CMS Superintendent Earnest Winston Interview

[@msmith6619]

Mr. and Mrs. Winston's daughters and ours have attended school together for the past 5 years. It has indeed been a pleasure getting to know and to volunteer alongside them during this time. That "glow" of warmth, kindness, and positivity that illuminates during Mr. Winston's interview is real--not politics. As a former CMS teacher of 4 years, and now a parent/volunteer of 8 years, I have learned that many of the frustrations parents feel with CMS are not from purely inherent educational challenges; rather, from targeted moves designed to keep their individual child or school from thriving-coupled with bold insults to their intelligence when the “powers-that-be” try to convince parents that these strikes are not taking place. No one superintendent can erase all the systematic prejudices embedded within our school system. Still, we hope for honest, capable leadership who will clearly acknowledge that blindspots, as well as purposefully neglected areas do exist. We need leadership that will, too, empower and hold EVERY parent accountable for making the best of the resources and opportunities that we currently have. In addition, we hope for a leader who will roll up his/her sleeves to help us defend the best of what we have already become; and a visionary who can inspire ALL of us to move forward TOGETHER for the sake of our shared future. I believe the sum of Mr. Winston's education, experience, qualifications, and perspectives will be a great fit to lead Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools into our next BEST season!

[@dawynsmith]

As a parent living in the CMS district for almost two decades, I have never been a fan of the "CMS Way" of doing things in fact it often angers me when the CMS decisions affect my children in a negative way. I truly hope that Mr. Winston will encourage teachers or educators to go back to the "old days" of teaching which encourages educators to teach in the one-on-one style that benefits the children. By simply following a curriculum governed and formatted by CMS just doesn't cut it and our children will ultimately suffer in the long run. I also hope that the new Superintendent will bring back daily Physical Education(PE) and Humanities for I am all for "the core" English, Social Studies, Science(s) and Mathematics classes, but if our children are so overweight that they can't stay awake long enough to find gainful employment in order to implement these core lessons in life then really what good is it! In rain or shine, having a morning exercise program such as Tai Chi for 20 or so minutes has been a part of many schools in China for centuries and they obviously saw the benefit in it, so why can't we! Let it begin! I recall my school days being filled with happy memories of happy students who participated in PE up to 3 classes a day and sometimes more if they did extracurricular activities and you had best believe that our endorphins ran high! You never heard of children plotting to harm or kill each other like they do today! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to notice the drastic negative change found in the demeanor and attitudes of the children today. I blame it on the lack of exercise the children should be receiving during the core hours of their lives. Children also need to know that they can find enjoyment in anaerobic and aerobic exercise outside of school as well. CMS can be at the forefront of bringing Physical Education back to "the core." You will be pleasantly surprised how much benefit it will bring. The children will be happier, less stressed, better sleepers bringing alertness, and show a positive responsiveness to learning. In addition, if our children can't sew, cook, create a vegetable garden, or understand how credit works then they will be ill-equipped in self-sufficiency. Let’s not continue being ignorant of what's really going on with life’s reality. By the way, what is up with the 20-minute lunch? I would love to meet the brain-child on the committee that came up with that idea, but more importantly I think that the approving committee members need to try waiting in a cafeteria line and then consuming their food in 20-minutes for 30 days (oh… and without talking to anyone) and let me know how that worked out! Truly said, that is exactly the kind of stupid thinking that brings about genuine anger and frustration for both the child and parent not to mention the ill-effects of scarfing down food! When I went to school we had 55 minutes for lunch when I went to school. Even employers provide a minimum of 1/2 hour for lunch. You are supposed to be smart people yet I truly don't believe anyone of you did any conclusive research on the negatives and/or positives that now formulate the current curriculum/statutes you now have in place under CMS. Some of you obviously missed that necessary "theorem" lesson in school! If the school has the land, start an agricultural program! Everyone can benefit from having a garden, fresh fruit, chickens, and eggs. My Junior and High school’s both had salad bar options always, and I don't recall ever seeing a salad bar in the CMS school cafeteria at my children's school. Nevertheless; I am quite certain that parents will find resources to help buy or donate sewing machines, garden seeds, garden pots, fruit trees, or money without hesitation if it's toward a positive cause! Bring back the educators and coaches that can equip the children physically and mentally for real-life. And finally, Teachers are exceptional people and deserve more than what they are getting and I hope Mr. Winston recognizes that.