Big changes coming for CMS teachers

A major shakeup is underway in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. It's all about teacher pay. Superintendent Peter Gorman this morning unveiled details of the district's 2014 strategic plan. The plan has a heavy emphasis on improving teaching and measuring those improvements. "For our teachers, we will no longer measure effectiveness by credentials or years of experience. Instead, we will monitor year-over-year of student academic progress in a variety of ways as the best indicator of teaching and leadership," Gorman says. In this year's budget cuts, CMS gave priority to teachers with board certification, master's degrees and experience. That's no longer the case when it comes to budget cuts and salaries. Mary McCray, president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Teachers Association, isn't impressed. She expects some teachers to view this as an opportunity for CMS to discriminate against older and more experienced teachers.