Welcome to the Charlotte Engineering Early College (CEEC) webpage. Within these pages, you will find important information about our school. We will work diligently to make sure our page is updated regularly. CEEC is a very busy place and our website is our attempt to make sure you stay informed.
The staff at CEEC is also dedicated to ensuring that our school has a safe and orderly environment. We have created a school culture where teaching and learning is paramount. Disruptions to the learning environment will not be tolerated. We will set the expectations during the first semester and will continue to enforce our expectations throughout the school year. Students are required to work in small groups in every classroom, every day. Project-Based Learning allows students to interact with fellow students to produce meaningful, relevant work. Technology is a key component in every classroom.
Students at CEEC are selected using the CMS Student Lottery Process. Rising 9th grade students may apply to be admitted for the fall of each year. The CMS School Options Lottery begins in early December and ends in late January. Students are only admitted at the beginning of the 9th and 10th grades.
On behalf of the entire staff at CEEC, I wish each of you all the best. CEEC is a very special place to be. I’m honored and humbled to serve as principal of such an innovative and exciting school program. If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Go Miners!
Will Leach
BioMr. Leach has been with CMS for 24 years. He grew up in Eastern, North Carolina. He received an undergraduate degree in health and physical education from East Carolina University (Go Pirates! ). One year later, he received a master’s degree in health and physical education from East Carolina.
Mr. Leach moved to Charlotte and began teaching and coaching at Smith Middle School. He also served as athletic director for 3 years. In 1998, he was accepted into the Principal Fellows Program at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. During this time, he completed an administrative internship at J.M. Alexander Middle School in Huntersville. He received his Master’s of School Administration degree from UNC Charlotte (Go Niners!) in 2000.
In June of 2000, Mr. Leach was hired as an assistant principal at Carmel Middle School. He spent six wonderful years at Carmel. In July of 2006, he was named principal at Alexander Graham Middle School. He spent four amazing years at Alexander Graham. During his tenure, A.G. achieved great academic success, completed a major renovation project and saw their enrollment increase to over 1,200 students. In August of 2010, Mr. Leach was named the principal at Butler High School. Butler has continued its tradition of excellence in and out of the classroom. In 2013, Butler’s graduation rate reached 93.4% and U.S. News and World Report ranked Butler the #1 high school in CMS and the #3 high school in North Carolina.
In March of 2014, Mr. Leach was named the first principal of the Charlotte Engineering Early College. In May of 2017, CEEC concluded it's 3rd year of operation. Our first students were enrolled at UNC Charlotte beginning in August of 2016. The Charlotte Teacher Early College opened in August of 2017 in the Cato College of Education at UNC Charlotte.
Mr. Leach and his wife, Ann, have three sons. Wesley (15), Scott (13) and Jack (11) are his pride and joy and keep him very busy outside of school. In his limited spare time, Mr. Leach enjoys all sports, fantasy football, watching his sons play baseball, golf, travel and music.
