Welcome to the Piedmont IB Family!

As one of the first two magnet schools in Charlotte, Piedmont has a long tradition of spirit, pride, and excellence in Charlotte. Our students have a national reputation for achievement in arts, sciences, and across the academic spectrum, and our teachers are named national models for magnet and IB excellence. We have more than 1,000 scholars who  excel in character, service, academics, and sports.

We’ve been located at 1241 E. 10th St. in the heart of Charlotte since we first opened our doors in 1925. Our historic building was lovingly renovated by the architecture firm of Piedmont parent and grandparent Harvey Gantt, Charlotte’s first black mayor, for whom the city’s Center for African-American Arts + Culture is named.  

Piedmont graduates are empowered to seek excellence in the endeavors they choose. Students learn to think critically and work creatively. They create the futures they envision. If you peruse our Celebrating Piedmont blog, you’ll see students who have gone on to careers in medicine, science, sports, law, music and the arts, philanthropy and public service.  

As  give our students the tools they need for future success, we also help them personalize  and enjoy the present experience of middle school. We provide a challenging academic environment that is centered in real-world learning and exciting student-driven projects. We have an award-winning advisory program and a robust selection of extracurricular clubs that rotate each semester to expose our students to a wide array of subjects not part of a traditional curriculum. 

Historically, Piedmont has been the experimental middle school in Charlotte: the first magnet school, first to transition from junior high to middle school, first to establish a technology lab (and later first to adopt personal tech integration) as well as the first program for non-English speaking students and the first center for hearing-impaired students. Because Piedmont has stayed on the cutting edge of innovation and has continued to reinvent itself over time, we maintain a strong reputation for success in helping all students develop the skills to live a full and productive life: believe in themselves, find their niche, have hope for the future and commit to improving the world. Piedmont International Baccalaureate magnet continues to improve and reinvent itself as educational needs change with our changing world. This adaptability led to our designation as the first Global Ready school in North Carolina.

Piedmont excels in sports as well as academics: our scholar-athletes take each of those labels seriously. Off the field, our data show we excel in achievement: Piedmont far exceeds the district and state test scores in each subject area. Piedmont students score approximately 30 points higher on average than our district and state in all tested subjects. Our disaggregated student achievement data also reveal that our students  surpass the state and district averages by anywhere from 10 to 30 points. In addition, the gap between our Caucasian and non-Caucasian students in all tested subjects is significantly smaller than that of the district and state. On the field, our accolades include league and state championships nine of the past 10 years, 35-game winning streaks, undefeated seasons, and more across a wide array of team sports..  

My personal journey toward leading Piedmont and our IB program began after graduating from the College of William and Mary with a bachelor of science in mathematics. I spent many years as a math teacher at East Mecklenburg High School in the IB program. I earned my master’s degree in school administration from Gardner-Webb University and my Ph.D. candidate in urban education, curriculum and instruction at UNCC. 

As the principal of Piedmont, I am committed to seeing every student succeed. That means having every student prepared for the next step on the educational journey. Our school has a place for every student and we work to provide a safe and comfortable environment for everyone. 

I look forward to working with you and your student. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have issues or concerns.

Thank you for choosing Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Piedmont IB Middle. 

Dr. Jackie Barone, principal