The J.M. Alexander Middle School Future City team celebrated after winning the N.C. championship and qualifying for a trip to the national championship. (Rachel Stewart photo)

A team of eight graders from the J.M. Alexander Middle School IB program on Saturday won the North Carolina Future City Competition at N.C. State University in Raleigh. Their alternative-energy powered “future city” of Mahali Kuwa, South Africa, was judged tops among more than two dozen schools.

It was the fifth straight year a north Mecklenburg International Baccalaureate team won the competition, continuing a tradition that began when the IB program was housed at Davidson IB Middle School. Read the full story

Stinson-Wesley

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board Members on Thursday voted to appoint Rev. Amelia Stinson-Wesley as the board representative for District 6. A United Methodist minister and Pineville Elementary parent, Rev. Stinson-Wesley was one of 12 candidates vying for the seat and will be sworn in Jan. 10.

She fills the seat left by board member Tim Morgan, who on Nov. 8 was elected as one of the three At-Large board members.

In her application, Ms. Stinson-Wesley said:

“I am committed to public education; I believe that our schools, particularly our public ones are where basic citizenship is fostered. I am committed to this community and its future; with the impending selection of a new school superintendent, I want to be involved in this community and the decisions that affect my children, our children collectively and the future for us all.”

Ms. Stinson-Wesley founded World Connections for Women in 1998 and serves as its director. She holds a master of divinity from Duke University and a bachelor of arts degree from Meredith College. Also, she has been a member of the Mecklenburg County Child Protection team, a member and chairperson of the Burke County Task Force on Domestic Violence and a member of the Burke County Child Fatality/Child Protection teams.

District 6 includes Pineville, Matthews, Mint Hill and parts of southeast Charlotte.

At a special meeting Tuesday, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education could vote to appoint someone to the District 6 seat.

Board member Tim Morgan on Nov. 8 was elected to one of the three At-Large seats on the board, and left vacant the District 6 seat. Twelve candidates from District 6, which includes Pineville, Matthews, Mint Hill and parts of southeast Charlotte, are vying for the seat.

At Tuesday’s meeting, that begins at 1 p.m. at the Government Center, 600 E. Fourth St. in Charlotte, each of the 12 candidates will give a 3-minute presentation to the board. Following the presentations, board members will discuss the candidates and may choose to vote on the appointment. If the board does not appoint someone Tuesday, it will meet again Thursday, Jan. 5, to continue the selection process.

See below for candidate information. Read the full story

Community members interested in applying for the District 6 seat on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education must do so by Monday, Jan. 2. Candidates must be registered voters in District 6, in the southeastern part of the county.

As the governing body for one of the largest school districts, the CMS school board has five key responsibilities:

A map of the CMS districts. Click to view larger, as a PDF. (CMS image)

• Hiring/firing the superintendent/CEO;
• Establishing school district policy;
• Determining the annual operating and capital budgets;
• Approving student assignment boundaries; and,
• Overseeing the management of the school district’s major systems, including budget and finance, curriculum and instruction, personnel and auxiliary services.

Read the full story

Budget cuts and financial concerns topped the list of issues that citizens say are the most pressing facing Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools as it prepares to hire a new superintendent. CMS conducted an online survey in late October and nearly 9,300 community members completed it. About 500 high school students also completed a student version of the survey.

The UNC Charlotte Urban Institute reviewed and summarized survey results and presented them to the Board of Education at its Dec. 13 meeting. Read the full story

By LISA MILLER
WFAE

Charlotte Mecklenburg School students took standardized tests in 52 new courses last year, as part of the district’s initiative to track student growth in all subjects. CMS expected to add another 40 this year, but now the district is waiting for the state to take the lead. Read the full story

Eighth-graders at Woodlawn School this month made blankets to give to residents at the Brian Center, a health and rehabilitation center in Mooresville. The students visit the center monthly as part of their service learning curriculum. Also this week, Davidson Day students celebrate holiday traditions around the world and an essay by DDS sixth-grader Kara Bringewatt will be published in an upcoming anthology. And, Bailey Middle School continues to gather donations for a Habitat build, Community School of Davidson middle schoolers perform a Hunger Games-inspired dance, CMS counselors get a new Twitter handle, and the Society of Professional Journalists seeks entries for its high school essay contest. See below for details. Read the full story

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education elected its two newest members as leaders Tuesday night. After a unanimous vote, Ericka Ellis-Stewart is the new board chairperson and Mary T. McCray is vice chairperson, replacing former chairperson Eric Davis and vice chairperson Tom Tate. Read the full story