The School Connection

February 13, 2007

LYNCH NAMED REGIONAL PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR
Jamee Lynch, the Wake County Principal of the Year, was honored Feb. 13 as North Central Regional Finalist for NC Principal of the Year.

Regional finalists for NC Principal of the Year receive $1500 for their personal use and $1500 for their school. Lynch is one of eight principals now under consideration for NC Principal of the Year.

The candidate must be a principal of a North Carolina public school and have at least four years experience as an administrator. Candidates should merit the respect and admiration of students, teachers, co-workers, and parents. They should be active, not only in their schools, but also in their communities where they distinguish themselves as leaders. Candidates should demonstrate the ability to improve the achievement of students from various backgrounds and with differing capabilities.

The Wachovia Principal of the Year will serve in an advisory capacity to the State Board of Education beginning with the July State Board meeting.

The NC Principal of the Year will be asked to participate in

A state selection committee will conduct on-site school visits of the regional finalists' schools will be conducted by the state selection committee and review the principal’s portfolio. The Wachovia Principal of the Year will be announced at the spring state luncheon in Raleigh.

Lynch was named principal of Sanford Creek Elementary School, due to open next year. She has served as principal of Hodge Road Elementary since 2001. Prior to that she served as assistant principal at Vance Elementary and a teacher at Garner High. She worked as an assistant principal and teacher in other NC school systems.

BOARD APPROVES FUNDING FOR YEAR-ROUND CARTS, MOBILES
At a special Feb. 13 meeting, the Board of Education approved funding from emergency reserves to cover the year-round conversion costs for 22 schools and the associated costs of relocating mobile/modular classroom units.

The school board approved using $1,523,660 from the operating portion of undesignated fund balance to provide year-round carts, equipment, library books and supplies. Teachers at multi-track year-round schools store all their classroom materials on carts, similar to an armoire on wheels, when they “track out.” Relocating 25 mobile/modular classrooms requires approximately $1.4 million, of which $730,000 is available. The board approved covering the remaining $670,000 from the capital outlay portion of undesignated fund balance.

Board members called the meeting to avoid further negative impacts on teaching and learning following the county commissioners’ decision to freeze funds approved in the November 2006 bond referendum tied to schools transitioning to the year-round calendar in 2007-08. The commissioners’ action has already delayed the relocation of mobiles – to year-round and traditional schools – by at least a month. This means some classroom units will not be ready until after school begins, and principals will have to double up classes and hold some classes in multi-purpose rooms and media centers.

There is currently $22 million in undesignated fund balance. Typically, school systems want to have six percent of their operating budget in a reserve fund for emergencies. After the reduction to cover year-round costs, WCPSS will still be in the six percent range and have enough to operate the school district for approximately six days.

WCPSS gained 7,500 students this year and is expecting another 8,000 students for 2007-08. Even with five new schools opening, the school system would still not have classroom seats for approximately 4,000 children without transitioning 19 elementary and three middle schools to the year-round calendar.

Earlier this year, the school board approved options for families (http://www.wcpss.net/news/2007_growthmanage_final/2007_feb6_options.pdf). There are more than 2,000 elementary seats at 17 schools and nearly 600 seats at eight middle schools available for families assigned to year-round schools to seek. Families may also apply for seats at traditional calendar magnet schools.

BOARD APPROVES 2007-08 GROWTH MANAGEMENT PLAN
After six months of discussion with the community on filling new schools opening for 2007-08, the Board of Education approved a growth management plan at its meeting Feb. 6.
The growth management plan responds to dramatic growth in student enrollment - more than 7,500 students this year and an estimated 8,000 students for next year. Enrollment is 128,070 for 2006-07 and is projected to be 136,000 for 2007-08.

The assignments will fill five new schools: East Garner Elementary, North Forest Pines Elementary, Sanford Creek Elementary, East Cary Middle and Wendell Middle.

The proposed plan moves 10,762, including 8,003 elementary and 2,759 middle school students. No high school students are affected by this plan. The plan includes 7,422 base assignments, 2,335 year-round conversion assignments and 1,005 application year-round students moving to another year-round school. In most cases, students were moved to a school closer to their home.

Patti Head, Board of Education chair, said that while the board doesn't like transitioning schools to multi-track year-round, it is the best alternative to provide space for the additional students expected for 2007-08.

The board provided parents options. There are more than 2,000 elementary seats at 17 schools and nearly 600 seats at eight middle schools available for families assigned to year-round schools to seek. Families may also apply for seats at traditional calendar magnet schools. The application process is open from Feb. 12-28.

The plan allows grandfathering. Students who have been assigned to an existing school may remain at their original school, with the condition that they provide their own transportation. Fourth-, fifth-, seventh-, eighth-graders are given the option to remain at their original school, when reassigned to an existing school.

PARENTS SENT LETTER ON NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND GOALS
A letter has been mailed to parents of Wake County Public School System students that WCPSS is in District Improvement – under No Child Left Behind legislation. WCPSS is one of 62 NC school districts in district improvement status for not meeting federal No Child Left Behind Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals in reading for two consecutive years at all three grade spans. The district is required to notify all families of the district’s status, to revise the district plan and to set-aside 10 percent of Title I funds for professional development. The revised plan targets professional development to address the instructional needs of students with disabilities (SWD) and limited English proficient students (LEP), the two students groups that did not meet AYP.

The school district is committed to the vision that all of our students will graduate on time, prepared for the future.  WCPSS will accomplish this goal by focusing on teaching and learning, high quality employees, supporting schools, ensuring accountability, and engaging the community.  Our revised Title I District Improvement Plan will address professional development for staff to better meet the needs of every student.  To exit Title I District Improvement status, the Wake County Public School System must meet all of its target goals in Reading in grades 3 through 5 OR 6 through 8 OR high school for two consecutive years starting with the 2006-07 school year.

BOARD RECEIVES UPDATE ON WCPSS RAISING THE ACHIEVEMENT AND CLOSING GAPS COMMITTEE
At its Feb. 6 meeting, the Board of Education heard from past PTSA Council President Derrick Byrd and WCPSS Chief Academic Officer Donna Hargens who are co-chairs for the WCPSS Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps Advisory Committee. The committee meets quarterly to review the progress of the Wake County Public School System in raising achievement and closing gaps. The committee, composed of thirty five members, representing diverse segments of the community, provides feedback on issues, objectives, and action steps related to raising achievement and closing gaps.

The efforts of the committee focus on four frames:
•Academic Equity and Access
•Parent/Community Involvement
•Teaching Diverse Populations
•Literacy and Math

Pam Bright of the WCPSS Office of Continuous Improvement is the sub committee chair for Teaching Diverse Populations. Bright described the Jan. 17 visit by noted educator and author Marva Collins to WCPSS. Collins worked with teachers in the morning, spent the middle of the day being videotaped as she instructed middle school students and devoted the evening to meeting with parents. Bright described WCPSS training opportunities using the Framework for Understanding Poverty by Dr. Ruby Payne available to teachers across the district.

Past PTA president Liza Weidle is sub-committee chair for Family/Community Involvement. Weidle told the board about the continuum of family involvement the subcommittee has described and processes for schools to inventory family involvement.

CURRICULUM MANAGEMENT AUDIT
At its Feb. 6 meeting, the Board of Education moved forward with the curriculum management audit Superintendent Burns called for in his mid-year report to the board last month. The board approved $215,000 from undesignated fund balance for the curriculum management audit.

The curriculum audit would be conducted by the International Curriculum Management Audit Center of Phi Delta Kappa International. The audit follows a business model developed by accounting firm Peat, Marwick, and Mitchell which has been used by a number of school districts across the nation.

The audit would investigate two fundamental instructional management questions: 

Does the Wake County Public School System have a properly managed instructional program or curriculum that is planned, executed, and assessed in accordance with generally accepted principles and standards?

Does the Wake County Public School System conform to the standards of quality in instructional organization which include the following:
Adequacy, specificity, and scope of board policies and planning?
Sufficient quality in direction for teaching and learning?
Consistency and equity in schools and program implementation?
Effectiveness of program and process monitoring and assessment?
Use and allocations of budget and resources for productivity and quality improvement?

A team of trained certified auditors from the International Curriculum Management Audit Center of Phi Delta Kappa International will visit the school system for the audit this year.

BOARD APPROVES 2008-09 SINGLE-TRACK YEAR-R0UND CALENDAR
At its Feb. 6 meeting, the Board of Education approved the 2008-09 single-track year-round calendar.

2008-09
single-track year-round calendar

The single-track year-round instructional calendar combines features of the traditional and year-round calendar.

The first day for students is July 22, and the last day is June 3. Winter break is Dec. 22 - Jan. 2 and spring break is Feb. 23 - March 6. Students also have breaks Sept. 1-5; Oct. 20-31; Nov. 26-28; and April 13-17. The second quarter ends Dec. 19. The single-track year-round calendar contains 180 days of instruction for students.

This calendar is used at Southeast Raleigh High, Centennial Campus Middle, Moore Square Middle, Carver Elementary and Partnership Elementary.

NEW FACILITIES WEBSITE
To keep parents and the public better informed, the Facilities Design and Construction Department launched a new website last week: http://www.wcpss.net/facilities . The site contains school by school project information, including a project summary and status, acreage, square footage, and photos; general information and the financial status of the PLAN 2000, PLAN 2004 and CIP 2006 building programs; a 2007 bid schedule; and a glossary of construction terms.
Facilities Design and Construction will update the status reports on a monthly basis.

CALENDAR

Feb. 20 12 p.m., Board of Education Committee of the Whole meeting; 2 p.m., Board of Education, board meeting. 3600 Wake Forest Road
Feb. 21 9 a.m., Joint Meeting of the Board of Education and County Commissioners, Board Conference Room
March 6    12 p.m., Board of Education Committee of the Whole meeting; 2 p.m., Board of Education, board meeting. 3600 Wake Forest Road

 

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School Connection is published electronically every other week for everyone interested in the Wake County Public School System. Is what you read in this edition helpful? What information would you like to see in future editions? Contact me by calling 850-1829 or e-mailing bposton@wcpss.net.
Bill Poston
Wake County Public School System
Communications Department
3600 Wake Forest Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27611
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