Who is Melissa Easley, District 1 CMS Board of Education candidate?
Name: Melissa Easley
School board seat you’re seeking: District 1, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
Age as of Nov. 8, 2022: 39
Campaign website: www.easleyforcms.com
Email: easleyforcms@gmail.com
Occupation: Customer Support Specialist for Nearpod (educational technology )
Education: BA in education, MS in online education, National Board Certified Teacher in Middle level Science
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought): No.
Please list your highlights of civic involvement: Co-Founder of North Carolina Teachers United, the largest pro-public education support and resource group in the state. I have been an active member of NCAE/CMAE since 2018. I have been an educational advocate since 2017 and forming relationships both in Mecklenburg and in Raleigh.
What qualities, skills and experiences do you think would make a good superintendent for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools?
I was an educatior for 14 years, 10 of which were in CMS. I have a strong understanding on how the school system operates. I can bring a teacher and parent voice to the board of education.
CMS, along with other districts across the country and state, has lost a lot of teachers. What are your ideas to keep teachers in CMS classrooms?
There is currently a severe staffing shortage that undermines both student learning and staff morale. There are things we can control in CMS and there are things that fall on the county and state. As a board member, I can advocate for these things and stand behind our CMS community. I can use my connections that I have made not only around Mecklenburg, but the state as well to have these conversations and show how we all must work together to overcome this issue.
What solutions would you offer to improve student and employee safety on CMS school campuses?
There are two aspects of safety for our students and employees. The first being physical safety. CMS has made strides with this by adding body scanners and having safety screenings being done by trained staff with help from law enforcement. I want to continue to look at each individual building and see how we can best keep our students physically safe.
How do you define CMS’ achievement gap? How can CMS bridge the achievement gap, raise test scores and get the 50 district schools off of the low-performing list?
Achievement gap is the difference between where the student is and the expectation where they should be. The main learning impact of Covid was the increase of gaps between high and low achieving students. Test scores are important indicators, but they are not always the best measure of how we are doing. We need to get the best principals and teachers for our students, and focus on our academic strategy and the culture of CMS.
Why should voters choose you over your opponents?
I’m a 14-year veteran teacher, a public-school education advocate and mother of two current CMS students. I believe each student, teacher, and administrator requires the best available resources to build an educational environment that helps communities thrive. I am the only candidate in District 1 that has recent experience in CMS teaching in the classroom as well as years of experience making connections across Charlotte and the state to further education.
This story was originally published October 3, 2022 at 8:08 AM.
