CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Six Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools principals who are moving to struggling schools in the district said the change is bittersweet.

They spoke at the CMS media briefing early Wednesday, just hours after CMS announced seven schools will get new principals, up to five new teachers and new administrative staff members. Some of the schools had principal vacancies, but the others were reassigned.

Six principals are leaving their current schools. The seventh principal is from outside the district and did not attend Wednesday’s briefing.

The principals said they’re excited to take on a new challenge, to get a 10 percent pay raise and to help out the district as a whole. They said they’re also sad, though, that they are leaving a school they helped make successful.

They said their decision to move was the most ethical thing they could think of. CMS Superintendent Peter Gorman said as a district, they need to share their successes and also share their failures, which is why the drastic measure will go into effect this fall. The principals said while going to the challenged schools is an easy choice, leaving their current schools will be difficult.

“We have established a lot of wonderful relationships with each other,” said Nancy Guzman, principal of Pinewood Elementary School. “It’s like family, and it is going to be very difficult for me to walk away and tell them goodbye and go somewhere else because for nine years they have been my family, but they will be OK.”

The principals get to hand-pick their support staff. Each can bring an assistant principal, some administrative staff and up to five teachers.

“There will also be a piece for these individuals to meet with the area superintendents to make sure we don’t just take from one school and clean it out,” Gorman said.

Those teachers will also get a financial incentive. In the fall they’ll receive a $10,000 bonus and an additional $5,000 for each of the next two years.

Bain Elementary, Sharon Elementary, Nations Ford Elementary, Winget Park Elementary, Pinewood Elementary and Carmel Middle schools are all losing their principals. Replacements have not yet been hired, but CMS officials said they are in the process of trying to find the proper people to keep those success stories going.

The seven schools getting new principals are: Briarwood Elementary, Bruns Avenue Elementary, Devonshire Elementary, Reid Park Elementary, Sterling Elementary, Westerly Hills Elementary and Ranson Middle.

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