CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Data shows the number of teacher vacancies statewide are going up, with enrollment in teaching programs going down. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is working to change that with aggressive hiring practices designed to help those interested in teaching get in the classroom.
Teachers like John Lloyd aim to plant seeds that grow forever.
"I aim to find the wins in all I'm dealing with," Lloyd, a second-grade teacher at Charlotte's Bruns Avenue Elementary School, said.
It’s a job that comes with big responsibilities, especially with limited staff.
"Sometimes you do kind of feel bad if you want to have a personal day or if you have something going on," Lloyd said.
CMS is rolling out more aggressive hiring strategies that aim to boost the number of teachers joining the district.
"We have a TA-to-teacher program that we are going to be beginning for our teacher assistants," Erin Shoemaker, the executive director of recruitment and retention with CMS, said.
Every teacher assistant (TA) who is interested in becoming a teacher can enroll in a new program that will help them earn a teaching license.
Another hiring strategy includes the CMS Step program, which gives high school seniors interested in teaching a head start on their career path. Shoemaker said the program will be available at three schools as part of its career and technical education pathways.
"Students can begin to learn what it means to be a teacher, to get them excited about this profession," Shoemaker said.
Lloyd is excited about the district's efforts to enhance education, saying the next generation will depend on having better teachers.
"We need to teach every student we can," he said.
CMS reported having almost double the number of teachers who were teaching out of certification, but said its program has allowed them to bring on about 600 new teachers over the last six years.
Contact Tradesha Woodard at twoodard1@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.