National coalition brings TeachStrong push to Charlotte on Monday

UPDATE: This discussion has been postponed because Monday will now be a snow makeup day in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools instead of a teacher work day.

Charlotte-area lawmakers and educators will hold a panel discussion on the teaching profession Monday, convened by a new national coalition pushing for changes in pay, recruitment, licensing and tenure.

TeachStrong was launched in November by national teacher unions, education reform groups, and research and policy organizations, led by the left-leaning Center for American Progress. Its goals include raising pay, improving preparation and licensure, recruiting more diverse teachers and building a better support network for teachers.

Monday’s event, which is open to the public, will open with a discussion of statewide issues featuring state Reps. Tricia Cotham, D-Mecklenburg, and Craig Horn, R-Union. Horn chairs the House committees on K-12 education and education appropriations. Cotham, a former Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teacher and administrator, is vice chair of the House education committee.

Others who will be part of a follow-up panel include Alison Welcher, an administrator with Project LIFT and former principal of Ranson Middle School; Erlene Lyde, a West Charlotte High teacher and president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Association of Educators; James Ford, a former N.C. Teacher of the Year who now works for the Public School Forum of North Carolina; and biology teacher Joanna Schimizzi.

The discussion will be from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Monday at Ranson Middle School, 5850 Statesville Road. To register or get more information about TeachStrong, go to http://teachstrong.org

This story was originally published January 21, 2016 at 5:18 PM with the headline "National coalition brings TeachStrong push to Charlotte on Monday."