CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools is starting the first steps in choosing its new superintendent. The next leader will take charge of the second-largest district in North Carolina and come in during a challenging time for the district.
The school is tackling dismal testing scores, a revolving door of superintendents, and a shortage of classroom teachers.
For the past decade, few superintendents at CMS school have made it past the three-year mark. This time around CMS wants to change this.
“We need high expectations for the superintendent, and we need clear expectations from the superintendent,” said Elyse Dashew, chair of the CMS Board of Education, “and so once we've established that, how do we support the superintendent to keep him or her here, achieving at a high level for five years? For 10 years?"
The district was put in a precarious place after they fired former superintendent Ernest Winston. The school board said it no longer believed in his leadership any longer and it put them on a hunt for a new leader.
The district is starting by getting community feedback before they start the official search for the post.
“We need to hear from the community, what is it that you think we should look for? What are the characteristics? What are the traits?” Dashew said.
Christine Edwards is a former CMS student and a community engagement specialist who is leading the charge. She founded Civility Localized, a Charlotte-based consulting firm that spearheads engagement campaigns like this one.
“It's important that we ask the right questions of Charlotte Mecklenburg before they start the superintendent search process,” said Edwards.
Anyone who wants to give feedback on the job can fill out a survey in about five minutes, which includes seven questions about the survey-taker and the district.
Edwards says her focus is to reach everyone in the short time period they have.
“Being inclusive and being intentional about reaching everyone who needs to have their voice heard, and especially those who are historically excluded from these conversations,” she said.
Participants will be asked questions about key qualifications they think the next superintendent should have and what priorities need to be focused on.
“Not only does the community need to know that we've listened to them, but they need to be able to see,” Dashew said.
Survey results can be viewed in real-time, allowing the community to stay up to date with the district's progress.
The results of the survey will be revealed after the November elections, where up to six new people could be on the school board.
Civility Localized is also hosting virtual and in-person community feedback sessions around the county. The first one is Tuesday, Oct. 18. A full list of sessions can be found here.
Contact Shamarria Morrison at smorrison@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.