The Political Beat Candidate Guide: CMS District 5

CHARLOTTE — Incumbent CMS Board member Lisa Cline is seeking re-election. She is facing a challenge from Cynthia Stone. District 5 is composed of schools in south Mecklenburg County. Click here for a list.

The Political Beat asked questions of each candidate in the race.

Their unedited responses are below.

Lisa Cline

What is your occupation? After 39+ years as an educator, I retired. I currently serve on the CMS Board of Education for District 5.

Why are you running? I am running for re-election because I feel my work is just getting started. I want to continue addressing the learning loss and closing the gap between students. I want to continue working towards ensuring all students are employed, enlisted, or enrolled post high school, which means ensuring all students have the proper resources. Parents and students need someone who will represent them and help them navigate the system in order to make sure all needs are met. I have been doing this for the past three years and want to continue this work.

What is the most important issue and how do you plan to address it? Ensuring students are prepared to be contributing members of society in a safe learning environment is extremely important to me. I have taken training on how to continuously review our goals and guardrails, which combined with my educational experience allows me to actively participate in the monitoring of academic growth. Working with our communities and families to address unsafe learning environments allows me to communicate issues within the district and work as a conduit to help improve student safety.

What role should AI have in the classroom? We must understand that AI is part of our future. It should never replace teachers, nor replace work expected to be performed by students. IT should be used as a tool to improve the classroom and the learning environment. We must embrace the AI experience and capitalize on it so that our children are competitive in today’s society.

How would you assess student achievement in the district? We need to continue to use the state required testing to assess how students are performing on a yearly basis, but this is not enough. I participated in the creation of our new Goals and Guardrails two years ago and I was a strong proponent of the 4th Goal: Increase the percent of high school students graduating on track to be enrolled, enlisted, or employed, as demonstrated by achieving at least one indicator from from 72 %to 85%. Our goal is preparing our students for life and to be contributing members of society. So if a child fails to meet this goal, then we, as a district, have failed that child.

What role should the CMS Board have in addressing hot-button issues like immigration enforcement in the community? Immigration is indeed a hot topic,a s a Board, we should communicate our role in ensuring children feel safe while they are at school. We must follow the law, but if we talk with community leaders and our constituents , we can alleviate their fears and show that CMS has plans in place for their children.

What sets you apart from your opponents? From the time I graduated from college, education has been my passion. I have 39+ years of continued service to education. I have been a teacher, a curriculum leader, and an administrator. Plus, I was a PTA parent on all three levels: elementary, middle, and high school. I have dedicated my life to ensuring our children will be academically and emotionally ready for their next step. Now, former students are parents and constituents and I have been supporting their children to have the same or better learning opportunities offered in CMS. Now, my experience as a Board member allows me further insight to how the system operates, which I want to continue.

Cynthia Stone

What is your occupation? Retired (Dec. 2023) elementary teacher with 20 years in CMS. Prior business career included Operations Management and HR Staffing/Recruiting.

Why are you running? Our community deserves a world-class education system. Education is a right for all students and an obligation for our society. It is the key to eradicating poverty and opening doors to success.

What is the most important issue and how do you plan to address it? School safety and mental health impacts our students on a daily basis. Working with the County Commissioners to fund additional safety measures at our schools is a top priority. We are also experiencing an unprecedented mental health crisis. Early identification and support is a key component to helping students before they reach a crisis. I would work to reduce the case loads of current school counselors by decreasing the ratio of students to counselors and increasing the number of school counselors in the district. Partnering with local support networks is equally important, using the services available to students and families to their fullest potential.

What role should AI have in the classroom? Technology is part of life and students must be carefully taught the power and dangers of technology starting early in their educational careers. At the appropriate level, AI needs to be taught as a tool, not a crutch or a replacement for knowledge.

How would you assess student achievement in the district? As an educator, I know strong basic skills in reading and math formed in the early school years are necessary for continued academic success. Achievement levels appear to decline as students progress, leading me to believe that we are not ensuring students are prepared when they move to higher levels. We must ensure our young students are taught important skills, not testing strategies, to see achievement data improve.

What role should the CMS Board have in addressing hot button issues like immigration enforcement in the community? We must comply with federal and state laws and CMS has a policy in place to meet the legal requirements. The board should ensure emotional and academic support is in place for those impacted by this horrible situation.

What sets you apart from your opponents? Although I was a successful leader in the private sector, it was my passion for education that led me back and kept me in the classroom. I’m fearless when it comes to advocating for our students and our community, even if it means pressing for answers to hard questions

(WATCH BELOW: New CMS Police Chief vows to enhance school safety measures)