Newly appointed Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Ann Clark shared “moments” regarding the district’s strategic plan during the annual “State of Our Schools” on Jan. 29 at East Mecklenburg High School.
Clark, in her first public appearance as CMS’s new leader, discussed in her address, “This is Our Moment,” how well the district has carried out “Strategic Plan 2018: For a Better Tomorrow.” The plan was developed in 2013 by former superintendent Dr. Heath Morrison, and Clark discussed how the district plans to continue performing the plan.
“Education cannot be accomplished in a single day, single test or single year – it’s a lifelong journey,” Clark said.
Clark discussed the continued increase in the district’s test scores, including gains in proficiency, ranging from nine to 18 points; an increased graduation rate that is higher than Wake County, with more than half of the district’s high schools boasting a graduation rate higher than 90 percent; and top marks in the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for fourth- and eighth-grade students. The NAEP reported CMS fourth- and eighth-graders had the highest scores in math and second highest scores in reading among 21 cities.
“(However), we have much more work to do to deliver college-ready students,” Clark said.
The superintendent emphasized, during her address, increasing educational and career-oriented opportunities, supporting passionate teachers and developing literacy through a new performance framework.
Greater opportunities
CMS has created more access to rigorous courses for high school students, with 67 percent more students taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses, which provides an opportunity to earn college credit.
Clark said the district is still making progress and wants to continue to grant more access.
The superintendent also wants to develop partnerships with companies that are “tailored to CMS” to create the opportunity to have its own pipeline and offer career-oriented opportunities for students.
The district has opened specific career-oriented “academies” with the National Academy Foundation this year, such as the Academy of Health Sciences at Butler High School and the Academy of Engineering at Independence High School. Both programs make connections with professionals in their respective fields and require career-focused internships.
Mark Rohlinger, plant technical director at Bosch Rexroth, said his company discovered it wasn’t finding the skill sets it needed to fulfill necessary positions, so they worked collaboratively with CMS to create a CNC (computer numerical control)-focused machine shop in high schools to teach students those skills with hands-on access.
“We wanted to develop those people in our own background,” Rohlinger said.
Through the program, Bosch Rexroth also invested in hiring interns and apprenticeship students within the company.
Clark hopes to continue partnering with companies to help make “real world” connections between the classroom and workforce.
Keeping ‘passionate’ teachers in the classroom
The district also plans to expand teacher pay and roles through an opportunity culture model that allows teachers who have the desire to stay in the classroom, to advance within their career with increased pay, along with the opportunity to reach more students.
CMS saw success with the model in Project L.I.F.T., a CMS learning community that reaches traditionally poor-performing schools with the goal of recruiting, teaching and retaining quality teachers, said Katie Morris, chair of The Belk Foundation, which funded the new model.
The school district plans to extend the model across the district to 17 other schools outside of Project L.I.F.T. and “allow exceptional teachers to stay in the classroom,” Morris added.
“I think everyone would agree that we want to keep teachers in the classroom and increase their pay,” Morris said. “These are things we want to see happen.”
‘North Star’ of performance
Clark said she considers literacy as the “North Star” of success in schools, including listening, writing and reading across all subjects. Although the district saw more students reading on grade level, she said there is still work to be done.
Administration has created a school performance framework Clark hopes will help develop steps to further CMS’s work in literacy, as well as academia as a whole.
The performance framework determines the criteria in which the district will evaluate schools based on: academic proficiency; student growth; providing academic assistance to students who need it; closing achievement gaps; access to rigorous courses; making students college and career ready; having students graduate in four years; and creating a safe, engaging culture at every school.
“We are committed to doing our jobs with pride and with excellence that our kids deserve and the community rightfully expects,” Clark said.
Familiar face in leadership
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education voted at its Jan. 27 meeting to appoint Clark as the first female CMS superintendent.
Clark will serve as superintendent through July 2016, when she plans to retire. The timing gives the board more time to conduct a comprehensive search for her successor, according to a news release.
“I was excited to explore new opportunities to continue to serve the educational needs of our community,” Clark said in a news release. “I made the personal decision to postpone my announcement once Dr. Morrison resigned. The timing was no longer right. I care too much about CMS to leave during such a critical time of leadership transition.”
Clark fills a vacancy created by Morrison’s resignation in November 2014, after an investigation of his behavior ignited a firestorm. She took over superintendent duties after his departure.
“Ann is a strong CMS and public education advocate, and I am excited about the leadership she will provide over the next year and a half,” board of education chair Mary McCray said in the release. “We are making great strides as a district, and she brings the stability we need to maintain our momentum.”
Clark brings more than three decades of institutional knowledge and educational experience – including at the elementary, middle and high school levels – to her new role. She joined the district in 1983 as a teacher of behaviorally and emotionally handicapped children at Devonshire Elementary School. After five years in the classroom, she moved into administration as assistant principal at Montclaire Elementary School in 1987. She then had stints as principal at Shamrock Gardens Elementary and Alexander Graham Middle schools, and became the first principal of Vance High School in 1996. She subsequently took on a greater role in CMS and became assistant superintendent for high school curriculum and instruction, then regional superintendent for high schools and associate superintendent of education services.
“Teaching every child effectively is the responsibility and the privilege of public education,” Clark said in the release.
As superintendent, Clark will receive a base salary of $262,000. She also will receive $4,971 for the additional responsibilities she assumed from November 2014 to January 2015, according to the release.
“I promise you I’m bringing my best head and my heart to the job,” Clark said.
The current plan for Clark’s successor was laid out at the Board’s meeting:
• Feb. 19: Special board of education meeting to discuss search process
• March to April 2015: Additional meetings to further refine the search process
• May 2015 to April 2016: Conduct a search and choose next superintendent