Education

This year, 19 of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' 31 high schools made the 2018 Challenge Index list that ranks Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs nationally — not by test scores, but by the number of students from a school who took an AP or IB exam.

This year, 19 of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ 31 high schools made the Challenge Index list, which ranks schools based on participation in Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Cambridge programs. The index is calculated by taking the number of exams given for any of the three programs and then dividing that number by the number of graduating seniors from the same school. 

Charlotte-Mecklenburg officials say more bus drivers are leaving the school system for higher paying jobs. District officials are not only grappling with filling the vacant spots, but also making sure students are arriving home on time.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board members held a breakfast meeting Wednesday with municipal officials to dispel what they call "misunderstandings" about their future plans for school construction in the townships.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials have received praise and criticism from parents about the decision to close schools Thursday and Friday in light of Hurricane Florence. Many parents had to scramble to find day care for their young children, and some childcare centers are receiving lots of calls for service.

The continuing lack of progress that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools have made in closing the gap in the test scores of students of different races has school system officials and education advocates looking for answers. State officials released test and graduation results this week, which also showed a decline in CMS’ graduation rate.

Monday was the first day of school for the majority of Charlotte-Mecklenburg students. Additional security measures and a new student assignment plan to make schools more diverse were in place. In an interview on Charlotte Talks, Superintendent Clayton Wilcox said overall things went well.

FBI officials launched the "Think Before You Post" campaign at a Charlotte-Mecklenburg School today. It’s a national effort to inform the public about the consequences of posting fake threats against people and facilities. Here, the focus is on students.

With the first day of school less than two weeks away, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials still need to hire more than 100 teachers and bus drivers. 

Last month, North Carolina General Assembly members passed legislation that will allow Cherokees without degrees or certification to teach the tribe’s language and cultural practices to native students. Eastern Band Cherokee officials say they don’t have enough licensed teachers fluent in their language to reach all students, and they fear it will die out.

Declining enrollment is one reason why the owners of the Art Institute of Charlotte say they are closing the school. The Los Angeles-based, non-profit Dream Center Education Holdings announced the closure this week, along with Art Institutes in Durham and Charleston, SC. South University in High Point, which Dream Center also owns, will close as well. About 3,000 students will be affected.

The Supreme Court's 5-4 decision to uphold President Trump's travel ban from seven mostly Muslim countries has college enrollment officials at UNC Charlotte concerned about the message it sends.