CHARLOTTE, N.C. – UNC Charlotte professor Roslyn Mickelson has been studying the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system for more than 30 years.
- A report shows charter schools have direct and indirect affects on CMS
- Mickelson believes HB514 would accelerate re-segregation
- The state's budget also allows towns to use property taxes for public education
Most recently, she's taken a closer look at how charter schools are affecting the district.
“Charters are segregated both black and white but there are more segregated white charters than black charters,” said Mickelson.
A report published by UNC Charlotte and The Civil Rights Project earlier this year shows charter schools have direct and indirect affects on CMS. For example, Mickelson said if more middle-class white, Asian, black and Hispanic families switch from public to charter schools, it leaves less diversity within CMS.
Based on her research, Michelson said charter schools can also affect how the school board makes certain decisions.
“And frightening the public school leaders that if they make too great an effort to create diversity parents will remove their kids from CMS,” she said.
Mickleson believes House Bill 514 would accelerate re-segregation. The state bill would allow the towns of Matthews, Mint Hill, Cornelius and Huntersville to create their own charter schools. The state's budget also allows towns to use property taxes for public education.
“It raises questions about whether or not we're going to have charters that serve the public good or if they're going to serve parents' private interests,’ said Mickelson.
Mickelson said this report wasn’t about HB514. She said the research was conducted from 2016-2017 while CMS reevaluted and adopted new student assignment plan.