hen Danielle Hairston-Green first moved to the Madison area, many people told her they hoped she didn’t have any children, warning her to avoid the Madison School District.
So, when the Urban League of Greater Madison held an event on the State of Black Students in the Madison School District on Saturday, Hairston-Green — now a grandmother— joined many others in calling for accountability among educators and government officials at local, state and federal levels.
“Change is hard for anyone,” Hairston-Green said. “We will (create) change if we trust the change-makers.”
Black educators, parents and community leaders gathered in Madison College’s Goodman Community Center to strategize over issues that include literacy and graduation rates, teacher recruitment and retention, and communication between faculty and families.