The School Connection
May 24, 2007 |
BOARD RECEIVES UPDATE ON RETURN OF CONSENT FORMS
At a May 23 work session of the Board of Education, Assistant Superintendent Chuck Dulaney reported on parents returning consent forms to schools. Dulaney told the board that more than 95 percent of the forms have been returned to the school system. He said Growth and Planning is working to contact about 1,000 families to get forms completed.
Dulaney said the forms being returned indicate more than 90 percent of the families choose to attend year-round or modified-calendar schools.
The consent forms were required by Wake Superior Court Judge Howard Manning’s order in response to a group who filed suit over the 2007-08 school assignment plan. The consent forms ask families to tell school officials that they agree to attend the year-round or modified calendar school they were assigned to attend for 2007-08, or to request to attend a traditional calendar school.
The consent forms were sent to the families of 30,500 students at 52 schools who did not apply and were assigned to year-round or modified calendar schools for 2007-08. The letters were distributed May 11 through the schools the students currently attend and were to be returned to schools by May 18.
Once the Growth and Planning Department has received information from the families for the 30,500 students, Dulaney will report to the Board of Education on the decisions families made and a proposal for placing students in traditional calendar seats.
You can for completing the assignment of students for 2007-08 at http://www.wcpss.net/news/2007_may9_board_responds/implementation_plan.pdf
WAKE COUNTY TEACHER OF THE YEAR TEACHES ENGLISH AT FUQUAY-VARINA
Paige Elliott was congratulated by Superintendent Del Burns as the Wake County Teacher of the Year in a celebration May 17. Paige was rewarded with use of a new car for a year, a new laptop computer and a $2,000 global studies grant.
Elliott has taught her entire career of 9.5 years at Fuquay-Varina High. She teaches Honors English IV, Paideia 9 and a class on Shakespeare. Elliott is a member of the WCPSS Institute for Teacher Leaders. She earned certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards in 2004.
“With each lesson each day, I strive to make our experiences significant to students’ lives,” said Elliott. “They often feel overwhelmed or desensitized by the material and their efforts. So often a student doesn’t comprehend how the decisions and actions they make today affect tomorrow. Analogies and discussion are how I make the results and consequences apparent to them.”
Fuquay-Varina principal Edward McFarland says Elliott presents lessons that are both fun and educational. “”From day to day, I never know what I may see happening in her classroom,” said McFarland. “One day I may walk in and the students will be dressed in Shakespearian character to perform one-act plays or the students may be engaged in fierce debate during a Paideia seminar. She certainly has a strong understanding of the English curriculum and is able to teach effectively because of her thorough knowledge.”
The Wake County Teacher of the Year banquet is sponsored by Wachovia Bank. More information about Elliott is available at http://www.wcpss.net/news/2007_may17_teacher_ofthe_year/
FOUR TEACHERS HONORED WITH DIANE KENT-PARKER FIRST-YEAR TEACHER AWARD
Four Wake County teachers have been honored with the Diane Kent-Parker First-Year Teacher Award, the first recipients of the award named after the late WCPSS teacher recruiter.
The teachers are Elizabeth Nida of Jeffreys Grove Elementary, Tracey Willner of Davis Drive Elementary, Janice Jarrett of East Garner Middle and Antwayne James of Enloe High.
Nida is a pre-kindergarten special programs teacher at Jeffreys Grove Elementary School. She has committed her life to working with special needs children. She took over a Pre-Kindergarten program that was in disarray, but by connecting early with parents and hosting the first ever Pre-Kindergarten Open House at Jeffreys Grove; Nida was able to win the parents over with her knowledge of providing the level of service that the students need. “Ms. Nida’s parents are smiling when they turn their most prized possessions over to her each and everyday. They are smiling because they know that their children now have a real fighting chance to be better prepared for the challenges that await them in kindergarten,” said Jeffreys Grove principal Nolan Bryant.
Willner is a fifth grade teacher at Davis Drive Elementary School. She is committed to teaching and developing the whole child. Although she is a regular education teacher, her highly qualified status as a special education teacher enables her to meet the diverse challenges in her classroom. “Beginning teachers have tremendous difficulty planning lessons and just keeping up with the day-to-day demands of the job, yet this gal actively sought the position!” She is indeed “committed to student excellence,” said Davis Drive principal Patricia Andrews.
Jarrett is a dedicated visual arts teacher at East Garner Magnet Middle School. Not only does she create relationships with students that help to foster their success in the building and in the community, she is also a leader among teachers on staff as well. “Ms. Jarrett inherited a struggling visual arts program and transformed it into a productive, vibrant, community-recognized program in just a few months…She is always willing to go beyond what is asked of her to make sure that her students and all students have the opportunity to succeed,” said East Garner principal Cathy Williams.
James is a social studies teacher at Enloe High School. He has a gift for establishing strong relationships with his students, as well as, gaining the respect of his colleagues through creative planning and displaying strong classroom management skills. “He has high expectations for his student; however, he also has high expectations for himself to help students meet his expectations. Antwayne has enormous potential in teaching; he has entered the profession performing at a higher level than other first year teachers…” said Enloe principal Beth Cochran.
The Wake County Public School System Diane Kent-Parker First-Year Teacher Award recognizes outstanding first-year elementary, middle, and high school teachers who are nominated by his or her principal and school and have shown significant professional success during his or her first year of teaching. Selection committee members then review the nominations and conduct interviews to select two winners from the elementary school level, one from the middle school level, and one from the high school level to receive this prestigious award.
WCPSS RECEIVES ONE OF NATION’S FIRST HYBRID SCHOOL BUSES
The Wake County Public School System has become one of the first school districts in the nation provided a new plug-in hybrid electric school bus for the 2007-08 school year.
 WCPSS Transportation Director Edward Adams shows the electric plug-in on the bus and Operations Manager Alvin McNeill holds the power cord used to recharge the batteries. |
WCPSS was presented the bus May 17. Makers of the new hybrid school bus say it will potentially double fuel efficiency and reduce emissions by up to 90 percent.
“Wake County students will be among the first in the country to ride on a hybrid school bus,” said Don Haydon, WCPSS Chief Facilities and Operations Officer. “This is an exciting time for our school district as we strive to provide environmentally cleaner, more fuel efficient student transportation.”
The bus will serve the WCPSS Broughton Transportation area and will be housed at the WCPSS Transportation Department headquarters where it will be serviced.
“We will begin to use the bus over the summer,” said Edward Adams, WCPSS Transportation Director. “It will move into full service with the start of the new school year.”
The new bus is a result of a nationwide initiative called the Plug-In Hybrid Electric School Bus Project, led by Raleigh-based Advanced Energy, a non-profit corporation that initiated a buyer’s consortium of school districts, state energy agencies and student transportation providers.
The partners that helped Advanced Energy bring the bus to Raleigh include: Progress Energy; Dominion North Carolina Power; N.C. Department of Administration – State Energy Office; N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Division of Air Quality; N.C. Department of Public Instruction; and North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives.
WCPSS HONORED FOR ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
The Wake County Board of Education was awarded the 2005-2006 State Treasurer's Award for Excellence in Accounting and Financial Management for the establishment of a Fraud Prevention Program, internal control improvement, and implementation of a budget manager certification program.
Vance Holloman, deputy state treasurer, presented the award at the May 22 school board meeting to chief business officer David Neter on behalf of state treasurer Richard Moore. Holloman said, "You are very fortunate to have dedicated employees such as Dr. Burns, David Neter and [finance officer] Mark Winters in the system, and the citizens of our county are also fortunate to have such good employees."
The State Treasurer's Award for Excellence is a joint effort of the North Carolina Department of the State Treasurer and the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants. Its purpose is to encourage all units of local government in North Carolina to upgrade their accounting and financial management programs, systems, methods and procedures. WCPSS's entry in the award program was evaluated by the Governmental Accounting and Auditing Committee of the CPA association.
Holloman said that WCPSS's successful entry was evaluated on the nature of the changes made and whether the programs could be replicated in other units.
In a letter announcing the award, Moore wrote, "These improvements will safeguard the school system's assets and save money, as well as promote effectiveness and efficiency."
"The improved and new business processes that are the basis for receiving this award exemplify our focus on ongoing improvement," said Neter. "We must continue to bring best business practices into the school system."
"It is a team effort," said superintendent Del Burns. "And it gives me great comfort knowing we have great business folks working with the business side of the Wake County Public School System."
THE BOARD OF EDUCATION REVIEWS 2007-08 PLAN FOR STUDENT SUCCESS WITH COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
The Wake County Board of Education reviewed the Plan for Student Success with Wake County Commissioners in a joint meeting May 16.
Wake County Manager David Cook presented a budget to the commissioners May 21. The commissioners will hold work sessions and public hearings before adoption of a budget. The public hearings will be held June 4 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The Plan for Student Success includes local funding of $305.7 million, an increase in the county appropriation of $29.9 million more than last year.
At the joint meeting, WCPSS Chief Business Officer David Neter reviewed the Plan for Student Success.
Neter said the funding is needed to respond to growth. He said the plan includes $16.5 million to open seven new schools and meet the needs of an additional 8,000 students. The new schools opening for 2007-08 include East Garner Elementary, North Forest Pines Elementary, Sanford Creek Elementary, East Cary Middle, Wendell Middle, East Wake School of Engineering Systems and East Wake School of Arts, Education and Global Studies.
Legislative changes for salary increases and employer's matching benefit changes require the school district to spend an additional $9.6 million.
The plan includes $4.6 million for new programs, $3.6 million for Board of Education commitments and $2.9 million for system wide issues.
The plan shows reductions in local funding needs based upon budget reductions, removal of one-time costs, non-county appropriated revenue adjustments and related items netting to a $7.3 million reduction in local funding needs.
The school system receives 61 percent of its funding from the state, 33 percent from local government and six percent from the federal government.
Approximately 82 percent of the school system’s total funding pays for employee salaries and benefits, and approximately 95 percent of the school system’s positions are school based.
PHI DELTA KAPPA AUDITORS COMPLETE SITE VISIT AT WCPSS
Auditors from Phi Delta Kappa have spent a week this month investigating the Wake County Public School System in a curriculum management audit requested by the school system.
Dr. Roseanne Stripling of Texas A&M University who has conducted many of these audits across the country led a team of 23 auditors from 12 states. During the week, the auditors visited every Wake County school, conducted interviews with 262 school staff members, parents, students and community members, and reviewed a library of documents that laid end-to-end would cover 8.6 miles. Sixty people from the community signed up online and each had a 15 minute interview with an auditor.
“We look at everything,” said Stripling. “We’re looking to see if there are any barriers to education success. All your systems must support teaching and learning”
WCPSS Chief Academic Officer Donna Hargens introduced Stripling to the Board of Education at its May 8 meeting. Stripling said her first conversation with the school system was with Hargens. The auditor said Hargens told her that the curriculum management audit was requested by Superintendent Del Burns and the school system sought the audit for guidance in moving from good to great. She said that conversation helped her feel there was a match.
“These standards have been developed over 30 years,” said Stripling. “They are benchmarks against standards and processes to improve your schools.”
The auditors will review the information collected during their visit to Wake County and draft a report to be presented to the school system.
“In three months, you will get a report,” said Stripling. “We will provide a set of findings and a list of recommendations. It will drill down.”
The audit looks at governance, direction, connectivity, feedback and productivity.
“Let me commend the board for the courage to call this audit. You didn’t have to do it” said Stripling. “The staff has been very helpful in preparing for the audit and helping us go through our week.”
Superintendent Burns offered his thanks to Stripling and the team of auditors.
“This is an exception audit,” said Burns. “The report will not include a list of commendations. It will have findings and recommendations for improvements.”
WCPSS HIGH SCHOOLS SCHEDULE GRADUATION CEREMONIES
Nineteen schools will hold graduation ceremonies using five different sites beginning 7 p.m., Friday, June 1 with the Southeast Raleigh High graduation ceremony at Reynolds Coliseum.
Nine other schools will hold graduation ceremonies at Reynolds. On Thursday June 7, Leesville Road High has graduation at 5 p.m. and Millbrook High has graduation at 8 p.m. On Friday June 8, Wakefield High has graduation at 5 p.m. and Cary High at 8 p.m. On Saturday, June 9, Garner High has graduation at 8 a.m., Green Hope High at 11 a.m., East Wake High at 2 p.m. and Apex High at 5 p.m. Enloe High will hold its graduation at 9 a.m. on Sunday, June 10.
You will have to navigate NC State campus traffic, so give yourself plenty of time to get there. Remember that Reynolds is not air conditioned, so you will want to dress appropriately.
Five high schools plan to hold graduation ceremonies at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts. On Thursday, June 7, Athens Drive High will hold its graduation at 5 p.m. and Wake Forest-Rolesville High at 8 p.m. On Friday, June 8, Fuquay-Varina High will hold its graduation at 11 a.m., Knightdale High at 2p.m. and Sanderson High at 5 p.m.
Two schools will hold graduation ceremonies at Broughton High School’s Holiday Gym. On Saturday, June 9, Broughton High holds graduation at 10 a.m. and Middle Creek High at 3 p.m.
Phillips High will hold its graduation in Meymandi Hall at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 7. Longview School will hold its graduation at Longview School at 6 p.m., Thursday, June 7.
Six schools are holding graduation at four different sites on June 7. Five schools are holding graduation at two locations on Friday, June 8 and Saturday, June 9.
This is the first graduating class for Knightdale High. Holly Springs High and Panther Creek High opened this year with ninth and tenth grades and the Wake Early College for Health and Sciences opened this year with a ninth grade.
CALENDAR
| May 28 | Holiday |
| June 1 | 1:30 p.m., Brier Creek Elementary School dedication ceremonies |
| June 5 | 12 p.m., Committee of the Whole meeting in board conference room; 2 p.m., Board of Education meeting in board room |
| June 19 | 12 p.m., Committee of the Whole meeting in board conference room; 2 p.m., Board of Education meeting in board room |
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