CMS receives $7.6M grant for teacher retention, recruitment

CHARLOTTE — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has been given a more than $7 million grant to help in teacher retention and recruitment by the Department of Education.

The district’s, Teacher Leader Pathway program, helps to advance the roles of teachers in partnership with the Recruitment and Retention Department. The district says Advanced Teaching Roles (ATR) have had a large impact on the positive growth of students and access to high-performing teachers.

The grant also allows CMS to keep its status as a leader in Advanced Teaching Roles, by continuing to create ATR Programs in the Forth Worth Independent School District (FWSID) and in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS).

Dr. Kecia Coln, Chief Human Resources Officer for CMS, says she is looking to see the positive impact the expansion of the current program has district-wide.

“We are honored to receive this grant and excited about the impact it will have on expanding our current program district-wide and helping two other districts develop their program that will benefit so many students and staff,” Coln said, “we are looking forward to the collaboration and to the opportunity to lead on a national level.”

Funding from the grant will also help the Teacher Leader Pathway program further invest in teacher recruitment to help CMS students, and hopefully create a national conference spotlight of the benefits of ATR on educators and their students.

(WATCH BELOW: CMS still dealing with teacher vacancies as first semester nears end)

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