Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools may have a solution for students who move to the U.S. and struggle adjusting to traditional public school.
CMS will launch a program at the former E.E. Waddell High School next school year for ninth- and tenth-grade students with less than two years in the United States and low English proficiency. Juniors and seniors can join in the 2024-2025 year. But the program already has a waiting list and all of its 250 current slots filled.
Called the Personalized Academic Command of English Academy (P.A.C.E.), the program was four years in the making, says Principal Alejandra Garcia. It fills a particular need in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, which leads the state in multi-lingual learners, with 181 different nationalities and 209 different languages spoken, according to November 2022 statistics.
The school will offer regular courses similar to a traditional public school along with electives.
Creator of PACE Academy Nydja Trez and its Principal Alejandra Garcia Photo submitted
“The parents should expect that we are going to take care of their children, to make sure that they acclimate to the country, their social-emotional stability is there, making sure they have the academic resources and making sure that they know that they could come to us for anything,” Garcia said.
The idea for the program came from a program in New York called the International Center. CMS officials made trips to New York, Texas, and California to learn about different academies that serve similar children. Then, they looked at Charlotte and molded the idea for P.A.C.E.
One of the main people behind the program was Nadja Trez, executive director of Learning & Language Acquisition for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Trez saw that students from other countries weren’t getting the help they needed adapting to the U.S.
“We are the receiving city in North Carolina when it comes to newcomers or refugees. When you look at having such a high influx, we need to have personalized support provided to them,” Trez said.
CMS officials talked about and OK’d plans to make E.E. Waddell a magnet high school, but those plans won’t fully materialize in time for next school year. An aviation program could be in place for the 2024-25 year, according to CMS officials.
E.E. Waddell will be where PACE Academy will be located Photo submitted
What makes P.A.C.E different
CMS already has the English learner program that helps students across the district’s schools who aren’t proficient in the language. But unlike the English learner program, which only provides classes, PACE looks to do more by integrating services like flexible scheduling, career-tech tracks, social workers, counselors, family advocates and interpreters to students and families that participate.
PACE Academy also hired bilingual front office staff to welcome families and students. Bilingual social workers and counselors will provide services in Spanish. The counselor and social worker services could also include evening and Saturday sessions.
The academy will have smaller classes than a normal high school for more student engagement. In addition to their assigned teachers, students can get help from eight multi-lingual teachers, who will help when needed.
“It’s building strong relationships with the teachers or school staff and believing in them that they can succeed. That will make an impact on their success,” Trez said.
A point in hiring instructors was to have teachers who can resonate with the students and be able to give supportive.
“A lot of the teachers that we’ve hired have been through similar situations and are currently very successful. Having those role models letting them know that if we did it, you could do it as well,” Garcia said.
Terry Benjamin is a metro news intern. He joined the Observer after graduating from Claflin University in Orangeburg, S.C. He previously interned at The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C., and The Times and Democrat in Orangeburg.
