Meet Our Principal

Katherine Waters, principal of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Academy, has 18 years of experience working in the school setting. Mrs. Waters holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), where she double majored in Psychology and Special Education with a concentration in serious emotional disabilities. After teaching in the classroom for several years, she attended Winthrop University and earned a Master's degree in Educational Leadership. 

Teaching Background

Mrs. Waters started her teaching career at Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) as a self-contained special education teacher at the then titled Morgan School. Although this program has had several names (Morgan School, Lincoln Heights Academy, and now Charlotte-Mecklenburg Academy), Mrs. Waters has spent her entire educational career with our program. After seven years of teaching, she moved into the role of Dean of Students for two years before being promoted to Assistant Principal in 2013. Mrs. Waters accepted the title of Principal in the 2014-2015 school year.  Mrs. Waters also certified as a National Board Teacher in 2008. 

From Teaching to Administration

Mrs. Waters is truly dedicated to education as a career. She is a great visionary leader that puts students first in all decisions that are made. At the district level, she advocates for equitable practices for students with disabilities. Mrs. Waters was an integral part of the design of our new school building in 2018. She worked closely with the architects and construction teams to ensure our facility was conducive and safe for our population of students. Mrs. Waters received the accolade of CMS Central 2 Learning Community Principal of the Year in the 2021-2022 school year.