Ruby Jones named newest Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board member

Ruby Jones, an educator for more than 40 years at the local and state level, has been selected as the newest Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board member.

She replaces Joyce Waddell, who had represented District 3 before being elected to the N.C. Senate in November. The district reaches north and east from uptown Charlotte to the University City area.

Jones’s selection Tuesday came after the board deadlocked in repeated votes last week on a new member. State law requires the remaining eight members of the board to appoint a successor. Members had split 4-4 between retired community advocate Levester Flowers and businesswoman Pat Martinez.

Jones won the vote 5-3. Chairwoman Mary McCray, vice chairman Tim Morgan, Rhonda Lennon, Thelma Byers-Bailey and Ericka Ellis-Stewart voted for Jones.

Eric Davis, Tom Tate and Paul Bailey voted for Martinez. Flowers was not nominated for a vote at Tuesday’s meeting.

“I am very invested in education,” Jones said after her selection. “I look forward with all due speed getting started with all constituents and stakeholders in making Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools excellent and affording the best education anywhere.”

Jones began her career in education in 1970 as a teacher at Cochran Junior High in Charlotte. In 1979, she became the first African-American to work in the CMS central office in the academically gifted program. Her career locally also included serving as an assistant principal at Metro School.

She later worked with special needs students and low-income schools as a part of the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. She retired in 2000 but now works as an adjunct professor at Central Piedmont Community College.

Jones said she would particularly focus on “parent empowerment” as a school board member. She said encouraging critical thinking and literacy are also priorities.

McCray, who had backed Flowers last week, cited Jones’s extensive knowledge of the district Tuesday. She said she spoke with Jones at length over the weekend.

Byers-Bailey and Ellis-Stewart had originally endorsed Jones in the initial round of voting last week, while Flowers and Martinez each earned three votes. The two then split in the second round of voting, creating the stalemate.

Ellis-Stewart said backing Jones on Tuesday was an easy decision.

“We need someone who can come in and have the shortest learning curve and be effective Day One,” she said.

Martinez would have become the first Hispanic person to serve on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board at a time when the district’s Hispanic student population has rapidly increased. McCray said she has spoken with advocates in the community about a desire to have more Hispanic candidates run for office.

Flowers said Tuesday he plans to run for an at-large seat on the school board, against incumbents McCray, Morgan and Ellis-Stewart.

Jones will serve out the rest of Waddell’s term, which runs through December 2017.

This story was originally published February 10, 2015 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Ruby Jones named newest Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board member."