The CMS Foundation hosted Teacher Talks 2026: Fracture at the Central Piedmont Community College Dale F. Halton Theater on March 26. It was a night of insight, inspiration and encouragement as four educators took the stage to share their story and remind the community that “fractures can be transformed into something whole.”

“We all share these experiences that we bring into the classroom that no one sees,” said JoCelyn Roundtree, a social studies teacher at Olympic High School and one of the Teacher Talks speakers. “But this is a platform where we can say, ‘Hey, we’re human beings as well. We carry a lot in, but we still show up and show out every day.”

Speakers included:

Justin Ashley, Community House Middle School

Lt. Col. (Ret.) James Clark, Harding University High School

Nuria Tamayo, Charlotte East Language Academy

JoCelyn Roundtree, Olympic High School

“I think so often if you do not have a child in school, you often don’t have the chance to connect with our educators,” said Sonja Gantt, CMS Foundation executive director. “So this event not only allows their colleagues to come and hear some of the experiences and things they’ve learned in the classroom, but we also invite the community to come in and have an opportunity to hear their voices. And that’s powerful.”

For more information about the CMS Foundation and Teacher Talks, visit https://cms-foundation.org/.