanReview_VT_Final.pdf)
Weaknesses
Vermont’s proposed accountability system does a poor job addressing the needs of all students. Vermont’s submitted plan focuses primarily on within school achievement gaps. It does not articulate how it will identify schools with the lowest performing subgroups at the level of the lowest 5 percent of schools; a requirement of ESSA.
To see all of the state plans that have been submitted, visited www.nnpa.org/essa. You can also get copies of state plans by visiting https://checkstateplans.org.
Dr. Elizabeth Primas is an educator, who spent more than 40 years working towards improving education for children of diverse ethnicities and backgrounds. Dr. Primas is the program manager for the NNPA’s Every Student Succeeds Act Public Awareness Campaign. Follow Dr. Primas on Twitter @elizabethprimas.
Black History
Don’t Pass the Torch. Expand the Circle.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is redefining mentorship by empowering undergraduate women to take active roles in high-level organizational governance. Instead of asking young leaders to wait their turn, the sorority is integrating students like Noah M.P. Harris into international boards and planning committees alongside seasoned veterans like Dr. Tonja L. Ringgold. This intergenerational model aims to combat professional burnout and systemic barriers by offering meaningful responsibility and guidance today, rather than in the distant future, to learn how this approach is transforming leadership. read more.
On Nov. 14, hundreds of undergraduate women gathering at Morgan State University in Baltimore for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s Undergraduate Leadership Institute will do more than listen to presentations. They will run the program. Graduate advisers will take seats in the back of the room.
This is intentional. Too many institutions invite young people to observe leadership without trusting them to exercise it. We believe the future of leadership depends not on one generation stepping aside for another, but on generations sharing responsibility now.
We have seen the difference from two vantage points.
For Dr. Ringgold, Morgan State is where that journey began. Initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha’s Alpha Delta Chapter in 1982, she recently reunited with two sorority sisters who guided her as an undergraduate, including a former chapter president whose example still informs her leadership today. Forty-four years later, she returns as director of the sorority’s North Atlantic Region, keenly aware of what it means when someone invests in a young woman’s potential. The homecoming carries added significance: Alpha Delta, chartered in 1926, is celebrating its centennial; and the chapter that shaped her is still helping shape new leaders.
For Ms. Harris, leadership is not a distant destination. She is a Bowie State University senior and president of its Eta Chapter who, this summer, was elected Alpha Kappa Alpha’s International Second Vice President. As an undergraduate member of the sorority’s international governing board, she carries student perspectives into decisions affecting the organization. A 2025 Leadership Fellows experience encouraged her to seek that larger platform. To her, leadership is measured by the people she can serve, not simply the position she holds.
Our experiences challenge a familiar assumption: Young people must wait their turn. Founded in 1908 by Black college women, Alpha Kappa Alpha now counts more than 390,000 initiated members across more than 1,122 chapters. That reach brings a responsibility to open doors, not merely preserve tradition.
Deloitte’s 2026 global survey found that 76% of Gen Z respondents were interested in pursuing senior leadership roles eventually, although only 6% of surveyed Gen Z and millennials named leadership their primary career goal. Many cited burnout, excessive responsibility and work-life balance as concerns. Young people are not necessarily avoiding leadership. They are questioning the conditions under which it is exercised.
At a time when companies are pulling back on women’s advancement, Black women face persistent barriers. McKinsey and LeanIn.Org’s 2025 report found that among companies studied, only 60 Black women were promoted to manager for every 100 men. Telling young women to wait their turn cannot fix an unequal pathway to leadership.
Experience matters. Seasoned leaders carry institutional memory, hard-won judgment and relationships that take years to build. But experience cannot develop in a waiting room. Young leaders need meaningful assignments, honest guidance and room to make mistakes. Experienced leaders must also be prepared to reconsider familiar ways of doing things.
We see that exchange in our own relationship. Ms. Harris draws on Dr. Ringgold’s decades of sorority service and higher education experience. Dr. Ringgold listens when Ms. Harris speaks, recognizing that younger perspectives can challenge assumptions and reveal better approaches. Neither of us has all the answers. Both of us have something to contribute.
Our upcoming Undergraduate Leadership Institute will put that principle into practice. Undergraduate members will lead, with graduate members offering guidance and expertise. We’re taking the same approach in planning our 96th North Atlantic Regional Conference, scheduled for March 2027, where undergraduate counterparts will work alongside graduate vice chairs in operations, programming, social activities and logistics. They’ll help plan an event serving the entire region, not just their undergraduate peers.
That is the distinction between inclusion and influence. A seat at the table means little if the people invited cannot help determine what happens there.
Businesses, colleges, nonprofits and civic organizations can do the same. Pair mentorship with meaningful assignments. Involve emerging leaders in decisions before those decisions are final. Give them resources and room to grow. When they challenge a familiar practice, ask whether it still serves its purpose.
We should not ask experienced leaders to disappear or young leaders to wait. The goal isn’t to pass the torch and walk away. It’s to expand the circle of people empowered to lead and build stronger institutions together.
Dr. Tonja L. Ringgold is the North Atlantic Regional Director of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Noah M.P. Harris, a senior at Bowie State University, is the sorority’s International Second Vice President and president of its Eta Chapter.
Black Press
Kids on Campus: Success in Learning Together
The Association of Community College Trustees and the National Head Start Association have released the second annual report for Kids on Campus, an initiative placing Head Start classrooms directly on college campuses. With nearly 20 percent of U.S. undergraduates raising children, the program addresses childcare barriers that often prevent degree completion. The project aims to establish 50 partnerships by 2030 to support two-generation economic mobility. The new report highlights the initiative’s expansion across 19 states and identifies key growth opportunities to help student parents succeed. Read more.
The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) and the National Head Start Association (NHSA) released the Year Two Annual Report of the Kids on Campus initiative, which advances the success of parenting students and supports the school readiness of young children from low-income backgrounds by expanding Head Start classrooms onto community college campuses. The five-year initiative aims to establish at least 50 such partnerships by 2030.
Nearly one in five undergraduates in the United States — approximately 3.14 million students — are parenting while pursuing their college education. For many, access to high-quality, affordable, and convenient child care remains one of the biggest barriers to completing their degree.
The initiative’s core philosophy is rooted in two of the most effective strategies for reducing poverty: providing high-quality early childhood education and increasing adult economic mobility through education, training, and workforce pathways. Together, these approaches support two generations simultaneously, strengthening children’s development while helping parents pursue long-term economic success.
“When we support parents, we uplift students,” says Francisco Solis, president of San Antonio College (TX), which has a long-standing partnership with Head Start. “When families thrive, our community thrives. This is the power of a two-generation approach.”
The annual report outlines the rationale behind ACCT and NHSA’s work, progress to date, next steps, and opportunities for community colleges and Head Start programs to engage with Kids on Campus.
As of March 2026, at the end of year two of the initiative:
- 110 community colleges and 130 Head Start programs have taken initial steps to connect and engage with Kids on Campus.
- Partners have identified 43 potential matches between community colleges and Head Start programs interested in exploring partnerships across 19 states.
Five new Kids on Campus partnerships have launched in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Texas, with two additional partnerships in advanced stages of development in Texas.
“Before I found the Head Start on my college campus, it was extremely difficult,” says Cristina Medina, a student parent at Palo Alto College, one of the newest Kids on Campus launched sites. “I was on the edge of mentally and emotionally giving up because being a full-time mom while going to school and work was hard with no support.”
The initiative continues to grow nationwide through expanded partnerships, technical assistance, and collaborative efforts to strengthen on-campus child care and early childhood education opportunities for student parents and families.
The report profiles active partnerships and explores the benefits and barriers they face, financial considerations, model sustainability, advice from the field, and what is next for Kids on Campus.
To access the full report, go to kidsoncampus.org/annual-report.
ACCT and NHSA invite community colleges, Head Start programs, and philanthropic supporters interested in transforming outcomes for children and families to contact [email protected].
Kids on Campus is supported by ECMC Foundation, Imaginable Futures, Lumina Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Trellis Foundation, Crimsonbridge Foundation, and Seldin Haring-Smith Foundation.
Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) is a non-profit educational organization of governing boards, representing more than 6,500 elected and appointed trustees who govern over 1,000 community, technical, and junior colleges in the United States and beyond. ACCT fosters the principles and practices of exemplary governance while promoting high-quality and affordable higher education, cutting-edge workforce and development training, student success, and the opportunity for all individuals to achieve economic self-sufficiency and security. Visit www.acct.org for more information.
The National Head Start Association (NHSA) believes that every child, regardless of circumstances at birth, has the ability to succeed in school and in life. The opportunities offered by Head Start lead to healthier and empowered children and families and stronger, more vibrant communities. NHSA is the voice for more than 750,000 children, 250,000 staff, and more than 1,600 Head Start grant recipients in the United States. Visit nhsa.org or follow @NatlHeadStart to learn more.
Black History
MHU Commemorates ASCORE and Anniversary of Desegregation
THE URBAN NEWS — UNC Asheville and Mars Hill University are collaborating to host a series of commemorative events marking the 65th anniversary of their desegregation. The programming honors Etta Mae Whitner Patterson and Oralene Anderson Graves Simmons, two former members of the Asheville Student Committee on Racial Equality (ASCORE) who became the first Black students at their respective institutions in 1961.
A week of events at UNC Asheville, Mars Hill University, and downtown Asheville.
In 1961, two young women broke the color barrier to become the first African American students at two Western North Carolina colleges: Etta Mae Whitner Patterson at UNC Asheville and Oralene Anderson Graves Simmons at Mars Hill University (then Mars Hill College).
Both women were students at Asheville’s Stephens-Lee High School, where they were members of the Asheville Student Committee on Racial Equality (ASCORE). Through nonviolent protest, ASCORE led efforts to desegregate many Asheville stores and businesses.
Patterson and Simmons, who later founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County, have since received honorary doctorates from their alma maters in recognition of their achievements and lifelong service to their communities.
To commemorate ASCORE, honor the leadership of Etta Patterson and Oralene Simmons, and mark the 65th anniversary of the desegregation of UNC Asheville and Mars Hill University, UNC Asheville’s Department of History and Mars Hill University’s Liston B. Ramsey Center for Appalachian Studies invite the public to attend “Stories of ASCORE: Lessons in Courage, Desegregation, and Community Activism.”
The program will feature two panel discussions with Drs. Patterson and Simmons, along with other former members of ASCORE. Panelists will discuss how their experiences integrating Asheville’s businesses and institutions prepared them for their college careers, professional lives, and continued community activism.
The first panel discussion will take place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, in the Blue Ridge Room of Highsmith Union at UNC Asheville. The event will feature a presentation by Dr. Patterson and a panel discussion with Dr. Simmons, Marvin Chambers, Jesse Ray, and Al Whitesides. The panel will be moderated by Deborah Miles, retired director of the former UNC Asheville Center for Diversity Education.
This event is sponsored by UNC Asheville’s Department of History and Africana Studies Program, with generous support from King and Pam Prather. A free visitor parking permit is required for the UNC Asheville event. Please visit the university’s parking website for instructions on obtaining a permit for the evening’s program.
The second panel discussion will take place at 5 p.m. on Thursday, November 12, 2026, in the Tony and Terry Floyd Conference Center in the Mars Hill University Campus Center. The event will feature Dr. Simmons, Annette Coleman, and Elizabeth Colton. The panel will be moderated by Jonathan McCoy, professor of history at Mars Hill University.
This event is sponsored by the Liston B. Ramsey Center for Appalachian Studies, with generous support from the university’s Provost’s Office.
In addition, at 12 noon on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, in Pack Square in downtown Asheville, Mayor Esther Manheimer and the Buncombe County Commission Chair will proclaim ASCORE Day and present honors to Etta Patterson and Oralene Simmons. Holly Jones of the North Carolina Governor’s Office will also participate in the ceremony.
For more information, contact Leila Weinstein at Mars Hill University ([email protected]) or Ellen Holmes Pearson at UNC Asheville ([email protected]).
Based on reporting by The Urban News.
Black History
Jason Driver Named St. Louis Public Library CEO
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN — The St. Louis Public Library has appointed Jason Driver as its next chief executive officer following a national search. Driver, a veteran administrator with 27 years of experience, currently leads the Kitsap Regional Library in Washington and previously served in several roles at the Chicago Public Library. He is scheduled to take over the 15-location system on January 4, succeeding longtime leader Waller McGuire. The appointment follows a period of notable activity for the system and recent management discussions in Driver’s current role. Read more.
Jason Driver, a veteran library administrator with more than 27 years of experience, has been named the next chief executive officer of the St. Louis Public Library, taking over a 15-location system that serves more than 135,000 active cardholders.
Driver, who has led Kitsap Regional Library in the state of Washington since 2022, will begin his new position Jan. 4, succeeding Waller McGuire, who retired in October after 37 years with the St. Louis library system, including 22 years as its leader.
The appointment follows a national search and comes after the St. Louis system was named Missouri’s 2026 Library of the Year, in part for its response to the devastating May 2025 tornado. The library helped residents during the recovery, including through a tool-lending program established to assist with home repairs.
Driver told Sarah Fenske of St. Louis Magazine that he has no immediate plans to overhaul the system, which he described as a “well-oiled machine.”
“I’m a firm believer in one needing to follow before they can lead,” he said.
He plans to spend time learning from employees and the library board before deciding what changes might be needed.
Driver, a Chicago native, began his career working with young people in foster care through the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. He later joined the Chicago Public Library, where he held positions ranging from children’s librarian and early literacy specialist to branch manager, regional director and district chief.
At Kitsap, Driver has overseen strategic planning, finances, communications and public services for a nine-branch system.
His selection follows several months of workplace controversy there, where union-represented employees questioned his management practices.
The Washington Public Employees Association raised concerns in May about communication, personnel decisions and branch closures. Union members later voted no confidence in Driver and called for his removal, according to reporting by Kitsap News Group.
A three-month independent investigation did not substantiate allegations of unlawful gender discrimination, retaliation or misconduct violating library policies. The Kitsap library board supported Driver’s continued leadership but acknowledged that communication, trust and workplace relationships needed improvement.
The board also said some employee concerns involving labor relations, collective bargaining and working conditions fell outside the investigation’s scope.
Driver told St. Louis Magazine he respected the union’s right to raise concerns and viewed the experience as an opportunity to improve communication.
“I definitely embrace the union to be able to have that pathway to speak out when there are things that they don’t agree with,” he said.
The St. Louis Public Library board independently confirmed the investigation’s findings with Kitsap trustees before hiring Driver, according to the St. Louis Business Journal.
“After a national search, the Board of Directors believes we have found in Jason an outstanding leader with the vision and experience to lead SLPL forward,” board President Nina North-Murphy said in a statement.
Driver will receive an annual salary of $240,000, the Business Journal reported.
Driver said returning to an urban library system was among the attractions of the St. Louis position. His background in social services, he said, helped prepare him to work with people from a wide range of circumstances.
“I felt like the background I had in social services really helped me to deal with some of the things we deal with in urban libraries,” he told Fenske.
He said libraries offer opportunities to serve people who might otherwise face barriers to accessing community resources.
“St. Louis is a wonderful city, it has a strong library core, and it certainly has a number of opportunities to dig in and help advance the mission and help the people of St. Louis,” Driver said.
The post Jason Driver named St. Louis Public Library CEO appeared first on St. Louis American.
Based on reporting by St. Louis American.
Black History
Superb Woman: Destiny B. Sadler
TEXAS METRO NEWS — Destiny B. Sadler is a dynamic entrepreneur and empowerment coach who serves as a Top Executive with the global beauty brand LimeLife by Alcone. A graduate of Southern University, Sadler leverages her background in leadership and community impact to mentor others on the transformative power of confidence.
Destiny B. Sadler is a dynamic entrepreneur, digital creator, and empowerment coach dedicated to helping individuals look, feel, and live at their absolute best. With a background rooted in leadership and community impact, she serves as a Top Executive with the global beauty brand LimeLife by Alcone, where she mentors a growing network of beauty guides and champions the transformative power of confidence.
Driven by a passion for personal development and education, Destiny founded YSTBYOU and You’re Simply the Best Kids, an educational services organization focused on building foundational confidence and leadership skills in youth. She’s a graduate of Lamar High School and Southern University. Destiny’s life work centers on a simple, powerful philosophy: embracing who you are is the ultimate key to success.
Based on reporting by Texas Metro News.
Black Press
Campus Accountability: Universities Must Do More to Address Sexual Assault
SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY – SOUTHERNDIGEST — Colleges and universities are meant to be safe environments for learning and personal growth, yet recurring reports of sexual assault continue to challenge the effectiveness of institutional protections.
College campuses are supposed to be places where students can learn, grow and feel safe. However, reports of sexual assault at universities across the country continue to raise questions about whether institutions are doing enough to protect their students and hold individuals accountable.
From Louisiana State University to Harvard University and Cornell University, campus sexual assault cases have brought renewed attention to how colleges investigate allegations, discipline students and support survivors. For many, the concern is not only the actions of students accused of sexual misconduct but also how university administrators respond when these situations occur.
At LSU, recent reporting has raised questions about the effectiveness of the university’s Title IX process. According to WBRZ, more than 300 sexual assault reports were made through LSU’s Title IX process between 2022 and 2025, with three resulting in disciplinary action. Although not every report results in a finding of responsibility, the numbers raise important questions about how institutions communicate outcomes and address reports of misconduct.
Cornell University has also faced scrutiny following allegations involving seven students and an alleged sexual assault at a fraternity house in 2024. The university’s investigation resulted in different disciplinary actions, including expulsions and suspensions. However, questions about one student’s return to campus and housing arrangements have continued to draw criticism.
These cases highlight a larger issue: University accountability cannot stop at having a Title IX office or publishing policies in a student handbook.
Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs and addresses sexual harassment and sexual violence. Universities must have procedures for responding to complaints, conducting investigations and providing supportive measures. However, having policies in place means little if students do not understand them or believe reports will be handled appropriately.
Students who are found responsible for sexual misconduct should face consequences that reflect the seriousness of their actions. Universities should also examine whether their investigative procedures are timely, whether survivors receive adequate support and whether disciplinary decisions are consistently enforced.
Accountability must also include university administrators. Institutions should be transparent about their procedures, provide clear reporting options and regularly review whether their policies are working.
At the same time, every student involved in a disciplinary proceeding deserves a fair investigation and an opportunity to respond to allegations. Protecting survivors and respecting due process should not be treated as competing priorities.
Ultimately, universities have a responsibility that extends beyond academics and athletics. Students deserve to know that their safety matters and that misconduct will be taken seriously. A university’s commitment to student safety should be measured not only by the policies it publishes but also by the actions it takes when those policies are tested.
Based on reporting by Southern University – SouthernDIGEST.
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