CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A hiring fair held Saturday is one way Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is seeking solutions to filling vacancies across the district.
As of now, CMS has about 500 open positions that need to be filled. The district said the job fair saw about 1,7000 candidates visit to learn more about the roles at 186 of its 200 campuses.
"We're excited to have so many people interested to come to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to teach," said Nancy Brightwell, chief of recruitment at CMS.
That kind of interest is something Garinger High School principal LeDuan Pratt says is needed, along with a passion for inspiring the next generation of leaders.
"We need people that care about our society and want to educate our kids," he said, "so we can have a better tomorrow."
Brightwell said the spring career fair is the district's biggest event of the year, and a chance to showcase what CMS has to offer.
"We have a great value proposition here," she said, "in terms of how much the community supports."
Part of the value does come from the teachers themselves. Pratt says he hopes his students get the best teachers for them.
"There's so many kids that need quality people," he said.
Brightwell's sentiments echoed Pratt's, and she said the goal is to make sure students and their families have every person and everything needed to succeed.
"We are there to serve and support their whole family and the whole child's very best development," she said.
Contact Myles Harris at mharris5@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
WCNC Charlotte is committed to reporting on the many issues facing the communities we serve. We tell the stories of people working to solve persistent social problems. We examine how problems can be solved or addressed to improve the quality of life and make a positive difference. WCNC Charlotte is seeking solutions for you. Send your tips or questions to newstips@wcnc.com.