West Charlotte's new principal is Shelton Jefferies, executive director of an office Superintendent Peter Gorman created two years ago to provide a boost to low-performing schools, including West Charlotte. Jefferies was principal of First Ward Elementary for three years before moving to the Achievement Zone in 2007.

Principal John Modest, who headed the school for the past four years, is leaving to work for Guilford County Schools. The school, which used to have such low test scores that a judge threatened to close it, has seen significant gains in the last couple of years. -Ann Doss Helms (Charlotte Observer)