SIP JT Williams MS 2010-11 - Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

7. What other information, if any, do you feel it would be important for the reviewers to know prior to the
review?
Perhaps the most noticeable difference you will see at John Taylor Williams Middle School is the implementation of the small school concept. As
part of the restructuring plan for 2009-10, the student body was divided into 3 small schools, Global Studies, Communication Arts and
Leadership in Law and Public Service. Each school houses 6 th , 7 th and 8 th
grade students within one building. The students remain in that
“school” during their tenure at John Taylor Williams, thus strengthening the relationships developed with the school and home. Parents will
work with one assistant principal during the three years at our school, and teachers will form deeper relationships with students who they will
see for three years. The expectation is that student behavior will improve as well as academic achievement. During this school year we will now
focus on developing and implementing each small school’s theme through fieldtrips, speakers, projects, integrated units and community service
activities.
Another interesting point about John Taylor Williams Middle School is the fact that nearly 40% of our teachers are beginning teachers (see Part
A). Of those, 5 are Teach For America teachers. We remain focused on nurturing and molding these young teachers into master teachers
through the dedicated work of our in-house mentors and the administration.
Our Communities in Schools program is an integral part of John Taylor Williams Middle School. The coordinator works with staff to identify
students whose families are in crisis. He then helps to find community support for those families, often taking students for dental visits,
obtaining eyeglasses, locating clothing donations for students, or giving bus passes to students who lack transportation. The coordinator
develops relationships with these students and often serves in a mentor role. For this year, we have a second CIS coordinator who mainly works
with our eighth grade male students who will move to West Charlotte High School in ninth grade.
Our school received perfect Safe School Audit scores during the 2008-09 school year, reinforcing the efforts we make toward making this
campus a safe place for students and staff. We have established procedures for fire drills, evacuations and weather emergencies and practice
those procedures often. We expect to continue these scores for this school year.
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