Logo for InfluenceWatch InfluenceWatch

Donate
Non-profit

The Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators

Founded:

1978
Type:

Education Activism
Co-Presidents:

Sharon Carlton & Kimberly Prillman

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

The Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators (MCABSE) is a local affiliate of the National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE), an advocacy group which claims to promote the interests of Black teachers and school officials, and those of left-of-center education policy advocates. MCABSE focuses on the Montgomery County, Maryland public school system, claiming that its agenda will benefit all students, but particularly Black students. 1

The MCABSE partners with other county-level activist groups which represent Hispanic, Asian, and other minority students and school system employees, as well as several local affiliates of the NAACP. The organization also maintains close ties with Montgomery County Public Schools human resources and counseling departments. 2

The MCABSE endorsed the county education system’s 2022 “antiracism audit” which called on officials to allocate more resources for implementing left-wing racial policies in schools. The audit report also blamed higher rates of disciplinary action and lower rates of enrollment in rigorous courses among minority students on alleged structural discrimination within the school system. 3

Background

The National Alliance of Black School Educators is the Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators’ national parent. It oversees a network of advocacy groups representing Black school officials. The organization also conducts research intended to back up its preferred policies, provides training to future education activism organizers, and offers networking opportunities to its members. The NABSE promotes its agenda through its local affiliates, its partner groups, and its publication, the Journal of the Alliance of Black School Educators. 4

The MCABSE was created in 1978, five years after the NABSE was founded and the same year that a Maryland state affiliate of NABSE was created. A background document from MCABSE described itself as very active until the early 1990s, with a reboot in 2002 that led to its current expansive roles in activism, training, and small-dollar grants. 5

Activism

The Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators claims that racial discrimination is a systemic issue within American society and blames it for issues affecting minority groups in the school system and in other institutions. During the COVID-19 crisis, the organization attempted to tie the virus to alleged pervasive racism, describing the two as a “dual pandemic.” 6

The Montgomery County public school system has strongly endorsed the MCABSE and its agenda. In 2020, the superintendent’s office released an official statement promoting the organization’s race-based scholarship program. 7 The MCASBE also offers grants of up to $1,000 to schools which prioritize the perceived needs of Black students. 8

Leadership

Sharon Carlton is one of the co-presidents of the Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators. 9 Carlton previously worked as a business education teacher and assistant principal in Montgomery County, Maryland and in several neighboring school systems. She has also worked for a variety of non-denominational ministries, describing herself at various times as a “minister,” “apostle,” and “prophetess.” Carlton received a bachelor’s degree in business education from Norfolk State University, a master’s degree in teaching from Purdue University, and a doctoral degree in education from Northcentral University, as well as certificates from several nondenominational religious institutions. 10

Kimberly Prillman is the other co-president of the MCABSE. 11 She is also a teacher at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, Maryland. 12

Melinda Deneise Hammond is the treasurer of the MCABSE. 13 She is also the principal of Waters Landing Elementary School in Germantown, Maryland. 14

References

  1. “About NABSE.” Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators. Accessed December 29, 2022. https://mcabsemcps.org/?page_id=253
  2. [1]“MCABSE Partnerships 2022-2024.” Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators. Accessed December 29, 2022. https://mcabsemcps.org/?page_id=1278
  3. MCPS Antiracist System Audit 2022.” Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium. Accessed December 29, 2022. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AgWPzoKwZAZx6bleDBRiukArt9IBewNd/view
  4. “Resources.” National Alliance of Black School Educators. Accessed December 29, 2022. https://www.nabse.org/resources/
  5. Charles Feamster, Lauren Holmes “MCABSE History Document – 2021,” Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators. February 16, 2021. Accessed January 2, 2023. https://mcabsemcps.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MCABSE-History-Document-2021.pdf
  6. MCABSE. Twitter. May 19, 2021. Accessed December 29, 2022. https://twitter.com/mcabsemcps/status/1395018126996217862
  7. Jack R. Smith. “Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators Scholarship Recipients.” Montgomery County Public Schools Office of the Superintendent of Schools. June 11, 2020. Accessed December 29, 2022. https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/BQ9PC5628B0B/$file/Recognition%20MCABSE%20Scholars%20200611.pdf
  8. [1]“School Based Mini Grant Guidelines 2016.” Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators. Accessed December 29, 2022. https://news.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/MCABSE-2016-mini-grant-application.pdf
  9. “MCABSE Officers 2022-2024.” Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators. Accessed December 29, 2022. https://mcabsemcps.org/?page_id=64
  10. Apostle Dr. Sharon Carlton. LinkedIn. Accessed December 29, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/apostle-dr-sharon-carlton-73052773
  11. [1]“MCABSE Officers 2022-2024.” Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators. Accessed December 29, 2022. https://mcabsemcps.org/?page_id=64
  12. “Staff Directory.” Montgomery County Public Schools. Accessed December 29, 2022. https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/directory/index.aspx?searchName=prillman
  13. [1]“MCABSE Officers 2022-2024.” Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators. Accessed December 29, 2022. https://mcabsemcps.org/?page_id=64
  14. “Staff Directory.” Montgomery County Public Schools. Accessed December 29, 2022. https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/directory/index.aspx?searchName=prillman
  See an error? Let us know!