Biggest Problem Facing Charlotte

[rockhilljames]

Yes, I know, Dubone even PM'd me about that...(sorry dubone!).

The old avatar got deleted and I've been too lazy/busy to make a new one...soon!

As for the schools, CMS just release deplorable testing scores, you better believe that it will make a difference unless something is done about it. I didn't used to care about stuff like this, but now that I'm a parent, I could actually see basing my location on school district.

[teshadoh]

Yes, I know, Dubone even PM'd me about that...(sorry dubone!).

The old avatar got deleted and I've been too lazy/busy to make a new one...soon!

As for the schools, CMS just release deplorable testing scores, you better believe that it will make a difference unless something is done about it. I didn't used to care about stuff like this, but now that I'm a parent, I could actually see basing my location on school district.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Fortunately Rock Hill has excellent schools, particularly Northwestern High...

Nonetheless - you would be surprised how negative factors don't influence the city as you would expect. Heavy traffic, actually promotes more people to move into the city center for example. Other factors such as school quality - makes people do something about it, but I had always thought Charlotte - Meck had a fantastic school system? Otherwise crime is a real issue that is hard to deal with.

[MZT]

The perception of public education seems to be slipping away from "a benefit the govenment provides" like roads, fire, police... to "something you use when you have no other choice" like food stamps and public housing.

It's too bad. I went to public school and I'm amazed at the kinds of problems we keep reading about.

I'm amazed as well that home boundaries keep moving around every few years. There was never any doubt in my education that I'd complete all my years at the same elementary, the same junior high, and the same senior high with the classmates I'd always known.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

like Teshodah said, CMS is thought of as, overall, an excellent system nationwide. The schools like West Meck and Garinger may not be the best but CMS does have some great schools located where much of the new growth is actually occuring, in the south side.

It seems to be that the people that are moving in have some money and can afford the south side or can send their kids to private schools. Union county by weddington also has great schools I hear. I do find it interesting that all the private schools are in the south side...

[rockhilljames]

While the perception of CMS nationwide might still be good, the latest test results aren't going to help that. More than half of Charlotte's high schools graded below 60%...that's not good by anyone's standards. Couple that with the superintendent problems they've been having and that stupid busing issue, and nationally our image could slip.

Check out the Charlotte O's article about recent test scores...not good.

[Irobot704]

CMS is still short 67 teachers. That needs to improve and 37% of CMS teachers arent qualified. Some regulation is makeing it hard for certain teachers to get jobs in cms. I will get back with a link in a second.

[MZT]

I read a few days ago that CMS is "required" at Middle school level to teach 45 minutes of science and 45 minutes of social studies.... a week!

Good grief. I had social studies every day from at least 6th grade through 9th. (early 1980s). Standards sure have been watered down. Apparently they need the class time to drum reading skills into the kids, because they STILL don't have them ingrained even by Middle school.

[Justadude]

I work in the school system and I see its problems up close and personal. The "neighborhood schools" plan was the worst thing that has ever happened to this community. I realize that people want their kids to go to school near their homes, but that is only a pleasant experience if your neighborhood has a GOOD school... which is the case in the south and south-central areas only. The schools in the east, west, and (increasingly) the north are falling apart at the seams because of overwhelming poverty and safety issues; Garinger feels less like a school and more like juvenile hall. West Charlotte is something like 95% black, and about 90% free/reduced lunch; in my opinion, this is no better than old-fashioned segregation.

It's a shame that parents in the upper-crust decided not to "play ball" any more with the old system. Back then, a school like West Charlotte could be the best in the system... which meant that the kids who went there had a real shot at furthering their own education. Today, it's basically a holding-area until they move on to low-paying jobs, regardless of whether they graduate. That's caused teachers to leave, principals to avoid the school, and families to lose any confidence in the place. It's exactly what you want an urban school system NOT to be.

Down the road, we will rue the day we let the public schools become so unbalanced.

[monsoon]

I honestly don't know how CMS is to be fixed. I for one don't think it is possible to run a single school system that has grown as large as the one we have and serve the residents of this community adequately. The Police department certainly doesn't try to do it as they have the city divided into districts with a set number of resources dedicated to each district. They are going need to do the same with CMS. They ought to break it into 3 districts. South, Central, and North.

[Charlotte_native]

I honestly don't know how CMS is to be fixed. I for one don't think it is possible to run a single school system that has grown as large as the one we have and serve the residents of this community adequately. The Police department certainly doesn't try to do it as they have the city divided into districts with a set number of resources dedicated to each district. They are going need to do the same with CMS. They ought to break it into 3 districts. South, Central, and North.

[stadtguy]

All of the issue are important, but the CMS problem intersects with most of them. School quality acts has a push and pull effect on families with children. Thus it can exacerbate sprawl if folks choose to follow Independence Blvd. to Union County for better school quality. We're already experiencing schisms between urban (non-white) and suburban (more white) constituencies. The prevalence of crime in some of these urban areas further weakens the ability of urban schools to attract a well-rounded student base.

A healthy, robust county is dependent upon a strong middle-class. Charlotte has been fortunate to maintain the tax base needed to fund the school infrastructure. IF families start to bail in greater numbers, that tax base is going to be imperiled. CMS is already disproportionally composed of children from low-income families. I suppose the 2000 version of 60s white flight might be class flight. We're not there yet, but something beyond incremental changes to CMS are needed to slow or reverse these trends. If not, we could experience the post-industrial equivalent of urban flight. A good book on this phenomenon is by Lucy & Phillips titled "Confronting Suburban Decline."

[Justadude]

They ought to break it into 3 districts. South, Central, and North.

[MZT]

I think the schools are way too large and unmanageable. We need to think outside the box. Why can't we divide up some of those abondoned big boxes on Independence, Albemarle, and South Blvd and create subschools?

Yeah they won't have large school grounds, but so what! More important I think, is to break the class sizes down so the discipline problems get immediate attention. I think there would be fewer discipline problems to begin with, if the kids feel like they recognize their peers and they're not lost in a huge system.

Does every school really need a large cafeteria? Or track and field areas? I brought my lunch in 1st through 3rd grade and so did many of my classmates "in those days". I never liked recess or sports anyway. I may have been something of an odd bird, but I'm sure there are kids that don't mind staying inside.

[monsoon]

I'd be all for that, but I can't see how equity would be the result. Inevitably the South district would get the most support, followed by the North and then the Central. From that Central area's perspective, that's not a lot of progress.

[Justadude]

Presumably the central district would include some of Charlotte's most affluent neighborhoods including Myers Park, Dilworth, Elizabeth, downtown, and Plaza Midwood. They would just need to balance these schools out with the Eastland and West Charlotte areas.