Melissa Easley was a teacher for 14 years, 10 in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, and is a CMS parent.
Occupation
Customer Support Specialist for Nearpod LLC
Involvement with the school district (employment, kids in the system, volunteer, appointed or elected roles):
Ten-year CMS veteran Science and Social Studies teacher
Holds a Master's degree in K-12 Instructional Technology
A National Board Certified teacher
Co-founder of North Carolina Teachers United. The largest pro-public education support and resource group in the state.
Parent of two students in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
Political experience:
I have been an educational advocate since 2017, this is my frist time running for office.
Education and/or political advocacy groups you’re affiliated with:
North Carolina Teacher United, North Carolina Associate of Education, Charlotte- Mecklenburg Association of Educators
Other relevant experience:
Democrat
Political affiliation:
What actions should the school board take to improve outcomes for students and schools that are performing below expectations?
We need to continue to focus on the future in CMS. The main impact of COVID on learning system-wide was that it increased gaps between our high-achieving students and our low-achieving students. While test scores are important indicators, they are not always the best measure of how we are doing after a major disruption such as Covid. We need to get the best principals and teachers in front of our students and to do that we need to focus on not only our academic strategy, but the culture of CMS. We need to make sure that our teachers feel supported, valued and trusted. When teachers feel valued and supported in their school, student achievement will follow. We need to be focusing on both the academic strategy as well as the culture to move CMS forward.
What are the district’s most significant funding needs, and what should the board do to meet them?
There is currently a severe staffing shortage that undermines both student learning and staff morale. There are things we can control in CMS and there are things that fall on the County and the state. As a board member, I can advocate for these things and stand behind our CMS community. I can use my connections that I have made not only around Mecklenburg, but the state as well to have these conversations and show how we all must work together to overcome this issue.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public schools have $2,823,301,080 in capital needs over the next five years. My focus would start with building code/life safety issues (two factors in this air conditioning/air filters/Hvac and the other side of this is life safety for our staff and students (broken windows, doors ect), then move on to class sizes and obsolete facilities..
How would you rate current leadership of the district (board and superintendent)? What changes would you propose?
I would currently rate the board with a middle of the road and needs improvement. The board's primary responsibility is to be the voice for the community. The pandemic was unprecedented and it took a lot of time to adjust. I feel the board did what they could with the ever changing information.
We can continue to place blame, or we can look to the future and how we are going to restore CMS to the county it was in 2011 when it won the Broad Prize for Urban Education for not only the greatest student academic gains, but narrowed achievement gaps between African-American and white students in reading and math at all school levels.
What should the board do to improve safety for students and employees?
There are two aspects of safety for our students and employees. The first being physical safety. This is focusing on safe routes to and from the bus stop and to school, as well as making sure our buildings are safe for students and staff.
CMS has made strides with this, by adding body scanners and having safety screenings being done by trained staff with help from law enforcement. I want to continue to look at each individual building and see how we can best keep our students physically safe.
The other aspect of safety for our students and employees is to make sure they are free from bullying, bigotry and racism. As a board member I can contribute to policies that make a strong statement that CMS does not allow bullying, bigotry or racism in our schools. It is our job to make policies that are inclusive, equitable for all students and their families.
Are there additional issues, themes or characteristics that you see as central in your campaign?
I would like to focus on the culture of CMS. How the CMS board interacts with the public, staff, students and families have been damaged. We need to repair this culture in order to be a successful district. This includes standing behind our teachers and we advocate for them on both the local and state levels. Bringing trust back to the CMS board will increase teacher acquisition and retention, which in turn will help student achievement.