Minnie Forte-Brown Sworn-In As NC School Boards Association President

Greensboro, NC – Durham Public Schools board member Minnie Forte-Brown was sworn in Wednesday, Nov. 15, as the president of the North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA) at its annual conference in Greensboro. Forte-Brown has served on the NCSBA Board of Directors since 2010 and last year was the president-elect.

Forte-Brown, a member of the Durham Public Schools Board of Education since 2004, served as the chairperson from 2006 to 2012 and vice-chair from 2012 to 2015. She currently serves as co-chair of the board’s Academic and Student Support Committee. Forte-Brown has also been an officer for the National School Boards Association and the Council of Urban Boards of Education. Additionally, she was appointed by former Governor Bev Perdue to the NC Council of the Status of Women and the Gang Advisory Task Force. She is also a co-founder of the East Durham Children’s Initiative (EDCI).

Introducing Forte-Brown at the NCSBA conference, fellow board member Natalie Beyer said:

“Minnie believes in the transformative power of public education. From the depths of her soul she knows that every student deserves an excellent, challenging school experience led by caring, thoughtful adults. Minnie believes in bell-to-bell instruction and opportunities for excellent educators to collaborate to push students.

Our dear friend Minnie is an advocate and a fighter. She will go to the mat for every student. She builds relationships with students and educators in our district and across the nation. Minnie goes to conferences and sits in the front row, takes notes and asks tough questions. She comes home from every conference inspired by the work of local school boards and staff across the state and nation.

She knows that local boards know their communities and students best and are the best strategy for governance and innovation. Minnie challenges our Board towards equity and innovation. Whether it is through a tough speech delivered from the dais or heaven forbid the even feistier Minnie who brings the truth in closed session – you always know where Minnie stands. Minnie stands with students and fights for them and the education they deserve.”    

A Durham native, Forte-Brown graduated from Hillside High School and holds a bachelor’s degree in speech and English from Saint Augustine’s University and a master’s degree in speech pathology and audiology from North Carolina Central University. She worked as a communications specialist and master teacher in the Department of English and Mass Communications at North Carolina Central University before retiring.

NCSBA is the statewide professional organization that represents local boards of education in North Carolina. It is a member-driven association that supports the school governance team—school board members, superintendents, senior administrative staff and board assistants—in its complex leadership role.