This Month with Kaye McGarry...


Kaye About Town

On Wednesday, October 22nd, I plan to be at Starbucks Coffee inside the Barnes & Noble Booksellers at the Arboretum Shopping Center on Hwy. 51 and Providence Road from 7:30 until 9:00 a.m. I will be available to discuss school-related issues and to answer questions you may have regarding Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Thanks to those parents who stopped by at Cotswold Shopping Center.


CMS Magnet Programs

Another Magnet workshop is scheduled for Thursday, October 2nd from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. I have spent several hours studying this issue, meeting with parents, answering phone calls and emails. A few additional comments to reply to the dozens of emails regarding Villa Heights. This is a small, diverse elementary school, full magnet, LI/TD. It works wonderfully well. It must stay where it is and continue as a full LI/TD magnet. Regarding the folks asking whether I support a Montessori middle school, I support expanding the K-5 Park Road Montessori School at that site to a K-8. The Montessori philosophy, I believe, can work here. Having three K-5 Montessori programs including Highland Mill and Chantilly feeding into a K-8 at Park Road Montessori will help sustain a quality program. Not everyone will choose to continue at a Montessori Middle School. CMS also has Montessori AMA teacher training at this site, so there are advantages to expanding at this site. I am still listening and searching for additional data regarding some other programs, but overall please refer to my editorial July 10 in the Charlotte Observer regarding magnets within CMS. It is posted on my website www.KayeMcGarry.com.  I also support increasing the rigor of math and science at EVERY elementary school including adding foreign language; therefore, partial magnets are not needed for the most part. And, when we place a competent leader as principal in every school, we may be able to bring back more of the public to our public schools. Our next Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 14th at 6:00 p.m. at the Government Center. This is the only meeting before we vote on magnets that the Board agenda includes “public comment” on any issue. You are invited to make your voice heard, if you feel it hasn’t been heard yet.


CMS Free and Reduced Lunch (FRL) Verification/Audit

There is every indication of potential fraud within this program from the allowed 3% verification process.  However, at this time CMS is awaiting permission from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture to allow CMS to do an outside audit for all applicants. We need clarification/interpretation of what is permissible within the law. Again, CMS uses the FRL numbers to distribute millions of dollars of resources, i.e. teachers, to our 174 schools, based on the number of FRL students in each of those schools. The integrity of this number is questioned; th erefore, it is my obligation to the taxpayers of Mecklenburg County to go ahead with an audit regardless of anyone’s interpretation. I have again placed this item on the Board Agenda for the October 14th meeting for a Board vote.


CMS Gang Activity

Pursuant to the report to the Board in August regarding gang activity within our schools, I have asked the Board Policy Committee to begin developing a CMS gang policy.


Revised Operating Budget 2008-2009 – Media Specialists positions dropped

The $1.2 billion revised Operating Budget passed 6-3. I voted no. There was $21 million more in this budget than in 2007-2008. The priorities are misplaced. Dr. Gorman eliminated 93.5 library assistants and 11 librarians. I felt we could have reduced our budget in other areas, i.e. restructure departments at Education Center and Walton Plaza for efficiency and effectiveness.  Support at the schoolhouse level needed to remain intact; school libraries should be the hub of activity at every school. “Studies released over the past four years in eighteen different states, corroborated that student scores on standardized tests increase with improvements in school library media programs,” said Eugene Hainer, Deputy State Librarian, Colorado State Library, Colorado Department of Education. “Schools with well developed library media programs average ten to fifteen percent higher reading scores.”  And, CMS/BOE just cut 104.5 positions in our school libraries. Where are our priorities?


CMS Anti-Bullying Policy Update

Required K-12 anti-bullying training is now taking place. The new name of the program “Safety and Respect for All.”  Refer to CMS website to peruse the videos and booklets.


Thank you for your ongoing support and feedback . . .

. . . on issues that concern you! The letters and emails I receive are heartwarming. You folks are genuine in the support of a top notch K-12 public school system, yet you understand there is so much more work to do. I will continue to listen, do my homework, study the issues and vote responsibly. Thank you for parenting!


GOD BLESS !!!
Kaye McGarry
Mecklenburg County Board of Education
At-Large Member 2003-present