Ann Doss Helms
WFAE
Charlotte, NC, United States
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Past articles by Ann:
CMS and Mint Hill reach détente in long, twisted battle over suburban charter schools
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and the town of Matthews reach a formal agreement on how to best build public classrooms in the booming suburbs. → Read More
Here’s why the CMS bond package is heavy on middle schools
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' $3 billion bond plan is heavy on creating more seats in middle schools. Officials say neighborhood middle schools are feeling the strain — and that’s where they’re trying to add capacity. → Read More
County officials say CMS school bond request would require a hefty tax hike
Mecklenburg County officials say the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board’s request for a $3 billion school bond would impose a hefty tax burden on the very families who stand to benefit the most from new and renovated schools. → Read More
Let’s celebrate Allenbrook’s success, but not draw simple conclusions
Allenbrook Elementary is a turnaround model for low-performing schools in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, but success isn't easily replicated or scaled. → Read More
CMS board no longer plans to hire a superintendent by April
After meeting with search consultants last week, the CMS board’s superintendent search committee now says it expects to hire a new leader in May, rather than April. Consultant Debra Hill told the committee it isn’t likely to put CMS at a disadvantage in the quest to get someone in the office by summer. → Read More
Talking with the CMS superintendent about what's next, and the hardest years of her career
I sat down with Crystal Hill last week, 24 days into her six-month stint as interim superintendent. I was distracted by the April firing of Superintendent Earnest Winston when Hill started working for CMS in May, so I asked how she ended up here. → Read More
Changes are coming to dozens of CMS schools. Now’s the time to speak up.
Here's a look at what the new Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools plan for almost $2.9 billion in school bonds means for schools and taxpayers. → Read More
Does CMS already have its next superintendent lined up?
People are thinking about the prospect of having Interim Superintendent Crystal Hill stay on to lead Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Her six-month contract doesn’t preclude her from seeking the permanent job, and she isn’t ruling it out. A reporter asked her about that at her first news conference on Friday. → Read More
Myers Park High sexual assault lawsuit goes to trial this week
A former Myers Park High student's lawsuit against Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and the city of Charlotte goes to trial this week, more than seven years after she reported being sexually assaulted in the woods near the school. → Read More
CMS choice lottery opens Monday with new options and transportation changes
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools choice lottery opens Monday with new academic options and an express bus system for some magnets. → Read More
A new CMS superintendent by April? Experts say that’s tight but not impossible
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board Tuesday approved a superintendent search timeline that calls for having someone under contract by the end of April. Experts say that will be tough but possible. → Read More
CMS board begins its search for a new superintendent in 2023
Newly elected Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board member Summer Nunn will chair a superintendent search committee that holds its first meeting Friday. → Read More
A year after a gun surge in CMS, things have changed for the better
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools had 23 guns turn up on campus before winter break last year. This year there have been two. → Read More
CMS board picks Dashew and Sneed as board leaders, but no interim superintendent yet
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board chose Elyse Dashew as a new chair and Stephanie Sneed as a new vice chair, in the first meeting of a board with five new members. → Read More
Central Piedmont holds first midyear commencement ceremony for 500 graduates
About 500 graduates took part in Central Piedmont Community College's first winter commencement ceremony Tuesday. → Read More
More answers and new questions about Success4CMS
Success4CMS is a 501(c)(4) “social welfare organization,” which allows it to make donations to political candidates and influence the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board race. → Read More
Union County Public Schools moves opening nearly three weeks earlier
The Union County school board unanimously approved a new calendar Tuesday morning that starts classes on Aug. 9, almost three weeks earlier than the Aug. 28 date set by the state's school calendar law. → Read More
CMS update on Latino reading scores shows a grim picture so far
A report being presented at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board meeting Tuesday shows the district remains a long way from meeting reading goals for Latino third graders. → Read More
CMS leadership will take shape at Tuesday’s school board meeting
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board will swear in five new members and elect board leaders on Tuesday. → Read More
New school board chairs in Charlotte-area districts could signal the tone of change
School boards in Cabarrus, Iredell, Catawba and Gaston counties chose chairs Monday, after an election that brought new members to the boards. → Read More