Dear teachers and CMS employees,
As parents of CMS students and longtime education advocates, we are watching. We’ve seen the headlines. We’ve seen the clips.
And we are distraught by the system’s leadership turmoil, the investigations, the financial irregularities, the dismantling of governance and compliance, and now the firing of Superintendent Crystal Hill. We see a school board divided by politics and conflict, and we’ve watched trust in district leadership plummet.
But be clear: this is not what we see when we walk into our children’s schools.
What we see there are teachers who inspire, principals who lead with confidence, and support staff who create safe and welcoming environments where children can learn and thrive. While politicians in the boardroom argue, professionals in our schools continue to do what they have always done: put students first.
We write this as two mothers with very different life experiences who feel compelled to say something that often gets lost amid the noise: our confidence in our children’s schools remains strong.
One of us is a lifelong Charlottean and CMS graduate; the other moved here from the Midwest 16 years ago. One of us has a daughter who graduated from CMS last year while the other has a kid in elementary school — and both of us have kids in middle school. One of us uses research and data in developing strategies for public policy; the other is a nonprofit executive who brings people together around stories and collaborations. Our backgrounds and experiences differ, but we share a deep belief that there is much to celebrate in our classrooms.
In the days after the school board fired Hill this past Tuesday, our phones have been busy. We’ve talked to dozens of parents and families across 47 schools. They come from all different backgrounds, regions of the county, and perspectives, and yet we all agree on this:
The dysfunction displayed at the school board and executive level does not reflect the professionalism we see in our schools every day.
Frankly, our teachers and principals deserve better. They deserve leadership that demonstrates the same integrity, accountability, and focus that they bring to work each morning.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding district leadership, our children are learning and growing. That is not because of politics, but in spite of them. It is because dedicated educators continue to show up for students. We know there is room to close longstanding educational achievement gaps, especially along racial lines, but we also cannot help but be proud of the achievements of our schools despite the chaos.
To every teacher, principal, counselor, teacher assistant, bus driver, cafeteria worker, custodian, and support professional: we see you, and we thank you.
The headlines may focus on boardroom drama, but families know who is carrying this district forward — you are.
With gratitude and confidence,
CMS Parents
Amy Hawn Nelson is the chair of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library Board of Trustees, and she’s the senior director of training and applied research for Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP), an initiative of the University of Pennsylvania.
Chavon Mitchell is the chief external affairs officer for the Jeremiah Program. An experienced development director and fundraiser, she has served on the boards of UNC Charlotte’s Women + Girls Research Alliance and the Charlotte Chamber Young Professionals, and in leadership at Newell Presbyterian Church.
Note: This letter was informed by conversations held between September 22 and 24 with parents of students attending the following 47 CMS schools. The number of schools represented grew to more than 60 within a day of publishing this. Add your name and school below:
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