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In an effort to spark local educational reform, Butler County Concern Citizens will host a panel discussion and education conference titled “Improving Education: 2025 & Beyond” on June 7, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lurleen B. Wallace (LBW) Community College.

Lowndes County’s own Aziya Flynn, Alabama FBLA State President, will take part in a panel discussion aimed to foster education reform.

“I’ve looked at our education system in the U.S. and then focused on Butler County and Greenville and I wanted to see what I could do to help,” said Kenneth Crum, chairman of Concern Citizens. “It’s going to take the effort of parents, students, educators, community leaders and city officials to help make a better system.”

Crum said the conference is designed to bring together local voices and statewide experts to discuss both challenges and actionable solutions in education. 

“I figured I had the reach to bring in the experts to not only shed light on what’s going on but offer solutions to help improve it,” Crum said.

Panelists also include Dr. Kenyetta Kendrick, founder of Kreative Teacher, LLC; Dr. Antwauan Stinson, education coordinator; Carolyn Crenshaw, former Butler County Board of Education member; Dr. Jacqueline A. Brooks, assessment and field placement coordinator at Tuskegee University; LaCretia Williams, sociology professor at Alabama State University; Jennifer Burt, retired educator; Patrick Muhammad, known as The Principal Farmer; Harry Crum, CTE counselor; Marcus Hall of Monroe STEM and representatives from the Family Sunshine Center. The event will be moderated by WSFA news anchor Rosanna Smith.

Dr. Kendrick emphasized the urgent need to refocus on education. 

“Unfortunately, education has become a second thought,” Kendrick said. “It has taken a back seat. Education is an institution that is alive. As our society changes, so should we.

“We’re going to discuss what we can do within our communities to bring about changes in our education system and what resources are available for both short term and long term actions.”

Crum hopes the inclusion of a student panelist will spark deeper understanding and engagement.

“I think it’s going to be a very well-rounded conference,” Crum said. “We can hear from the experts exactly what we can do to make the most impact. Then we’ll have a Q&A session and I’m hoping for a lot of engagement. We even have a student on the panel because we want to hear from the youth about what they see and what their issues are.”

The event is open to the public and organizers encourage educators, parents, students and community members to attend and participate.