Natalie Bent Kitaif is a DPS graduate, parent and long time Durham resident. She brings the perspective and lived experience we need to rebuild trust in DPS. She doesn’t just talk about change; she has already done the work as a parent organizer demanding transparent budgets and safe, supportive schools. With her professional background in public health, Kitaif brings a vital ‘systems-level’ approach to governance that ensures decisions are grounded in data. Her commitment to co-governing with families and educators set the stage for the partnerships we need to stabilize our schools and protect public education in Durham.

Nadeen Bir brings the skills that Durham needs right now. As a co-executive director who has managed finances and Human Resources for multiple organizations, Nadeen knows how to build transparent budgets and hold leadership accountable. She also has a spouse teaching in DPS and a background in labor organizing; she understands the daily struggles of our educators and classified staff. She believes that a school board’s primary role is to supervise the superintendent and ensure our tax dollars actually reach the classroom. Bir combines her fiscal insight with a strong commitment to equity, ensuring that our system works for every student. She is not afraid to challenge the status quo to defend our public schools, demonstrating the courage we need in DPS.

Xavier Cason is a former DPS educator and Board of Education member who has spent decades serving DPS. His prior governance experience and collaborative leadership style are what is needed in this moment when organized caregivers and workers are building power to save our public schools. As a former educator, Mr. Cason knows educators’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions, and that clarity is reflected in his priorities: increasing student supporting staffing, raising wages, and improving working conditions. In his various leadership positions, he has demonstrated a respect for and willingness to work productively with organized groups of community members and workers taking action to improve our schools.