Get to know 9 who want to lead CMS

On Nov. 3, Mecklenburg County voters will choose three at-large members to serve four years on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board.

Joining six members who represent districts, they’ll lead one of the nation’s largest school districts, with a $1.4 billion budget and responsibility for educating roughly 148,000 students.

They’ll plunge directly into decisions about hiring a superintendent and crafting new student assignment policies. They must guide strategies to prepare students for a fast-changing job market, and do it at a time when competition from charter and private schools is growing.

Two incumbents and seven others are seeking the seats. Each voter can choose three from the nine-person nonpartisan ballot.

Learn more about the candidates in the following profiles:

▪ Angela Ambroise says CMS should play bigger role lifting poor children

▪ Janeen Bryant, former CMS teacher and now a parent, in 1st race for board

▪ Larry Bumgarner won’t take salary if elected

▪ Elyse Dashew calls for more diverse schools, higher teacher pay

▪ Ericka Ellis-Stewart, who led 2011 ballot, seeks second CMS board term

▪ Levester Flowers lobbies for CMS magnets

▪ Mary McCray has led CMS board through highs and lows

▪ Jeremy Stephenson resists focus on diversity in CMS schools

▪ Amelia Stinson-Wesley says she has contacts to serve a diverse county

More coverage

Q&As: Candidates’ responses to questions about issues and background

Background checks: CMS board candidates are clean on background, voting checks

Observer voter guide: www.charlotteobserver.com/election

This story was originally published October 10, 2015 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Get to know 9 who want to lead CMS."