
Local education advocates are calling on Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools leadership to deepen their commitment to staff by increasing retention bonuses that were announced earlier this month. They’re asking for colleagues and allies to sign and share a petition asking for the bonuses to be doubled.
On December 8 the Charlotte Mecklenburg Board of Education unanimously approved a district proposal to use federal ESSER funds to pay $2500 bonuses to all full-time staff and $1250 to part-time staff.
The move came as news broke that nearly 10% of CMS teachers have either resigned or retired since the beginning of the school year.
According to the district’s plan, half of the bonus will be paid this week and the other half next fall. After taxes that means full-time staff will receive approximately $800 in local bonus money for this entire school year.
Ink 4 Ed Equity, a group of advocates that raised thousands of dollars to provide internet connectivity to Charlotte Mecklenburg students in need last year, says that amount is unlikely to end the staffing crisis.
In a petition that was released today, the group notes the heavy toll the loss of so many educators is having on remaining staff and student outcomes and points out that Wake County Public Schools’ retention bonuses come to $5000–with three quarters being paid out before the end of the current school year.
The petition concludes by saying “Ink 4 Ed Equity and our allies call on CMS leadership to increase retention bonuses to $5000 for all full-time and $2500 for part-time staff to sustain our current workforce.”
You can read, sign and share the petition at the below link or sign the embedded version underneath it.
https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/higher-retention-bonuses-for-all-cms-employees