Monday, June 2, 2014

What's up with special CMS meeting?

My eyes bugged when I saw the notice of a special Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board meeting to approve personnel appointments Tuesday afternoon.  The meeting will start with closed session at 1 p.m., the note says.

Last week's regular meeting started almost half an hour late because members were talking behind closed doors. I flashed back to three years ago, when Superintendent Peter Gorman stunned everyone by announcing his resignation with little warning. (Post Traumatic Superintendent Disorder, perhaps?)

But spokeswoman Tahira Stalberte and the board's vice chair, Tim Morgan, laughed at my urgent query about whether some big shakeup was afoot. The meeting is about filling principal vacancies,  Stalberte said.  Update:  Stalberte now says it will include personnel other than principals, but she and Chief Communication Officer Kathryn Block say Morrison isn't going anywhere.

Stalberte

But those appointments are normally approved during regular meetings.  Why the long closed session last week and the special meeting this week?

Morgan said it's a matter of timing  --  waiting until end-of-year testing is over to avoid school disruption while moving as fast as possible to prepare for 2014-15.  As for last week,  he said,  the closed session that normally precedes public meetings ran long with a long list of unrelated items,  including property issues,  individual student assignment questions and evaluation of the general counsel.

Speaking of school board drama,  Stalberte is leaving CMS at the end of this week to become chief communication officer for Union County Schools. She's been a mainstay of the CMS public information office since 2006,  with about a year's detour to Durham County Schools. I'd tease her about fleeing the stress of the big city and the Charlotte media,  but consider where she's going:  To a district where parents are suing the school board over boundaries and the school board sues county commissioners over the budget.  I wish her good luck as she crosses the county line.

24 comments:

Drew Polly said...

Thank you for the updates. I am glad they have waited until after EoG testing for Principal testing.

Anonymous said...

Squabbling and posturing in Union is normal and of course that is why the courts and litigation exist. Stop trashing Union and dont believe the bluffs as nobody is going backwards as some threaten plus the older schools are actually better than the new ones.

Everyone wants our beautiful Camelot family life 5000 sf beautiful designer homes with a huge lot tucked down a scenic cul de sac with a brand new superior academic designer elementary middle and high schools only a short drive away with all the congestion free safe confines of crime free existence not to mention excellent suburban shopping at your finger tips, low taxes with clean air and friendly professional amicable neighbors.

And yes they do have it all plus more but some parents get a little greedy and start demanding like a child instead of asking politely.

Never give a child (or parent) everything they demand or they become naturally spoiled. The very few Union parents whining are spoiled rotten and in the minority.

They need to step back and consider from whence they came and be exceedingly grateful for the wonderful magical life they are living and stop being so demanding greedy and obnoxious.
Consider the alternative of going backwards in time and why you left a hellish existence in the first place to enter paradise in Union that is much more than you could have ever anticipated in a million years.
You know you love it to death. Try to open your minds. In NC you get one free bite. We understand. Work with us so we both can win.

UC PTO

Western Union County Heaven

Wiley Coyote said...

...Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away
We better stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down...

Anonymous said...

CMS is too big, hard to get anything done right.

Anonymous said...

Ann's articles all seem to follow one of these 3 themes:

1. Take a dig at charter schools

2. Take a dig at Union County

3. Regurgitate whatever spoon-fed quote comes from CMS

Anonymous said...

Teach your children, Wiley. Western Onion County helicopter parents must have received their maintenance bills. By the way Ann, CMS teachers already know whether they've been sacked with non renewals and evaluations. Displaced teachers are being yo-yoed from one school to another then back to the original school they were displaced from and then no clue where, when, and if they'll be next year.

The hallmark of CMS organization………..

Anonymous said...

Lest some forget that both Union and Cabarrus (French pronounced like Cabaret or Cab-ar-ruse) were once a part of the Mecklenburg-Strelitz County tax machine before their individual violent T.E.A. secession rebellion way back.
Both partook in the Capt Jack and Hornets Nest battle episodes against Gen Cornwallis before deciding irreconcilable differences had to end it. They never looked back like Lots wife.

Maybe whats left of Mecklenburg-Strelitz County can take a hint with everything in its favor with the Republican controlled Legislature and Governor for the first time in 150 years.

Better move quickly and forget yeast in the bread. Time is of essence.
Like sports this is a game of inches and fractional seconds. No time to dilly dally.

How about new Ballantyne County? Providence County? Ronald Reagan County? How much better can you get?
Its getting late in the game.

Anonymous said...

Can we also form a Meckdell County? Please, pretty please?

Faithwalk said...

So why does any of this need to be behind closed doors? You are too easily pacified.

Anonymous said...

Faithwalk, that's a good question, but the answer isn't that I let them do it. N.C. Open Meeting Law allows discussion of hiring conditions to be done in closed session; only the final action has to be taken in an open meeting.

Anonymous said...

SERENITY NOW !!!!!!

Anonymous said...

lots of teachers and principals leaving. This must be an emergency situation.

Anonymous said...

I left Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools this spring and the school's principal is packing his bags for Chicago.

Anonymous said...

11:21,
Serenity discreet diapers are just about in order for
what's happening in education in NC.

Anonymous said...

My Dad always told me that I had one of three options 1) accept the situation. 2) change the situation. and 3)leave the situation.

Having experienced the dark side of CMS for a couple of years now I knew that I couldn't change the situation, that the incompetence and immoral activities would continue to be tolerated and that I must leave the situation, so that is what I must do.

Anonymous said...

WOW "Pete Gorman shocked everybody with his resignation"? Anyone who followed CMS and Pete's history the writing was on the wall that he was leaving. When the guy is interviewing for jobs I am pretty sure he is looking to leave. (JS-Just Sayin) It is too early for Heath to be leaving CMS. He has at least 2 more years before he jumps ship so you have at least that long before another late meeting start . Keith W. Hurley

Anonymous said...

Terry Stoops is lying. Did any body read his take on the Houston recruitment trip ? I am a Republican. That mans opinion pure propaganda. Think tank, my foot. It is pure bolder dash.

Anonymous said...

I did not take Anne 's comments about Union county schools as a dig. Now if she would have commented on the rudeness of the NJ transplants that have taken over Waxhaw, that would have been different.

Anonymous said...

Are we going to get a follow up on this "secret meeting"?

Anonymous said...

11:12, yes. It just hasn't happened yet.

Anonymous said...

Ann,
Any chance the meeting is over (or at least the closed session been opened) and there is any reportable news?
Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Yes: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/06/03/4952288/three-cms-principals-move-into.html#.U441O_ldUbI

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, so no news about CHMS or AK.

Anonymous said...

What news is expected for CHMS and AKHS? New principals is what the rumor mill is saying....