CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The first day of school seemed to be smooth sailing, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Earnest Winston.
Winston, who is beginning his first year as full-time superintendent after getting promoted following the departure of Dr. Clayton Wilcox, said during a media briefing at Mallard Creek High School Monday that it's been as good as he'd hoped on his first day in a new job.
"Sometimes, I would rather be delayed and make sure we do things right rather than rushing it, because we know what the outcomes are when we rush things," Winston said. "I want to do things right and sometimes that takes a bit of time."
CMS students and teachers alike are facing a few new changes this year, including heightened security. Every high school in CMS has a new crisis alert system for staff members, and security checks that became standard after the Butler High shooting are now in use at elementary and middle schools across the district.
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Speaking of teachers, Winston said CMS is around 99% capacity for full-time teachers in classrooms, so he's optimistic the district will fill every role soon.
At Ardrey Kell High, the principal was directing traffic for morning drop-off after the person who was assigned traffic duty didn't make it on time. Winston said that's one of only a small handful of bumps on the first day.
The next question for Winston and CMS in the first few days will be bus rides home, which can run very late on the first day as drivers learn new routes.
