EDNC

A 30-page report by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has detailed results of feedback from parents, employees and stakeholders in what they value in the next superintendent.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools and Civility Localized released the final report from its community engagement project in the superintendent search on Tuesday.

Named the CMS Superintendent Search Community Engagement Playbook, the 30-page report details the results and feedback from parents, CMS employees, CMS stakeholders and more on what they value in the next superintendent. It can be downloaded from civilitylocalized.com.

The CMS board voted to terminate former superintendent Earnest Winston in April 2022 and teamed up with consulting firm Civility Localized shortly after to gather diverse input from the community before choosing a successor.

The project ran from September to December and utilized an online survey, stakeholder interviews, focus groups and listening sessions.

“The goal was to gain as many perspectives as possible,” said Christine Edwards, founder of Civility Localized, the school district’s outreach consultant. “We value the lived experiences of each participant and hope this report illuminates the needs and priorities of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community in an authentic way.”

The online survey received 1,714 total responses with the majority being parents or guardians of CMS students and over half living in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area for at least a decade. Sixty percent of the respondents identified as white, followed by 27% identifying as Black and 7% identifying as Hispanic/Latino. Ninety percent of respondents said they were “somewhat to extremely knowledgeable” of the responsibilities of the superintendent.

In the area of high-capacity leadership, participants placed the most importance on improving student performance, closing achievement and opportunity gaps, successfully leading a diverse organization and implementing strategies to keep effective and diverse employees.

Regarding involvement in the community and sustainable use of community resources, participants want someone who improves efficiency and transparency, advocates for students regularly, demonstrates good communication skills and is a visible participant in school and community activities.

Visibility and communication were prevalent themes in the stakeholder interviews and the focus groups as well. Participants want opportunities to connect with the superintendent in the community and be in the know of its goals and policy decisions within the district. However, respondents shared that they didn’t want the superintendent’s presence to be a distraction from getting things done.

Edwards said the idea of splitting the district up into smaller sub-sections and designating them to other board members has been discussed by the participants and in talks between Civility Localized and the board itself.

“(It’s) definitely important for the superintendent to be visible, but also, they need the support,” Edwards said. “That buy-in from the board, so they know the board has their back when they’re out in the community making decisions, and they’re all on one page.”

Other attributes mentioned in the community outreach project included listening to student voices, amplifying positive stories about CMS in media and having leadership experience at large organizations.

One quote from a stakeholder interview said: “(the superintendent) can give a clear charge…someone that is able to help work with and through people to actualize the vision.”

Although the community outreach project is over, Edwards emphasized that the work towards finding a new superintendent “is not done.”

She believes that the new search committee will need to do additional engagement to better understand the community, and Civility Localized is in communication with new board member Summer Nunn who is leading the superintendent search.

Five new members have been added to the CMS board and Crystal Hill was named interim superintendent in December. The district voted on a search timeline on Tuesday, appoint a search firm in February and approve a superintendent hire by April 24.

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