Almost 15 years ago, Charlotte’s civic leaders and neighborhood activists created the Renaissance West Community Initiative with the vision of revitalizing a west Charlotte neighborhood through an education village approach. This initiative is part of a national movement — and represents one of Charlotte's most ambitious efforts to break the cycle of poverty.
A 2013 school bond package included $30 million to build the Renaissance West school. It wouldn’t open until August of 2017, and by that time two more superintendents had left CMS. Leadership churn — in the district and at the new school — would become a distinguishing characteristic of the partnership between CMS and the Renaissance West coalition of poverty.
The school is designated a STEAM academy. That stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and math. In some schools that label signals a robust menu of extras, such as robotics and science labs. But Renaissance West, which serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, has struggled with the basics. When it opened, the state reported that only one-third of kindergarteners arrived with the skills they needed. And at the end of that year, only 28% of the older students passed state reading exams.
On the next Charlotte Talks, we speak with WFAE’s Ann Doss Helms on her three-part series “Renaissance West: A slow rebirth,” as well as community members, the current principal of the school and the leaders of the Renaissance West initiative.
GUESTS:
Laura Yates Clark, president & CEO United Way of Greater Charlotte
Ann Doss Helms, WFAE education reporter
Mack McDonald, head of Renaissance West Community Initiative
Dwight Thompson, principal of Renaissance West
