The Echo

On a conference call last week to Delaware's elected school board members, Sec. Duncan advised leaders to look to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District to find evidence that RTTT reforms work. 

Maybe that wasn't such a great idea:

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/01/12/397477nccharlotteteachers_ap.html?tkn=OYWFRhD8Tv7ujsy8nzPzBnF6o7sDQbqJ62pp&cmp=clp-edweek

Published Online: January 12, 2011



N.C.'s Largest City Might Cut 1,500 Education Jobs


Charlotte, N.C.

The school superintendent in North Carolina's largest city is recommending the elimination of more than 1,500 jobs to deal with a huge budget shortfall.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Peter Gorman on Tuesday recommended cutting hundreds of teachers and assistants to deal with an expected $100 million budget shortfall.

Gorman also proposed making the school day longer and eliminating a preschool program for more than 1,000 children.

The cuts represent about 9 percent of the school district's 16,000 employees. Gorman didn't say exactly how many teachers might be cut.

Some board members say they don't want to make the cuts, but have few options.

Gorman says the school district has cut or redirected $185 million during the past four years.

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Go here if you'd like to see what Mass Insight had to say about CM reform efforts: http://elizabethscheinberg.blogspot.com/2010/03/mass-insight-identifies-failures-of.html
Note: Mass Insight has removed the original pages regarding this evaluation from its website.

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More from Charlotte:  http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13680267

CMS targeting transportation for drastic cuts


Posted: Dec 15, 2010 5:44 PM EST

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Charlotte - Mecklenburg school (CMS) district may yank transportation away from thousands of students to help fill a huge budget shortfall.

CMS is facing a potential $90 million budget gap. That's why it has asked the Transportation Department to cut about $5 million from its budget.

Here is what's on the table for discussion.

The district has recommended to eliminate transportation for students whose schools are within 1 1/2 miles from their home. If this is approved 51,000 students would have to walk to school. For some that would be a very dangerous trek to class. That move would save the district $6 -$8 million.

Another option would be to get rid of transportation for the district's more than 12,000 magnet school students. If the board votes for that, it would be a savings of $2.8 - $9.5 million.

The last option would be to adjust bells times for several schools. Start times would be later or earlier. This would allow buses to double up on routes. The move would save the district up to $3 million.

School officials warn cuts this year will not be pretty.

The school board will make their decision on which cut to make regarding transportation in January.