CMS Board Chair: We Want More Transparency, Public Input
Eric Davis became a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' Board Member and Board Chairman in December 2009.
He recently answered the Observer's Sunshine Week questions about public records by e-mail. (Questions and answers are edited.)
Q. In the past few years, CMS has been putting more information online for public review. What do you see as the best steps toward Public Access and Accountability?
In my opinion, we do a good job achieving the right degree of transparency. Obviously, we cannot communicate items such as individual personnel or student records because of privacy concerns. But we do want the public involved in our schools, and having access to information and having a voice in the direction of our schools is an important part of that process.
The fact that we've gone beyond what the law requires in many instances is evidence of our intent to be as transparent as possible.
In addition to online access, board members and the CMS Superintendent are engaged across our community in small group and town hall meetings, not to mention hundreds of e-mails and phone conversations. This extremely personal communication demonstrates our commitment to Public Access and Accountability.
Q. Until recently, you were outside the system trying to figure it out. Where do you see room for improving public access?
By virtue of being so large - 137,000 students, 176 schools - CMS can be overwhelming at times. So can our Web site. We are constantly working on improvements to the district's Web site that will make it more accessible and user-friendly. The district is also beginning to use some of the social media to connect with even more citizens.
In addition, I see an opportunity to improve public input to student-assignment planning. Last fall, many parents provided thoughtful, practical solutions that could be included in our planning process. We are working to provide clear, effective planning information and public engagement earlier in the process in order to benefit from the creativity of our fellow citizens.
Q. When Peter Gorman became superintendent, he notified the board - and by extension, reporters who had requested copies of correspondence -- about all sorts of incidents in schools, from fights and weapons to teachers disciplined for improper conduct. After about a year, he noted that this was generating bad publicity for CMS, and the reports tapered off.
Now "incident reports" generally go out only after reporters start asking about an episode. Do you think CMS has struck the right balance, or should the district volunteer more real-time information about problems in schools?
Incident reports are sent regardless of whether a reporter makes a request. The CMS communications department sends incident reports when the incident is determined to meet the standard for board notification, and when the facts have been verified.
We are very careful to verify our incident reports because we don't want to needlessly alarm families, or report erroneous information. Even in a 24-hour news cycle, an error that makes its way into the media is likely to stay there. We want media coverage of CMS to be accurate.
The district's management of incident reports strikes the right balance.
Q. Last year's layoffs generated intense interest, and intense difference of opinion over what should be released.
Some people were angry that CMS fulfilled media requests for payroll information and lists of people who lost jobs to the "reduction in force." Others wanted more information about who lost jobs and what cause was given. It looks like another round of layoffs is imminent. Do you foresee any changes in what information CMS will release?
No, I don't expect any changes there. We are required by law to provide the kind of payroll information and lists that were given the media last year because we're funded with tax dollars. The district follows the law, which balances employee privacy rights with the right of the public to know how its tax dollars are spent.
We will continue to provide the information that is required when employees are laid off while protecting our employees' privacy.
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Charlotte Schools Block Black Kids From Attending AP Classes
Students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg's high-poverty schools face an "opportunity gap" in access to college-level classes, says a report from a citizen advisory panel being presented today.
Students at several low-poverty suburban schools can choose from more than 20 Advanced Placement subjects this school year, while students at four high-poverty schools have fewer than 10, the report says.
The Equity Committee, appointed by the school board, spent the past year looking at Advanced Placement along with services for students who don't speak English well. The recommendations, designed to boost equal opportunity, are likely to clash with budget-cutting plans.
For instance, the panel recommends that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools do more to increase AP offerings at the high-poverty schools, where most students are Black or Hispanic. The panel also calls for more minority enrollment in AP courses at all schools. But a consultant advising CMS on the likelihood of budget cuts for 2010-11 has suggested cutting some AP classes with low enrollment to focus on boosting basic skills.
"We're just in challenging times right now," said board Vice Chair Tom Tate. "I think that the board is going to have some pretty interesting debate on this."
AP Challenge
AP offerings range from 25 subjects at South Mecklenburg High to seven at Waddell, the report says. Even at schools such as Mallard Creek High and Northwest School of the Arts, which have large numbers of middle-class black students, AP classes are disproportionately white.
Taking AP classes can help students get into competitive universities, and students who earn high scores on the exams can get college credit. "The lack of a diverse range of core and elective AP courses at all schools raises serious equity concerns," the report says.
CMS offers other college-level options, including classes hosted by Central Piedmont Community College and advanced classes in International Baccalaureate magnets. The report did not look at those.
High-poverty high schools tend to have lower enrollments and more students struggling to meet graduation requirements, both of which can make it challenging to fill AP classes. For instance, Waddell offered 10 options on its "enrollment card" last winter but ended up only teaching seven, the report says.
But those schools also have successful college-bound students. The equity panel recommends offering a set number of AP courses at each school, even if enrollment is low, and urges schools to "actively recruit and place students in those courses."
The report says white students make up 37 percent of CMS's high-school students but account for 62 percent those taking of AP exams. Minority students may be hindered by home support, peer culture or low expectations in lower grades, the report says. Recommendations range from recruiting AP teachers "of various ethnic backgrounds" to "cluster(ing) students of racial groups in AP courses in order to provide peer support."
Language Barrier
On students with limited English skills, the report notes that some schools have so many that students may not be immersed in spoken English, while others have so few that it's tough to provide adequate staff support for kids and families.
CMS has eliminated jobs for bilingual parent advocates, even as the number of students whose families speak Spanish and other languages has grown. The committee recommends restoring those jobs at schools with large numbers of families who need translation, noting that parent involvement is essential to student success.
The report describes a visit to Merry Oaks Elementary, where 19 languages are spoken, most children come from low-income homes, and some students "not only don't speak English but may not have any experience with indoor bathrooms or electricity." Committee members saw a woman arrive to enroll a young child, who did most of the translating between his mother and the school secretary. Two hours later, the child and his mother "were still trying to navigate the enrollment process," it says.
The report urges CMS to make sure schools make better use of available translation services and make it easier for families without cars to get to the Family Application Center south of uptown, where international students must register. City buses used to run along that road, the report says, but no longer do.
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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, CMS, MSNBC, Google Maps
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