Rhonda's Top Priorities
While the work of the board spans many areas, every decision we make must first answer the question, "How will this impact students?" That one question must guide our work in every aspect of governance, because our top priority is to ensure the academic success for every student. The list below includes some of my priorities, but it is certainly not a complete list of all the work that is needed to return CMS to one of the top school districts in the nation.
Setting High Expectations
Our top priority is to ensure the academic success of all students, regardless of zip code.
For Students:
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Meeting each student where they are academically and providing the resources to grow to their fullest academic potential; including but not limited to early grade reading proficiency and college/career readiness for every graduate.
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Providing access to a rich and challenging curriculum, tailored to individual student needs.
For CMS Staff:
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Recruiting and hiring a long term, hightly effective leader to serve as Superintendent.
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Increasing recruitment and retention of highly effective teachers and principals.
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Improving processes and systems to ensure compliance and accountability across all departments
For Families and the Community:
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Increasing family engagement at every level.
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Coordinating volunteer programs to harness the energy of civic groups, faith groups and our corporate partners to join us in impacting student outcomes.
Improving School Safety
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Expanding proven safety and violence prevention programs, like Dads on Duty/Titan Men on a Mission, Say Something App, Use of Body Scanners across all high schools, middle schools and expand to elementary schools.
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Increasing social, emotional and mental health supports for students while increasing awareness and access to these supports.
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Coordinating with our partners ( Charlotte and the 6 suburban towns, Mecklenburg County, and all Local Law Enforcement), to reduce the violence in our communities that spills into our schools.
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Improving Title IX Compliance by increased training at every level, including students and by expanding the department to have more centralized investigation and communication.
Allocating resources efficiently
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Building a 2023 Capital Bond request that provides new construction projects to relieveovercrowding in high growth areas AND replaces aging facilities; particularly Coulwood Middle, North Mecklenburg High School, Cornelius Elementary and Huntersville Elementary in District 1.
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Improving utilzation of the operating budget $1.7 BB by conducting a Comprehensive Business Audit. This deep dive into each department will ensure that every staff position is properly deployed to help improve student outcomes. It will help leadership identify gaps in personnel and surplus or redundancies in staffing.
Protecting neighborhood schools as the foundation for student assignment
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Keeping neighborhood schools as the foundation of the student assignment plan.
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Continuing to increase magnet programs and special curricula to provide choice within CMS for families and to meet the individual needs of students.
