Teachers: We Have A Culture Of Fear

CHARLOTTE, NC — Teachers and employees of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools rallied at the board meeting Tuesday to demand more support from leaders.

Teachers told board members how many are afraid of being fired for simply making children behave.

One infamous controversy came when a fight between a teacher and student was caught on camera in June.

The video shows Harding University students hitting staff member Annette Albright.

The District Attorney found the employee did nothing criminal. CMS opted not to renew her contract.

“No longer can we as tax payers accept the mafia-management culture of CMS to prevail,” Albright told the board members.

“I stand with the teachers!” another teacher shouted to the board.

“We have a culture of fear,” said President of the Classroom Teachers Association Judy Kidd.

She told board members school leaders don’t support them if they have a complaint or if they fear for their safety around aggressive students.

“We have some schools where teachers are extremely afraid to speak out,” said Kidd. “They’re intimidated by the evaluation instrument used as a retaliatory tool.”

Kidd says many teachers in the crowd declined to speak to the board out of fear of retaliation..

“We have a new Superintendent,” said Albright. “There has to be a culture of change.”

In Albright’s case, four of the students in the video face charges.

The Department of Labor tells WCCB Charlotte it is investigating to see if there is merit for Albright to sure the district for wrongful termination.

CMS did not return messages to comment.