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I love teaching the students for CMS. On the other side, some central office areas need help. I applied in Oct/Nov 2004, interviewed January 2005 and wasn't hired until April 2005! Make sure to keep a copy of your licensure requirements and ALL paperwork in your desk or at home because they are ALWAYS losing something new every few months.
There is no school in areas of Meck county to be afraid of unless you plan to walk the streets at night lol! Seriously, it all depends on your comfortablity in certain environments. I'm from Charlotte so I know what to look out for in different areas.
I work for Alternative Ed. but I REFUSE to work at Derita Alternative School (now Turning Point Academy)- Not because of the location or population of students but because of the lack of structure. I hope all goes well.
What is displacement? Why was your wife displaced? Does that only happen to teachers new to the system, or also onces that are already in the system?
Displacement is when they decide they don't need her, or don't have the budget for her (which is what happened to her), and they don't let them go, they just move them to another school. From what I understand, it happens to any teacher, but there is a seniority policy.
I would venture to say that the biggest problem with CMS, as far as being a teacher is concerned, is the lack of decent administrators (both at the school level and higher). You have people who wouldn't be qualified to run a hot dog stand in charge of entire schools! There is such an emphasis on top-down-one-size-fits-all mandates, conformity, and bureaucratic nitpicking that it almost religious in its devotion to it. Teachers, who are the ones who actually TEACH and know their students, are routinely micro-managed by math and/or literacy facilitators. These people spend their days going in and out of people's classrooms critiquing everything we do. These are positions which could be allocated to reduce class sizes but are instead wasted on a bunch of bureaucrats! Though CMS was split into seven different "learning communities" to be more responsive to their respective communities, it had only added another layer of bureaucracy. In addition, discipline is a pathetic joke! CMS publishes "Rights and Responsibilities" handbook which details all of the unacceptable offenses in varying levels of seriousness. It also states the levels of disciplinary consequences in correlation to the offenses committed. Yet, actually ENFORCING the policy is a major sticking point since many principals do not want too many suspensions to be logged, fearing how it would look. Therefore, the education of the majority good is degraded by the few who don't care. As long as CMS allows the same perpetual offenders who disrupt the learning process, things will never change. If you have read my post to this point, I appreciate you allowing me to vent what has been building up in me for quite some time. CMS needs to change but only when enough parents step up and empower themselves for the good of all will it see brighter days.
Back in 2005 there was a movement of frustrated parents in the Huntersville area who formed a movement to break away from CMS. They even started a website called Don't Underestimate Mecklenburg Parents. The only way for a school district to split up is with the approval of the General Assembly since the state funds the vast majority of education, including teacher salaries. Sadly, the move was quickly shot down. Therefore, we are stuck with things as they are.
I would venture to say that the biggest problem with CMS, as far as being a teacher is concerned, is the lack of decent administrators (both at the school level and higher). You have people who wouldn't be qualified to run a hot dog stand in charge of entire schools! There is such an emphasis on top-down-one-size-fits-all mandates, conformity, and bureaucratic nitpicking that it almost religious in its devotion to it. Teachers, who are the ones who actually TEACH and know their students, are routinely micro-managed by math and/or literacy facilitators. These people spend their days going in and out of people's classrooms critiquing everything we do. These are positions which could be allocated to reduce class sizes but are instead wasted on a bunch of bureaucrats! Though CMS was split into seven different "learning communities" to be more responsive to their respective communities, it had only added another layer of bureaucracy. In addition, discipline is a pathetic joke! CMS publishes "Rights and Responsibilities" handbook which details all of the unacceptable offenses in varying levels of seriousness. It also states the levels of disciplinary consequences in correlation to the offenses committed. Yet, actually ENFORCING the policy is a major sticking point since many principals do not want too many suspensions to be logged, fearing how it would look. Therefore, the education of the majority good is degraded by the few who don't care. As long as CMS allows the same perpetual offenders who disrupt the learning process, things will never change. If you have read my post to this point, I appreciate you allowing me to vent what has been building up in me for quite some time. CMS needs to change but only when enough parents step up and empower themselves for the good of all will it see brighter days.
I ROUTINELY blasts CMS for EXACTLY what this person is talking about. I owe you, CMSTEACHERGUY, a beer, beers, whatever. The FOOLs that run the show have no clue about learning, it is all back biting politics, I need to get mine and you can't have more than my area/race/neighboorhood, cover our you know what with nonsensical policies and on and on and on.
As I said suggested in another thread, list the CMS salaries line by line. Cut the first person's in half, fire the second, cut the third persons in half, fire the fourth and so on till you get to classroom teachers. On second thought, probably fire the top 10 or 40 people, and then go every other one to you get to teachers. THIS WOULD HAVE ABSOLUTELLY NO NEGATIVE IMPACT ON CLASSROOM TEACHING OR LEARNING. The system would be solvent, better, and would possibly work.
No offense, but I had a choice of where I taught, I lived in Huntersville, one day coming out of church, I felt I was called to teach in CMS, spent 1/2 day, the following Monday on the phone and realized I was called to teach anywhere but CMS. I am doing it, loving it, and my kids are learning FROM ME!!!!! Not some 4th tier area/subject/coordinator/whatever.
It is not the teachers, it is not the schools it is, as the above poster said, the people in charge and their legions of deputy assistants, etc.
My fiancee is moving to Charlotte when this school year is over and will be looking for a job in CMS. She is currently a 5th grade teacher in Atlanta, and has also taught half of year in Madison, WI in 1st grade. I was wondering if anybody had any suggestions in going about getting an interview. I have 100% confidence that once she can get an interview she will impress the principle. The hard part is having your resume stick out from all the other applicants especially if you are younger and don't have the experience. She has her resume out on the CMS website or where ever it is posted. I really appreciate any advice.
If your fiancee's application is on file then she could pick a few schools she is interested in and email the principal. Be sure to attach a current resume. It isn't foolproof but each bit helps. If the principal is interested enough, she will be contacted for an interview. One thing to be aware of: with the budget constraints that we are faced with, CMS *MAY* cut several hundred teaching positions though nothing has been decided yet. It is merely a proposal but one to be taken seriously. Still, nothing ventured=nothing gained.
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It has been tried before
