Parent Teacher Magazine Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools January 2014 | Page 8

Employees who keep the schools running
CMS celebrates National American Education Week
Every day they report to work, get their assignments and head to their
jobs with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Sometimes they have a typical,
scheduled day with no emergency situations. Other times, they may need to
handle an emergency situation.
Allen Burris and Jeff Stewart are field workers for the district. Burris is a
plumber and Stewart is an electrician.
“If the hot water is not working in a school, which can be considered
an emergency, those students will not be having a hot lunch,” said Burris.
“When it goes out, the school depends upon me to get the hot water back up
and running. When I walk in I need to remain calm and steady. If I am not
calm, then the principal or cafeteria workers may start worrying.”
Burris and Stewart both grew up in Charlotte and attended CMS schools.
Burris, who began working as a CMS plumber five years ago, attended Rama
Road Elementary, Marie G. Davis Middle, Smith Middle and Harding University
High. Stewart, a 13 year CMS employee, went to Starmount Elementary,
Bruns Elementary, Quail Hollow Middle and South Meck High.
They know that they affect the education of every student who attends
the schools they maintain and fix. Burris is responsible for 30 schools and
Stewart has 18 schools. Those schools depend upon their expertise when
needed.
“When I walk into that school, those students have learned who I am,”
said Stewart who has a white beard. “It helps to have them know and

sometimes I pretend that I’m Santa Claus. That is fun to do.”
Stewart is a volunteer clown when he is not being an electrician. He
enjoys making children happy and putting a smile on their faces.
Burris and Stewart and their departments, are among the 18,000-plus
employees who keep CMS running smoothly.

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54 years in one uniform
Col. Harry D. Ray retires after 28 years as CMS JROTC director
When Col. Harry D. Ray graduated from Virginia Military Institute (VMI)
in 1959, he never imagined that 54 years later he would still be in the same
uniform he wore back then. After 54 years in the U.S. Army uniform, 26 as
an active duty officer and 28 with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Ray is
taking off his uniform and letting someone else take the reins to bring the
CMS JROTC program to the next level.
Ray has worked for nine superintendents, influenced nearly 38,000
students and CMS’ JROTC students have a graduation rate more than 98
percent. Those are numbers that are tough to follow.
Ray retired early as a colonel from the Army in July 1985. This wasn’t the
end of his career. He knew that he wanted to coach and be a JROTC instructor.
“I wanted to give back,” said Ray. “If it wasn’t for my JROTC instructors in
high school I may have been in Alcatraz.”
On Aug. 1, 1985, Ray started as an instructor in CMS at Olympic High
School.
Interestingly, Ray wasn’t the first choice to fill the position. He applied, but
the position was already filled, so he began looking at a school in Virginia. He
really wanted the Olympic job and decided to call to find out about it. He was
told that the person had not accepted the job and he was offered the position.
Ray taught for 16 years when Superintendent James Pughsley
approached him to take charge of all CMS JROTC programs. Olympic grew
from more than 60 cadets when Ray started to 388 cadets when he left the
program to become director.
CMS was looking to expand its JROTC program in all schools and create
an awards ceremony for the whole district like the one at Olympic. The
final thing Ray was asked to do was create a military magnet at one of the
schools. That request became what is now the Military & Global Leadership
Academy at Marie G. Davis. It opened in 2008.
As director Ray has opened or assisted in opening programs at 11
additional high schools (Myers Park, Providence, East Mecklenburg, Waddell,
Philip O. Berry, Butler, Hopewell, Ardrey Kell, Mallard Creek, Hough and Rocky
River). When he became director there were approximately 1,100 cadets to
now more than 4,200 cadets. All branches of the U.S. military (Air Force,
Army, Marine Corps, and Navy are now represented.
“Col. Ray has the lowest tolerance for anything short of excellence,”
said Ann Clark, CMS Deputy Superintendent. “He represents three words:
integrity, team and champion.”
Ray is proud of all the work he has done in CMS, but he has accomplished
6 • January/February 2014 • Parent Teacher Magazine 

what he set out
to do and what
he has been
asked to do.
“I am giving
up my CMS email
for pgagolf.com!”
In 1959,
Ray graduated
from VMI as a
distinguished
military graduate
and was
commissioned
as a second
lieutenant in
the U.S. Army. He went to Infantry basic course, a requirement following
graduation before being able to fully join the Army, at Fort Benning in
Georgia. Following that he went to Ranger School.
Col. Bob Clark, CMS JROTC Deputy Director, will become director after
Ray retires.
“Col. Ray is a wealth of information after all these years,” said Clark. “We
will miss his expertise. I’ve been here a year and half and I am still learning.”
Ray’s career highlights include postings in:
Okinawa
Korea
Vietnam
India
Germany
His various duty assignments were with:
Berlin Brigade
25th Infantry Division
82nd Airborne Division
U.S. Strike Command
U.S. Readiness Command

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