CHARLOTTE, N.C. — While most seniors put in the hard work to graduate, educators told WCNC Charlotte that some Charlotte-Mecklenburg high schools give some kids an unfair, easy, last-second advantage to get their diplomas.
After WCNC Charlotte brought those concerns to CMS, administrators said they want more information, so they can investigate further.
"I don't believe that is a system-wide epidemic," CMS Deputy Superintendent over Academic Services Dr. Matthew Hayes said. "I think this, if valid, is something that is maybe specific to one or two schools and we need to look into that."
Interviews with educators, along with analysis of CMS credit recovery records, show the school district allows failing seniors to recover credits online just days before commencement -- often in a single day.
"A student that I know had to go to summer school and they only missed two points from passing a class that they had to graduate and that student was not allowed to walk, but another student had a very, very low grade, much lower than two points, and that student was allowed to sit on the stage and walk," one educator said. "We're just setting the students up for failure by allowing that kind of behavior."
