http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/index.xml News, sports and entertainment from Charlotte.com en-us Copyright 2008 Charlotte.com Education 60 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:53 EDT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss McClatchy Interactive Workbench support@charlotte.com http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/714582.html http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/714582.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:15 EDT A flood of calls and mail from people who don't want to include gay students in a list of potential bullying targets helped stall votes on a proposed school safety law.<p/>Legislators have been working on a bullying bill for more than a year, and until Tuesday morning thought they had a compromise that would pass both House and Senate.<p/>But it turned out that including &ldquo;sexual orientation&rdquo; in a list of more than a dozen reasons a student might be bullied was a sticking point. Both the House and Senate plan to vote on a bullying bill before they finish their work this week, though it is not certain what it will say.<p/>The battle mirrors one that arose as Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools eventually adopted a similar policy.<p/>Opponents of the bill want the whole list removed, while supporters say it is needed to properly address school violence. Those who want the law to list potential targets said the descriptions are necessary because some bullying is tolerated as &ldquo;kids being kids.&rdquo;<p/>&ldquo;When people are being ignored, you have to be specific sometimes,&rdquo; said Brian Lewis, lobbyist for the N.C. Association of Educators.<p/>The Christian Action League is asking people on its mailing list to tell legislators to oppose it, and the N.C. Family Policy Council has written extensively on its view that homosexual rights groups are using school safety issues to promote a social agenda.<p/>&ldquo;This is a watershed issue, and if &lsquo;sexual orientation' is enacted into North Carolina law through HB 1366, it will serve as the basis for affirming deviant sexual behaviors throughout our state statutes,&rdquo; read a brief distributed by Bill Brooks, family policy council executive director.<p/>Impassioned debate erupted earlier this year around a similar policy for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. The school board passed the policy in March on a 6-3 vote after weeks of arguments between supporters and proponents across the community.<p/>The CMS policy bans bullying for virtually any reason. It establishes procedures for reporting harassment and provides for annual anti-bullying training for teachers and students. Proponents call it a necessary safeguard to protect all students, including those subjected to anti-gay slurs and harassment. <p/>Critics said the school system's student code of conduct already banned bullying, and suggested the policy was part of a coordinated campaign to promote homosexuality in the schools.<p/>School board member Kaye McGarry, one of the three who voted against the policy, said she's still waiting to see how it will be implemented locally. She suggested the statewide bill was just as unnecessary as the CMS policy, especially if it lists specific classes of protected students.<p/>&ldquo;It's the wrong way to go about it,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Bullying is wrong. We all know that. We just have to enforce (the policies) we have.&rdquo;<p/>Board member Trent Merchant, a supporter of the CMS policy, said the outcome of the bill in Raleigh will have little effect locally. &ldquo;That's their debate. We've had ours. The day has been decided and I'm ready to move on,&rdquo; he said. <p/>In the legislature, one senator said he received more than 175 cards, e-mails, letters and calls from his district over the last three weeks, telling him not to support the bill.<p/>Sen. Stan Bingham, a Republican from Denton, said a lot of his constituents don't know whether he represents them in Raleigh or in Washington, but a whole lot of people from his area seem to know the details of the bullying bill.<p/>&ldquo;They must have notified every church in my area,&rdquo; Bingham said of opponents. The messages were enough to convince him not to support the compromise bill, though he was one of the negotiators.<p/>&ldquo;It kind of hurt,&rdquo; he said.<p/>Dozens of states have passed anti-bullying laws as part of initiatives to make schools safe. Some states were spurred, in part, by a connection between harassment and school shootings. A 2002 report by the U.S. Secret Service on 37 school shootings said that most of the shooters were motivated by revenge for longstanding bullying and harassment.<p/>Observer staff writer Eric Frazier contributed.<p/>A flood of calls and mail from people who don't want to include gay students in a list of potential bullying targets helped stall votes on a proposed school safety law.<p/>Legislators have been working on a bullying bill for more than a year, and until Tuesday morning thought they had a compromise that would pass both House and Senate.<p/>But it turned out that including &ldquo;sexual orientation&rdquo; in a list of more than a dozen reasons a student might be bullied was a sticking point. Both the House and Senate plan to vote on a bullying bill before they finish their work this week, though it is not certain what it will say.<p/>The battle mirrors one that arose as Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools eventually adopted a similar policy.<p/>Opponents of the bill want the whole list removed, while supporters say it is needed to properly address school violence. Those who want the law to list potential targets said the descriptions are necessary because some bullying is tolerated as &ldquo;kids being kids.&rdquo;<p/>&ldquo;When people are being ignored, you have to be specific sometimes,&rdquo; said Brian Lewis, lobbyist for the N.C. Association of Educators.<p/>The Christian Action League is asking people on its mailing list to tell legislators to oppose it, and the N.C. Family Policy Council has written extensively on its view that homosexual rights groups are using school safety issues to promote a social agenda.<p/>&ldquo;This is a watershed issue, and if &lsquo;sexual orientation' is enacted into North Carolina law through HB 1366, it will serve as the basis for affirming deviant sexual behaviors throughout our state statutes,&rdquo; read a brief distributed by Bill Brooks, family policy council executive director.<p/>Impassioned debate erupted earlier this year around a similar policy for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. The school board passed the policy in March on a 6-3 vote after weeks of arguments between supporters and proponents across the community.<p/>The CMS policy bans bullying for virtually any reason. It establishes procedures for reporting harassment and provides for annual anti-bullying training for teachers and students. Proponents call it a necessary safeguard to protect all students, including those subjected to anti-gay slurs and harassment. <p/>Critics said the school system's student code of conduct already banned bullying, and suggested the policy was part of a coordinated campaign to promote homosexuality in the schools.<p/>School board member Kaye McGarry, one of the three who voted against the policy, said she's still waiting to see how it will be implemented locally. She suggested the statewide bill was just as unnecessary as the CMS policy, especially if it lists specific classes of protected students.<p/>&ldquo;It's the wrong way to go about it,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Bullying is wrong. We all know that. We just have to enforce (the policies) we have.&rdquo;<p/>Board member Trent Merchant, a supporter of the CMS policy, said the outcome of the bill in Raleigh will have little effect locally. &ldquo;That's their debate. We've had ours. The day has been decided and I'm ready to move on,&rdquo; he said. <p/>In the legislature, one senator said he received more than 175 cards, e-mails, letters and calls from his district over the last three weeks, telling him not to support the bill.<p/>Sen. Stan Bingham, a Republican from Denton, said a lot of his constituents don't know whether he represents them in Raleigh or in Washington, but a whole lot of people from his area seem to know the details of the bullying bill.<p/>&ldquo;They must have notified every church in my area,&rdquo; Bingham said of opponents. The messages were enough to convince him not to support the compromise bill, though he was one of the negotiators.<p/>&ldquo;It kind of hurt,&rdquo; he said.<p/>Dozens of states have passed anti-bullying laws as part of initiatives to make schools safe. Some states were spurred, in part, by a connection between harassment and school shootings. A 2002 report by the U.S. Secret Service on 37 school shootings said that most of the shooters were motivated by revenge for longstanding bullying and harassment.<p/>Observer staff writer Eric Frazier contributed. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/713244.html http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/713244.html Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:39 EDT Every year, Charlotte-area agencies collect mountains of school supplies and winter coats for needy kids.<p/>What if someone held an alarm-clock drive to help students wake up for school?<p/>Don't laugh. Gwen Forney, who recently retired after 20 years as a Mecklenburg County social worker, wants to mobilize parents, churches and other groups to cut absences in half.<p/>&ldquo;You can get the best teachers and curriculum, the best tutors and mentors &ndash; it wouldn't make a lot of difference if they don't show up for school,&rdquo; says Forney, the mother of an Independence High student and a Vance High graduate.<p/>Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools leaders agree: Failing test scores and high dropout rates are often linked to excessive absences.<p/>Forney doesn't think clocks alone can tip the balance. But in her years as a community outreach worker with the Mecklenburg Department of Social Services, she saw how such a simple thing can be an obstacle for families who can barely afford food and rent. She saw children being raised by frail grandparents who couldn't drive. If they missed the bus, they missed school.<p/>&ldquo;You have kids missing 20, 30, 40 days,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I've seen 60 days and no (legal) intervention.&rdquo;<p/>Forney has launched the nonprofit Bright Hopes, which she wants to roll out with an August rally. Her vision: Students will pay $2 to join, with $1 going to that child's school and $1 to the countywide effort. Both would use the money &ndash; along with more she hopes to raise in grants and contributions &ndash; to hold events and provide prizes for students who cut their absences in half compared with 2007-08. Each student joining would also need an adult &ndash; parent, relative, pastor, family friend or other caring grown-up &ndash; who will encourage the young person to get to school every day.<p/>Forney knows the most troubled families will be tough to reach. She's working on finding a high-poverty elementary school and a neighborhood church that can help connect her with the folks who most need guidance and encouragement.<p/>&ldquo;A lot of parents groom their children for failure,&rdquo; Forney said. &ldquo;They don't mean to. They need to be made aware.&rdquo;<p/>Every year, Charlotte-area agencies collect mountains of school supplies and winter coats for needy kids.<p/>What if someone held an alarm-clock drive to help students wake up for school?<p/>Don't laugh. Gwen Forney, who recently retired after 20 years as a Mecklenburg County social worker, wants to mobilize parents, churches and other groups to cut absences in half.<p/>&ldquo;You can get the best teachers and curriculum, the best tutors and mentors &ndash; it wouldn't make a lot of difference if they don't show up for school,&rdquo; says Forney, the mother of an Independence High student and a Vance High graduate.<p/>Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools leaders agree: Failing test scores and high dropout rates are often linked to excessive absences.<p/>Forney doesn't think clocks alone can tip the balance. But in her years as a community outreach worker with the Mecklenburg Department of Social Services, she saw how such a simple thing can be an obstacle for families who can barely afford food and rent. She saw children being raised by frail grandparents who couldn't drive. If they missed the bus, they missed school.<p/>&ldquo;You have kids missing 20, 30, 40 days,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I've seen 60 days and no (legal) intervention.&rdquo;<p/>Forney has launched the nonprofit Bright Hopes, which she wants to roll out with an August rally. Her vision: Students will pay $2 to join, with $1 going to that child's school and $1 to the countywide effort. Both would use the money &ndash; along with more she hopes to raise in grants and contributions &ndash; to hold events and provide prizes for students who cut their absences in half compared with 2007-08. Each student joining would also need an adult &ndash; parent, relative, pastor, family friend or other caring grown-up &ndash; who will encourage the young person to get to school every day.<p/>Forney knows the most troubled families will be tough to reach. She's working on finding a high-poverty elementary school and a neighborhood church that can help connect her with the folks who most need guidance and encouragement.<p/>&ldquo;A lot of parents groom their children for failure,&rdquo; Forney said. &ldquo;They don't mean to. They need to be made aware.&rdquo; http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/709827.html http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/709827.html Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:42 EDT You have to reach them when they're young, Rosie Molinary tells me at Summit Coffee earlier this month.<p/>She was talking about Latina girls and their high dropout rates.<p/>Molinary, 34, is a Davidson College graduate, full-time writer and former CMS teacher who has started a scholarship program to encourage more Latina girls to pursue college, university or trade school.<p/>She said she could no longer ignore the high number of them dropping out of middle school and high school. She hears their stories every time she speaks in a school about her 2007 book, &ldquo;Hijas Americanas: Beauty, Body Image, and Growing Up Latina.''<p/>Raised in Columbia, S.C., Molinary is a first-generation American of Puerto Rican descent.<p/>Latina girls quit school for many reasons, she said, from becoming pregnant to having to help their parents and siblings at home. &ldquo;The decks are stacked against them,'' she said.<p/>That's why Molinary decided to reward deserving seventh-graders with her $5,000 Circle de Luz (Circle of Light) scholarships, she said. The girls won't see the money until they make it through high school.<p/>Molinary started a &ldquo;giving circle'' of scholarship contributors through an e-mail blast earlier this year to women she knows across the country. She asked them to commit $150 a year for six years and raised $26,880 in commitments from 38 women as far away as Oregon and California.<p/>That was enough to fund five scholarships, and Molinary expects to raise enough to fund three more by September.<p/>A 34-year-old donor from Oregon committed to the program because she'd just graduated from college with a bachelor's degree and told Molinary, &ldquo;I feel a need to pay it forward.&rdquo;<p/>Molinary formed a Circle de Luz board of directors that includes a Davidson College professor, two Wachovia employees, a CMS middle school teacher and a stay-at-home mom who formerly worked in development for a nonprofit.<p/>Davidson jewelry artist Mary Alice Mitchell created several necklace designs to raise money for the program.<p/>And a Circle de Posibilidad (Possibility) will seek donations from men, companies and philanthropic groups to support programming for the girls. That includes helping the girls pay fees to take their SATs and apply to colleges, Molinary said. Programming also will include a book club to help raise interest in reading among the girls. <p/>I interviewed Molinary minutes after she'd returned from James Martin Middle School on IBM Drive in the University City area of Charlotte. Girls from that school will be chosen for the first round of scholarships this fall.<p/>Girls from a middle school in another part of the country will be chosen for the second round of scholarships, and so on, Molinary said.<p/>As part of the program, mentors will help inspire the girls through middle school and high school. <p/>Recipients likely won't be at the top of their class academically, Molinary said. They'll more likely be &ldquo;C&rdquo; students who show promise, girls with lower grades &ldquo;because of what's going on in their lives,&rdquo; she said.<p/>The scholarships, she said, are intended to &ldquo;enhance their possibilities.&rdquo; http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/710033.html http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/710033.html Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:33 EDT We're No. 19!<p/>Charlotte must have greeted this week's news from the U.S. Census with joy. The city rose from the nation's 20th-largest city to 19th. (Allow me to mourn that it had to pass my hometown of Baltimore to do it. I guess killer crab cakes and a harbor view are no longer enough.)<p/> Modern Charlotte has been on a mission, to take its place among America's top cities, with all the accompanying bells and whistles.<p/>But Charlotte has also been proud that its schools have never been thought of as &ldquo;just another urban system,&rdquo; with all the accompanying woes. <p/>So it's bittersweet that the growth story broke on the same day as news that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools &ndash; in an effort to meet budget expectations &ndash; announced it will eliminate 331 jobs, including 66 elementary school teachers.<p/>City grows &ndash; though not as fast as Cary, apparently &ndash; school system shrinks. Will that ruin our chances for No. 18?<p/>It's been decades since Charlotte's brightest day in the national education spotlight, the 1970's &ldquo;city that made desegregation work.&rdquo; The system &ndash; with its magnet programs, Newsweek rankings and diverse student body &ndash; has continued to impress with its commitment.<p/>Superintendent Peter Gorman has focused on what works, whether it's giving successful principals more freedom or transferring creative teachers to schools in crisis. But even good news brings challenges.<p/>Rising test scores come with the caveat of achievement gaps between urban and suburban classrooms. Dropout rates persist, especially among minority students. <p/>A second Performance Learning Center, a small high school for students with unconventional education needs, is a victim of recent cuts.<p/>Solutions may come in the open-to-the-public forums to discuss trimming graduation requirements and shifting magnet schools. (Now there's a thought &ndash; when the going gets tough, make schools a little easier.)<p/>Right now, though, a city with a book festival with headliners Khaled Hosseini, Scott Turow and Armistead Maupin will lose more than 100 people who work in the school libraries, where many young people first fall in love with literature.<p/>The skyscrapers are going up, all right. We just have to be sure the foundation is strong.<p/>A school system &ndash; at its best and worst &ndash; has always reached into every part of a community. It's what businesses tout when trying to attract families. It's the saving grace of young people mapping out a future. Lessons learned create alternatives to hopelessness and crime.<p/>In a slowing economy, Charlotte is no longer the slam-dunk city of choice.<p/>Football and basketball and NASCAR are important. So are the 14 school counselors, social workers and psychologists on the cuts list.<p/>The reputation of Charlotte as a place that cares about the quality of its schools has meant as least as much as the number of places you can buy a $35 steak.<p/>Without that continued commitment, Memphis (No. 18), has nothing to worry about. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/709979.html http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/709979.html Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:44 EDT Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools said Friday it had discovered payroll errors affecting 1,141 employees, who either overpaid for benefits or did not pay enough for the coverage they chose.<p/>It appeared that most of the errors involved underpayment by employees, who will be required to reimburse CMS for the amounts.<p/>The errors were discovered by the school system as it prepared to switch to a new system of managing benefits and payroll. CMS says the errors date to last Oct. 1, when the district last had open enrollment for benefits coverage.<p/>&ldquo;This was our error, and we are sorry that some of our employees will be financially inconvenienced,&rdquo; said Superintendent Peter Gorman. &ldquo;Unfortunately, because we're funded with tax dollars, we can't just forgive the amount that was underpaid.&rdquo;<p/>The district is notifying employees affected by the problem by letters, which were mailed Friday.<p/>CMS did not break down the numbers of employees who paid too much or underpaid.<p/>But the school system said the amount of money being reimbursed to those who paid too much is $12,140 &ndash; compared with $148,728 that is owed by employees to the school system for underpayment.<p/>Gorman said employees who did not pay enough will have two options for repayment: a single payment or nine monthly payments deducted from paychecks.<p/>Those who overpaid will receive the money back in a single lump sum. Gorman said the errors affect a wide range of employees, from senior managers to bus drivers. He said most of the errors involved amounts of $100 or less.<p/>The errors were discovered when the district performed an audit to compare employee benefits data in the current payroll system and the current benefits system. Benefits and payroll are handled by separate departments.<p/>&ldquo;We are reviewing existing processes and audit controls to find ways to improve them,&rdquo; said Sheila Shirley, chief financial officer with the school system. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/708252.html http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/708252.html Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:37 EDT Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board member Larry Gauvreau has resigned as publisher of Charlotte's weekly Rhinoceros Times, saying it's time to look for another job.<p/>In news that will delight some and dismay others, Gauvreau said he has no immediate plans to leave Mecklenburg County or the school board, although &ldquo;it's kind of wide open.&rdquo;<p/>Gauvreau, who has represented the north suburban District 1 since 2001, is one of the highest-profile members of an often-controversial school board. A frequent and vigorous critic of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' superintendents, &ldquo;educrats&rdquo; and most of his board colleagues, he inspired strong feelings among fans and foes even before he plunged into publishing in 2005.<p/>The Rhino Times, which started in Greensboro and expanded to Charlotte, takes regular pokes at public officials and government spending, with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as one of its regular targets. As publisher, Gauvreau was in charge of the business side.<p/>Gauvreau wouldn't be specific Thursday about his reason for leaving the paper, but hinted he needs to earn more money. &ldquo;I have three kids, two in college.&rdquo; <p/>He, Rhino Times President William Hammer and Mark Pellin, editor of the Charlotte edition, all say the split was amicable.<p/>&ldquo;We're sorry to see him go,&rdquo; Hammer said. &ldquo;He's been doing a good job. He's a great person, a hard worker &hellip; and a heck of a good school board member.&rdquo;<p/>Said Gauvreau, who worked for IBM and AT&T before becoming publisher: &ldquo;I'll miss the paper. I'll be its biggest fan and reader, but it's time to pursue something different.&rdquo;<p/>Pellin said Gauvreau's departure will not bring editorial changes. A new publisher has not been named. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/708880.html http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/708880.html Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:05 EDT The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools said today that it had discovered payroll errors affecting 1,141 employees, who either overpaid for benefits or did not pay enough for the coverage they chose.<p/>It appears as if most of the errors involved underpayment by employees, who will be required to reimburse CMS for the amounts.<p/>The errors were discovered by the school system as it prepared to switch to a new system of managing benefits and payroll. CMS says the errors date back to last Oct. 1, when the district last had open enrollment for benefits coverage.<p/>"This was our error, and we are sorry that some of our employees will be financially inconvenienced," said Superintendent Peter Gorman. "Unfortunately, because we're funded with tax dollars, we can't just forgive the amount that was underpaid."<p/>The district is notifying employees affected by the problem by letters, which are being mailed today.<p/>CMS did not break down the numbers of employees who paid too much, and the number that underpaid.<p/>But the school system said the amount of money being reimbursed to those who paid too much is $12,140 -- compared to $148,728 that is owed by employees to the school system for underpayment.<p/>Gorman said employees who did not pay enough will have two options for repayment:<p/>-- A single payment<p/>-- Nine monthly payments deducted from paychecks.<p/>Those who overpaid will receive the money back in a single lump sum. Gorman said the errors affect a wide range of employees, ranging from senior managers to bus drivers. He said most of the errors involve amounts of $100 or less.<p/>The errors were discovered when the district performed an audit to compare employee benefits data in the current payroll system and the current benefits system. Benefits and payroll are handled by separate departments with CMS.<p/>"We are reviewing existing processes and audit controls to find ways to improve them," said Sheila Shirley, chief financial officer with the school system. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/706716.html http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/706716.html Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:40 EDT Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will eliminate 331 jobs, including 66 elementary school teachers and more than 100 people who work in school libraries, Superintendent Peter Gorman announced Wednesday.<p/>The cuts won't necessarily mean layoffs. CMS has a work force topping 19,700 people, and Gorman said he hopes anyone whose job is eliminated can move into a new one. <p/>The biggest wallop will be felt in schools, where 210 jobs are being cut using new CMS formulas assigning teachers, assistant principals, library staff, counselors, psychologists and social workers based on enrollment and poverty levels. Some students in low-poverty elementary schools will see bigger classes in August, and many schools will lose people who help run the media centers.<p/>&ldquo;These are cuts that will have a real impact on children,&rdquo; Gorman said.<p/>The remaining jobs are either vacant &ndash; CMS froze some hiring this spring anticipating cuts &ndash; or existed on paper only. Those include 42 vacant maintenance jobs, about a dozen vacant jobs in central offices and nine jobs Gorman had hoped to add in regional &ldquo;learning community&rdquo; offices.<p/>The new plan trims $24million from the $1.2 billion budget plan the school board approved in April, to bring 2008-09 spending in line with the money CMS will get from the state and Mecklenburg County. The spring plan is used to make a pitch for county money. The school board approves a final budget in the fall, after state, county and federal officials tells CMS how much to expect.<p/>Gorman said his budget is likely to keep changing, but he wanted to tell staff and the public what to expect. He said he tried to avoid cutting school staff, but that's where most of the money goes.<p/>Board member Kaye McGarry, who attended Gorman's news conference, said afterward he should have cut more from administration. &ldquo;To me, we have to be stronger in saying &lsquo;Protect the classroom,'&rdquo; she said.<p/>The budget is a mix of state, county and federal money. CMS is waiting on variables ranging from federal grants to fall enrollment. If there's money to restore anything, Gorman said, he'll hire the additional 66 teachers to bring down class sizes in grades K-3.<p/>Under Wednesday's plan, high-poverty schools will continue to get one K-3 teacher per 16 students; the ratio for other schools will rise from one per 21 to one per 22.<p/>Board member Trent Merchant, who has a first-grader in a school that could lose teachers, called Gorman's formulas &ldquo;a responsible method.&rdquo;<p/>The legislature, which provides about 60 percent of CMS's money, just approved a 2008-09 budget that provides 3percent raises for teachers, instead of the 5 percent CMS had projected in its April plan. It also provides $3.23 a gallon to fill school bus tanks, while CMS is paying $4.19 a gallon, Deputy Superintendent Maurice Green said.<p/>School board member Vilma Leake said she'd like to see CMS and the county provide money to keep teacher raises at 5 percent. Leake, a retired teacher who's running for county commissioner, said she's trying to organize 10,000 educators to go to Raleigh and confront legislators.<p/>Among the jobs Gorman will trim are some from the April plan that were never filled. For instance, CMS had planned to hire nine people to create a second Performance Learning Center, a small high school for students who don't do well in traditional settings. Officials pulled the plug a couple of weeks ago.<p/>Gorman said he doesn't expect to lay off teachers because summer is the heaviest time for turnover, leaving openings for any who have to switch schools.<p/>Media-center assistants, the largest group losing jobs, will be offered positions as teacher assistants, he said. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/705203.html http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/705203.html Wed, 09 Jul 2008 06:20 EDT More than two dozen schools losing assistant principals to budget cuts are scattered across Mecklenburg County, according to a list released by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Tuesday.<p/>CMS announced the cuts on Thursday, but officials said they hadn't finalized the list of schools affected. Superintendent Peter Gorman is expected to unveil more cost-saving measures, possibly including more job cuts, at a news briefing today.<p/>Tuesday the district named 19 middle schools and seven &ndash; or possibly six &ndash; high schools that will lose assistant principals:<p/><span class="icon icon-bullet"></span>South zone: Ardrey Kell, Providence and South Meck high schools and Quail Hollow, Robinson and South Charlotte middle schools.<p/><span class="icon icon-bullet"></span>West zone: Berry Academy of Technology, and Coulwood and Southwest middle schools. Harding High would also lose one under the new formulas, which are based on projected enrollment, but officials say they're still discussing whether to make that cut.<p/><span class="icon icon-bullet"></span>Northeast zone: Mallard Creek High, and Cochrane and Eastway middles.<p/><span class="icon icon-bullet"></span>Central zone: Alexander Graham, Carmel, Piedmont and Randolph middles and Northwest School of the Arts.<p/><span class="icon icon-bullet"></span>East zone: Crestdale, Mint Hill, Northeast and Northridge middles.<p/><span class="icon icon-bullet"></span>North zone: Bailey and Bradley middles.<p/><span class="icon icon-bullet"></span>Achievement zone: Waddell High and King Middle.<p/>The cuts don't necessarily mean layoffs; CMS expects to move all or most of the administrators into open positions, including some created by new schools opening in August. They do mean the targeted schools will lose people who have been responsible for student discipline, teacher supervision and other duties. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/705856.html http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/705856.html Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:48 EDT <p/></p><p/> Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will eliminate 331 jobs, including 66 elementary school teachers and more than 100 people who work in school libraries, Superintendent Peter Gorman announced today.</p><p/>The cuts will not necessarily mean layoffs. CMS has a work force topping 19,700 people, and Gorman said he hopes anyone whose job is eliminated can be moved into a new job. Some of the positions being cut are vacant or were never filled.</p><p/>The changes will mean larger classes in some elementary schools, less help when kids go to school media centers and fewer school counselors, psychologists and social workers.</p><p/>&ldquo;These are cuts that will have a real impact on children,&rdquo; Gorman said.</p><p/>He said the district's $1 billion-plus budget, a mix of state, county and federal money, still isn't locked in. CMS is waiting on variables ranging from federal grants to the final enrollment tally in September. If there's money to restore anything, Gorman said he'll hire the additional 66 teachers to bring down class sizes in grades K-3. The teacher cuts will affect only schools that don't have the highest poverty levels.</p><p/>The state legislature, which provides about 60 percent of CMS's money, just approved a 2008-09 budget that provides 3 percent raises for teachers, instead of the 5 percent CMS had expected when the school board passed a budget plan in April. It also provides $3.23 a gallon to fill school bus fuel tanks, while CMS is paying $4.19 a gallon, Green said.</p><p/>CMS officials say the 331 jobs being eliminated include 219 school-based jobs and 112 that are classified as central-office jobs, although some of those people are also stationed in schools. They promised a detailed breakdown of the job cuts later today.</p><p/>Among the 331 are jobs that were included in the April budget plan but never filled. For instance, CMS had planned to hire nine people to create a second Performance Learning Center, a small high school for students who don't do well in traditional settings; officials pulled the plug on that plan when county commissioners didn't provide as much money as CMS sought.</p><p/>CMS also froze some hiring this spring, anticipating the need to scale back from the April plan. For instance, the district didn't fill assistant principal jobs; when it trimmed 26 of those jobs last week there were openings for administrators who lost their posts. The 26 assistant principal jobs also are among the 331.</p><p/>Gorman said he doesn't expect to lay off teachers because summer is the heaviest time for teacher turnover, leaving openings for any who have to switch schools.</p><p/>Media-center assistants who lose their jobs will be offered positions as teacher assistants, he said.</p> http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/702433.html http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/702433.html Mon, 07 Jul 2008 07:04 EDT The south suburbs this week will host the first of seven meetings in which Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools leaders hope to hear what the public thinks about magnet schools and graduation requirements.<p/>There's plenty of room for people to weigh in. The school board remains far from consensus on how to revamp its menu of specialized academic programs and whether to cut the credits required for a diploma.<p/>In late June, Superintendent Peter Gorman brought the board a list of proposals for magnets, which included eliminating magnets from 13 schools, beefing up some entrance requirements and creating K-8 Spanish-immersion schools at two elementaries. Most board members said they wanted something different, but they weren't clear on what.<p/>Ken Gjertsen, who represents the south suburbs, urged Gorman to move some of the best magnets closer to his constituents.<p/>&ldquo;If you want southern Mecklenburg to participate in magnet programs, you have to make it easier for us to get to them,&rdquo; said Gjertsen, who has repeatedly suggested adding an International Baccalaureate magnet at South Meck High.<p/>Thursday night, officials will spend two hours at Ardrey Kell High in the Ballantyne area. They hope lots of people &ndash; including those who don't have kids in magnet programs &ndash; will join them.<p/>&ldquo;We really need that diversity of comments and ideas,&rdquo; said Scott McCully, the district's top student-assignment official.<p/>CMS leaders will present Gorman's plan, but also gather participants for small-group discussions of their own ideas and concerns. &ldquo;Parents should come prepared to be engaged and to think about what they want for our magnet schools,&rdquo; McCully said.<p/>The session will also include talk about whether CMS should lower its 28-credit requirement for graduation. That's eight credits more than the state minimum and seven more than some prestigious private schools demand. Some say scaling back would reduce dropout rates, while others argue that it's &ldquo;dumbing down&rdquo; at a time when the workplace demands more education.<p/>The board plans to vote on both issues in the fall, after holding meetings across Mecklenburg County.<p/>The south suburbs this week will host the first of seven meetings in which Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools leaders hope to hear what the public thinks about magnet schools and graduation requirements.<p/>There's plenty of room for people to weigh in. The school board remains far from consensus on how to revamp its menu of specialized academic programs and whether to cut the credits required for a diploma.<p/>In late June, Superintendent Peter Gorman brought the board a list of proposals for magnets, which included eliminating magnets from 13 schools, beefing up some entrance requirements and creating K-8 Spanish-immersion schools at two elementaries. Most board members said they wanted something different, but they weren't clear on what.<p/>Ken Gjertsen, who represents the south suburbs, urged Gorman to move some of the best magnets closer to his constituents.<p/>&ldquo;If you want southern Mecklenburg to participate in magnet programs, you have to make it easier for us to get to them,&rdquo; said Gjertsen, who has repeatedly suggested adding an International Baccalaureate magnet at South Meck High.<p/>Thursday night, officials will spend two hours at Ardrey Kell High in the Ballantyne area. They hope lots of people &ndash; including those who don't have kids in magnet programs &ndash; will join them.<p/>&ldquo;We really need that diversity of comments and ideas,&rdquo; said Scott McCully, the district's top student-assignment official.<p/>CMS leaders will present Gorman's plan, but also gather participants for small-group discussions of their own ideas and concerns. &ldquo;Parents should come prepared to be engaged and to think about what they want for our magnet schools,&rdquo; McCully said.<p/>The session will also include talk about whether CMS should lower its 28-credit requirement for graduation. That's eight credits more than the state minimum and seven more than some prestigious private schools demand. Some say scaling back would reduce dropout rates, while others argue that it's &ldquo;dumbing down&rdquo; at a time when the workplace demands more education.<p/>The board plans to vote on both issues in the fall, after holding meetings across Mecklenburg County.