Strong Public Education
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Schools served: Charlotte East Language Academy, Merry Oaks Elementary School, Winterfield Elementary School, Eastway Middle School, Cochrane Collegiate Academy, Garinger High School
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Community-to-school liaisons: We pair a community volunteer with one partner school to serve as a “connector” for eastside community support. As many of our schools do not have robust PTAs or staff dedicated to community engagement, CharlotteEAST is able to streamline information and fill that gap. Through this channel, we're able to support with donations and business partners for teacher appreciation initiatives.
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Principal cohort: As no such vertical alignment exists within the structure of CMS Schools, we host an informal space where administrators from our partner schools convene quarterly to discuss trends, observations, and needs as it relates to neighborhoods in the Garinger High School feeder pattern.
Scaling our partnerships
It is our goal by fall 2027 to have the program management capacity to expand our impact and implement our supports at the fifteen schools most populated by students in our footprint.
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2025-2026 rollout: Albemarle Road Elementary, Albemarle Road Middle, Esperanza Global Academy, Cochrane Middle School
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2026-2027 rollout: Hickory Grove Elementary, Lawrence Orr Elementary, Windsor Park Elementary
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2027-2028 rollout: Briarwood Elementary, Devonshire Elementary, Idlewild Elementary
Adopt-a-Teacher
Our central high school feeder pattern - into which all of our schools feed - has historically struggled with teacher turnover. Staff stability is one of the leading indicators of a school's academic success.
The 2023-2024 percentage of teachers classified as "beginners" by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction:
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County Average: 21.3%
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Merry Oaks Elementary: 22.2%
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Winterfield Elementary: 25.5%
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Charlotte East Language Academy: 27.3%
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Eastway Middle: 42.4%
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Garinger High School: 32.2%
To support with teacher retention, our plan is to run an “adopt-a-teacher” program, in which a beginning teacher from each of our 15 schools is partnered with a community volunteer who has an education background. Those volunteers can help support with classroom decorations, field trip chaperoning, in-person coaching and feedback, or whatever pedagogical or social-emotional supports needed to excel the school year. Each participating teacher will receive a one-time stipend of $250 to support with classroom supplies or self-care expenses.
The goal is to create a supportive environment for teachers where they feel celebrated, valued, and appreciated; provide teachers with practical, tangible support for their classrooms; and foster a sense of community among teachers, volunteers, and students.