The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Web site can be an information hound's best friend, but it also can be too much of a good thing.
The Neighbors staff went through the Web site recently looking for those special corners that are loaded with the information most of us could use, if we knew where to find it.
Take a look, and tell us what you think.
Do you have a hot spot you go back to again and again? Let us know, so we can share that with other readers.
• Web Site Highlights
Hot news
Get the latest announcements from the CMS public information department.
Get the news in your e-mail by signing up for the e-newsletter.
Find out about this major decentralization of CMS administration, including boundaries and brief biographies of each area superintendent.
• Bulletin Board Highlights
Read Peter Gorman's blog (updated every week or two) and his speeches. Also get his e-mail and mail addresses and phone number.
Find out which school board member represents your district. Read every school board policy (Example: animals may not graze on school grounds). See what legislative changes our school board wants. (Top three are more pay for teachers, performance bonuses for staff other than teachers and principals, and make it easier for retired teachers to work in the schools.)
This link takes you to the data-packed Ten-Year Plan for Capital Projects. Click on it to see growth projections year by year for existing schools. Most outlying schools end up with shortages of 20-40 classrooms for the additional students.
• Individual School Page Highlights
OK, so you've played around on the main CMS Web site.Now you're ready for some details about an individual school.
On an individual school's page, you can find information about how to contact the school. You can find links to data about student demographics, test scores and teachers' experience and training, as well as other measures of school quality.
Some schools have additional features because they have their own webmasters or volunteers to add features to the Web site, such as links to parent discussion groups.
One of the best features is a link that lets you enter your home's address and see a map that shows your assigned elementary, middle and high schools.
Here are some highlights on what you can find out about specific schools. It's just the beginning!
How to Find Them
Go to the main CMS Web site at www.cms.k12.nc.us. Then click on the word "schools" in the black bar at the top of the page. That takes you to the main schools page. Use the menu bars in the center of the page to select one school.
Highlights
School snapshot
Get a quick overview of the school, plus such basic information as name of the principal, address, phone number, e-mail, opening and closing times and a list of special programs such as International Baccalaureate.
School Web site link
Besides the school page created by CMS, each school has its own Web site for information. Most schools provide information unique to their school using a customized template.Schools with ambitious webmasters may have unique designs and frequent updates of information and photos.
Expect to find information about upcoming events, messages from the principal and possibly Web pages posted by grade level, program, club or individual teacher.
The PTA, PTSA and booster clubs may also have information here. Most schools will welcome volunteers with Web-maintenance skills and time to donate.
• CMS school links
The links in the red box on the left side of the page contain enormous amounts of information, including:
The best feature on this page, and there are many, is the link, "Locate your child's school." Click on the link to reach a page where you enter your address and then see a map showing your home and its assigned elementary, middle and high schools. Click the words "view attendance zone" in the accompanying chart, and you will get a map of each school's total attendance zone.Other map links can give you data on your community, growth projections, crime rates, a satellite view of your home and even a map of current traffic problems around the county!
High school information
Not what you think. This is actually the mother lode of school resources -- ranging from annual financial reports to a rich directory of Internet Web pages for all ages of students, organized by age level. High school students can find links to colleges, scholarships, learning help and even an SAT practice test. Parents of young children can find links to art, math, science, reading and even museum Web sites.
This leads to several pages of testing data from the last two school years, broken out by district, grade and school. You won't find a guide to understanding the data, however. A link on the page leads to "Assessment Home," where people needing help with tests are advised to send an e-mail to the assessment staff via d.decoursey@cms.k12.nc.us.
This page provides the fullest picture of each school, both in depth and in changes over the last six years. Get demographic information on students (numbers and percentages by race, income level, disabilities), teachers (degrees, experience, student and parent rankings) and standardized test results, broken out by student demographics.
Take or buy? Eliminate the mystery by printing out the monthly menu and hanging it on the fridge for easy reference.
