CMS: First Day of School

CHARLOTTE, NC — “Good, very very good,” said 4th grader, Sophia Halpern.

Music to every parents ears when your kids come home from the first day of school. One concern on parents minds is a teacher shortage.

“We have 89 teacher vacancies as of last night, which is certainly not where we want it to be,” said CMS Superintendent, Ann Clark. And the threat from Raleigh to lose more teacher assistants.

“I know they don’t get as much teacher assistant help as they have in the past,” said Mrs. Halpern.

But as Superintendent Ann Clark made her school tour Monday, she says she was happy to see lots of TAs in classrooms and says it’s crucial to keep them.

“If you were to take those teacher assistants out of the K-2 classrooms, I would be concerned even if the class size was only 18,” said Clark.

Clark says she’s also sticking to her main focus for this school year.

“We have a tremendous need, no surprise, to continue to focus on literacy ,” said Clark.

Other first day issue to be expected: transportation.

“Other than long carpool lines, which are typical for the first day, everything going well, can’t wait to talk to my kids,” said one father.

Superintendent Clark is asking the public, and  anyone who knows a teacher: they’re taking referrals every day to fill those 89 vacancies, even people who want to be first-time teachers that can get certified in the process.