CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Charlotte - Mecklenburg school district (CMS) recently signed a five year agreement with the philanthropic group Project Lift. It will pump $55 million into the schools on the West side. The money will go to help academic achievement and increase graduation rates.
The contract between the public school system and the private group is causing some concern with teachers. Some believe it's an effort to get rid of some veteran teachers.
"It's troubling," Char-Meck Association of Educators Randolph Frierson said. "There's a lot of unanswered questions."
The problem is with the wording in the contract. It states the executive director of Project Lift can request immediate reassignment of any school employee in the Feeder Area not aligned to the mutual goals of the parties collaboration. In other words if the zone superintendent doesn't like the work a teacher is doing, she can remove that employee at a moment's notice.
Frierson says teachers worry this will give the district an opportunity to replace them with inexperienced Teach for America candidates. They are also worried they will be forced to give up the way they are teaching in favor of another style of teaching that is not proven.
"It's nonsense," Frierson said. "It's like I am already applying strategies that are working, so why would I abandon this for something we don't know if it is going to work here at this particular location."
Frierson said he has expressed his concern to school board members but no response.
WBTV also reached out to the district and board members but no response either.
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