CMS Superintendent , Dr . Clayton Wilcox One year , two big acheivements
The end of my first full year as the leader of Charlotte- Mecklenburg Schools is coming up . It ’ s been a busy and productive year . I ’ m proud of what we ’ ve accomplished in my first year but also very aware that much more work lies ahead !
I ’ d like to share my thinking with you about two significant milestones in my first year .
The first one was our release of the Breaking the Link report . Prepared by our own office of accountability , this careful and thoughtful analysis illuminates a hard truth : Our schools are far from equitable . Equity is a tough one because it ’ s not the same as equality . Instead , equity means giving kids what they need to succeed and that ’ s not the same for every kid . Analyzing the problem , as we did in Breaking the Link , is an important first step . The report is based on 2016- 2017 data and shows that poverty and race continue to be a predictive link to student performance in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools . Put another way , this report shows that poor and minority students continue to have significant achievement gaps when compared to students who are white and not poor .
This is not acceptable . All of us want Mecklenburg County to be a place of equal opportunity for everyone . Creating pathways to economic mobility is a civic responsibility shared by government , schools and citizens . The role of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is to provide an education that prepares students for life after high school , whether that ’ s college , a career or the military .
Breaking the Link makes it clear : We are providing opportunities to many students . But we are not providing equal opportunities to all students . Changing that will require multiple initiatives , targeted strategies and time . We will focus on the three areas of the report : time in school , highly effective teachers and access to rigor ( college-level courses ).
We will review and , where necessary , change our practices to improve student outcomes . We are committed to seeing that all schools provide every student with a viable pathway to success . But we can ’ t do it alone . We need the support of county and city governments , and of parents and the community at large .
The second milestone of note – and it ’ s also an area where we ’ re asking for community support – is our proposed budget for the 2018-2019 school year . It builds on what we learned from Breaking the Link , as well as our comprehensive analysis of the most urgent district needs .
Our budget request this year is more than just that – it ’ s a budget call to action . We must act now because our kids need us . We are at a unique moment in our county ’ s history , when a convergence of events has opened the door to make Mecklenburg County a more just and equitable place to live and work .
The economic mobility study , the subsequent Opportunity Task Force report and the CMS Breaking the Link report tell the same story : Our community is divided , with rich opportunity for some and far , far less for others . If we want to change this , we have to change how we use our resources . We have to ensure that we give kids what they need .
Our budget call to action identifies four areas of need : Safe schools .
Great educators . Strong support . Positive learning spaces . Here are some details about each area .
Safe schools
We want to ensure safe schools by providing student support , staff and
2 • May / June 2018 • Parent Teacher Magazine
CMS Superintendent , Dr . Clayton Wilcox One year , two big acheivements
expertise . We ’ re asking for $ 4.4 million to provide 33 elementary school counselors , 17 school social workers and 10 school psychologists .
We also want to add five police officers , including one training specialist , to enhance school safety . Two locksmiths and two electronics specialists can help maintain security at schools , and training for school staff with area law enforcement agencies will strengthen the abilities of staff to respond to an emergency . We are seeking $ 624,000 in operating funds for this .
But we also need capital funds to make our schools safer because we have facilities needs . So we ’ re asking for $ 9.2 million in capital funds to pay for hardened doors , glass reinforcement and tinted security film , fencing and other access controls , and more locks on external doors . We also want to upgrade our cameras and other monitoring on school campuses and add in-classroom cameras and alerts . No one likes to think about harm to children but in light of recent events in Florida and elsewhere , we believe we need to be more fully prepared to protect our students . Our kids need to be safe .
Great educators
We are asking the county for $ 11 million to cover the local part of state salary increases of an estimated three percent for all employees and an average seven percent for certified staff . We ’ re asking for $ 785,000 for the county supplement pay for 90 program enhancement teachers in the first phase of the House Bill 90 implementation .
We ’ re also asking for $ 6.9 million to increase the county supplement rate by seven percent . It ’ s the first increase in the supplement rate since 2012 , and it will keep us competitive in hiring teachers and certified staff . It ’ s not a lot – it would give a teacher with 10 years of experience an increase of $ 42.63 a month . But it will help .
Finally , we ’ re asking for $ 371,000 to cover the county portion of staffing for one new school and two repurposed schools that will open next year . We ’ re requesting $ 1.5 million to cover the county share of 20 new English Learner teachers , and $ 500K for cultural proficiency training for 800 staff to increase understanding of diverse cultures .
Strong support
We ’ re addressing this need in three ways .
One : We ’ re asking for $ 3.8 million to launch a literacy platform for grades four through 12 . It will enhance personalized instruction in literacy in a consistent way across all disciplines . To empower teachers , we also will invest in an instructional application that will help them design learning targets and instructional plans .
Two : We want to continue Advancement Via Individual Determination – the AVID program – in 31 additional schools . We have found AVID to be a successful tool to direct underrepresented students into a college path , helping us to close the achievement gap .
Three : To empower our guidance counselors and strengthen their effectiveness , we want to launch a digital guidance-counseling platform . It will help students and their counselors create a clear plan for high school that directly connects to their post-high school plans for college or career . Positive learning spaces We want to provide the needed custodial and other staff for the three schools opening next year . We also want to expand custodial support at existing schools . So we ’ re asking for $ 605,000 to pay for 11 custodians and three pest control specialists for the three new schools , and $ 1.8 million to add 46 custodians across the district .
Positive learning spaces – clean , safe , well-maintained schools – are important for children . This request also protects the taxpayers ’ significant financial investment in our school buildings and other sites .
Those are the highlights of our budget . You can learn more at our budget website , ourkidsneedus . org . We ’ re also soliciting feedback through Let ’ s Talk , a dialogue platform that is accessible from ourkidsneedus . org . We want your feedback and we want your support . We have the opportunity now to make our community equitable , offering pathways to success to all residents . Schools are a key lever for creating equity . Our kids need us – help us answer the call . I hope you will support our efforts and our budget in the weeks and months ahead .