Steve Cortes, President of the League of American Workers, has said that teachers’ unions contribute to poor education outcomes nationwide. He contrasted this with Charlotte schools, where local students reportedly perform well. This statement was made during an interview.
“The undeniable reality is that American education on the whole, is simply not producing the kinds of young adults a healthy society needs,” said Cortes. “Our children are not being formed with the character to function as responsible and loving adults. Especially teachers unions, but doom precious children to lives that will never live up to their full potential. Kids here are doing just fantastically well, and those same kids are from the same neighborhoods.”
Education debates in Charlotte-Mecklenburg County have recently centered on student performance and reform efforts as leaders strive to address achievement gaps. According to Axios Charlotte, while the district reported record-high growth metrics, concerns persist over stagnant literacy rates and disparities in outcomes between schools. These issues have prompted calls for targeted interventions and renewed strategies.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) announced that 83.4% of schools met or exceeded academic growth goals in the 2023–24 school year, marking the highest share in district history. However, challenges remain: only 84% of students graduated on time, and 40% of schools received a D or F performance grade. Axios Charlotte reported these statistics using district and state data.
According to WFAE, CMS test results reveal persistent proficiency gaps. Fourth-grade reading proficiency fell slightly from 33% in 2022 to 31% in 2024, while math performance showed mixed results—CMS students outperformed peers in other large urban districts, but eighth-grade math proficiency dropped from 64% to 59%.
Cortes is a political commentator and strategist who served as a senior adviser on Donald Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns, leading Hispanic outreach efforts. A former financial strategist and media analyst for CNBC, CNN, and Fox News, he now serves as president of the League of American Workers and as a senior political advisor to CatholicVote.
