Thelma Byers-Bailey
Vice-chair of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
Photo courtesy of Thelma Byers-Bailey
Vice-chair of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, Thelma Byers-Bailey is a native Charlottean who was elected to the board of education to represent District 2. Byers-Bailey’s experience includes running her own general practice law firm, working with the legal services of Southern California and serving as a law clerk in the legal department of Anheuser-Busch Company, Inc.
“Our students are graduating and entering the most global workforce that ever existed,” she said. “Diversity within our school population is key to preparing our students to function in this workforce. No matter how excellent our neighborhood schools are, they cannot replace the value of providing our students daily contact with others who don’t look like themselves, which promotes a safe environment, free of bullying and intimidation.
Amid the pandemic, Byers-Bailey and the board of education had to make some tough decisions regarding school and student safety while acknowledging the academic costs, the benefits and ramifications of virtual learning. Although in-person sports and curriculum were canceled, the CARES Act fund provided paid leave to Charlotte-Mecklenburg School employees who were out of work during the pandemic.
Byers-Bailey graduated from West Charlotte High School and went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics from Fisk University. She also holds a law degree from St. Louis University Law School and a master’s degree in urban affairs from the St. Louis Joint Degree Program. Byers-Bailey is president of the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Association and serves as a member of the Friendship CDC Board of Directors and the African American Community Fund’s Board of Directors. She has two adult children and seven grandchildren.
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