CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is one of the most diverse school districts in North Carolina, and its Latino students are one of the largest and fastest-growing student populations. Historically these students are seeing lower achievement scores and graduation rates than students of different races.
To address this issue, CMS is trying to recruit more multilingual teachers, support staff, and administrators.
Multilingual staff can help students who are learning English as a second language. These efforts provide translation services, helping the students understand classwork.
One way CMS is recruiting multilingual staff is through its PACE program at E.E. Waddell High School.
PACE stands for "Personalized Academic Command of English," and it is a new school that helps students who are new to the United States and need improvement in English language proficiency. The school's principal said English proficiency is one of the foundational steps to excelling in school.
“Our full intention is to receive newcomers from all over the world,” Alejandra Garcia, the principal at Pace Academy at E.E. Waddell, said. “And we are going to specialize in teaching them in small group instruction with the best strategies.”
CMS is also looking to recruit multilingual staff for a variety of positions, including teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators. Andrea Guerrero, a first-year teacher at Olde Providence Elementary, said she has already connected with the parents of her bilingual students.
“I had a student's family who also speaks Spanish, and she wanted her son to meet me, just in case he ever needed anything,” Guerrero said. “And I let her know that, if there is any support she ever needs, she's more than welcome to ask me."
CMS's efforts to attract more diverse staff like Guerero makes a difference in a child’s education.
“Growing up, I didn't have a teacher who spoke a second language, it was always English,” Guerrero said.
Guerrero, along with her sister who is also a CMS teacher, are graduates of CMS schools.
“My parents, they tried to be really involved,” Guerrero said. “And it was very difficult for them to support me just because they didn't know the language.”
Having multilingual teachers and staff at CMS is one critical step to increase both student and parent participation.
Guerrero is a Kindergarten teacher and the district believes early intervention for English learners is critical.
At CMS Schools, only 65% of students who speak English as a second language graduate on time. That’s compared to 82% of all students.
While English language learners include more than just Latino students, they do encompass a large portion of the demographic inside CMS schools.
The district has job openings for bilingual support staff positions. Guerro says support for her made all the difference.
“I went to Montclair Elementary at CMS and I had a third grade teacher who to this day, I still have emailed and she still works at Montclair Elementary, and she would stay after school and tutor me once a week,” Guerrero said.
Now Guerrero plans to repay her third grade teacher's generosity by helping in her own classroom.
The district plans to expand its PACE program with the recruitment of diverse staff in the coming years.
The district is currently hiring Multi-Language Learner teachers and offering a $2,500 sign-on bonus with an additional $200 per month.
Contact Shamarria Morrison at smorrison@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.