January 25, 2010

Top News

Board Approves Calendar Choice Resolution

At its Jan. 19 meeting, the Board of Education gave final approval to a resolution regarding calendar choices. The resolution reads:

We strongly oppose the mandatory assignments of students to year-round calendar schools and support calendar choice for all families.

Beginning with the 2010-11 school year, every effort will be made to eliminate mandatory year-round assignments and to accommodate families into the calendar of their choice. This applies to year-round or traditional options at a school within proximity of their residence.

We will no longer deny calendar applications based on socio-economic status. We will use each and every seat efficiently.  

WCPSS Proposes Plan for Implementing Calendar Choice Resolution

At the Jan 19 meeting of the school board, Assistant Superintendent Chuck Dulaney presented a process for providing calendar choice (year-round or traditional) for all families.

The proposal includes:

• A one-page flyer announcing the application process that will be sent home with all current students during the week of Feb. 1. 
• The primary process for placing families in the calendar of their choice will be the annual Magnet and Calendar Choice application process planned for Feb. 8 - 28. 
• Only applications for Calendar Choice schools submitted during the February application period or within ten days of receiving a new school assignment following a change in domicile will be considered for approval. Every effort will be made to accommodate families into the calendar of their choice.
• Families who are placed in a Calendar Choice school through application will be offered an opportunity to decline that placement. 
• Requests to change calendar once a student has begun the school year on a calendar will not be approved unless the transfer request is based upon extraordinary or unusual reasons.

With the proposed calendar application node changes, four elementary schools will become application schools for the first time. The new Alston Ridge Elementary, as well as Highcroft Elementary, Middle Creek Elementary and Riverbend Elementary will become the year-round choice schools for families who have base assignment at four traditional schools.

More information on this proposal can be found at http://www.wcpss.net/news/2010_jan21_calendar_resolution/

Dates Set for Year-Round Community Engagement Meetings

The Wake County Board of Education will hold four community engagement meetings as the board discusses school calendar options currently used in the Wake County Public School System. The results of these community engagement meetings will assist the Board of Education in making decisions that may impact school calendar assignments as early as 2010-11.

Please mark your calendars for these dates:

• Tuesday, February 9 at Holly Springs High,5329 Cass Holt Road, Holly Springs, NC 27540
• Thursday, February 18 at Heritage High, 1150 Forestville Road, Wake Forest, NC 27587
• Tuesday, February 23 at Leesville Road High, 8409 Leesville Road, Raleigh, NC 27613
• Thursday, February 25 at Panther Creek High, 6770 McCrimmon Parkway, Cary, NC 27519

The community engagement meetings will be held in the high schools’ auditoriums from 6:30 – 9 p.m.

The sign-up process for citizens interested in speaking is being finalized and will be announced shortly.

More News

Application Period for WCPSS Calendar and Magnet School Program

The application period for the Wake County Public School System calendar and magnet schools will open Feb. 8 and continue to Feb. 28.

The application schedule was adjusted to Feb. 8 - 28 to allow families enrolling kindergarten students to have their students signed up for school.

Applications will only be accepted online. Calendar and magnet applications are available Feb. 8 - 28. There is no benefit to applying early or late within that window of time.

Families may apply for both calendar choice and magnet schools. If an application is submitted for both calendar and magnet schools, the magnet application will be considered first in the selection process.

Every Wake County address has one base school assignment and one calendar application option. If families want a calendar different than the calendar of the base school assignment, families must complete this application. Every effort will be made to honor requests made during this application period. This is the ONLY opportunity to apply for a calendar change for the 2010-11 school year.

Magnet applications may include up to 3 choices. If selected, families will receive only one offer. Magnet schools have scheduled open houses and tours throughout the month of February. Parents can learn more about magnet schools at www.wcpss.net/magnet.

If you need assistance submitting your application, please contact the Office of Growth and Planning (919-850-1921), the Magnet Resource Center (919-501-7900), or the media center at your nearest school.

The notification process works differently this year. Families will be able to check online to find their student’s calendar or magnet school assignment on March 18. When families make their online application, they will receive at the completion a confirmation screen. You will need to print a copy of your confirmation screen and have it available March 18 to log on to find your application results. Families will have the opportunity to accept or decline this offer.

Time to register children for kindergarten

The registration for children who will be attending kindergarten in 2010-11 begins on Thursday, Feb. 4.

Parents can register their children at a WCPSS elementary school. Parents will need to bring a certified copy of their child's birth certificate and documentation of residence (a power bill, an apartment lease, or a signed contract) and the child's immunization record.

To be eligible for kindergarten, a child needs to be age 5 on or before August 31, 2010.

You can read more about kindergarten registration here.

Board Approves Terms for Interim Special Legal Counsel

At its Jan. 19 meeting, the Board of Education approved terms to engage Attorney Thomas Farr as an interim special legal counsel. The board authorized board chair Ron Margiotta to negotiate a contract for interim special legal counsel at the December 1, 2009 Board Meeting.

The board engaged Farr to perform a comprehensive review regarding legal services received by the board and to be available to provide legal advice or legal representation on other matters that may be requested by the school board.

The board agreed Farr would be paid $250 per hour in these duties. They agreed to cap payment for services on the review of legal services at $50,000 and to cap payment for legal representation on other matters at $25,000.

Board Reinstates Community Relations Committee

At the Jan. 19 board meeting, the board approved a proposal from Chair Ron Margiotta to re-instate the board’s community relations committee. Margiotta said the committee has served an excellent purpose in the past and he’s talked with Michael Evans, WCPSS Communications Chief, on restructuring the committee. Margiotta said he would name board members to the committee which will hold quarterly meetings. The committee will work to strengthen communications with families and the community.

Board Updated on Curriculum Management Audit Progress

At the Jan. 19 meeting of the school board, WCPSS Chief Academic Officer Donna Hargens reported on the work of school administrators on the curriculum management audit. The specific recommended actions in the Curriculum Management Audit Report have served as a system wide “blueprint” for continuous improvement. The Superintendent’s Leadership Team members have direct responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the actions. Leadership Team members serve as Performance Goal Managers or Recommendation Managers. The action steps are to be implemented over 17 quarters. We have just completed the 10th quarter of the 17-quarter implementation plan. Of the 117 action steps on which the school system has been working, 44 have been completed, 44 are in progress, 16 are on deck and 13 are to be scheduled. You can find detailed discussion on this work at http://www.wcpss.net/curriculum-management/

Board Updated on Evaluation of Professional Learning Teams

At the Jan. 19 meeting of the school board, WCPSS Assistant Superintendent David Holdzkom discussed the planned evaluation being conducted by WCPSS Evaluation and Research staff of professional learning teams. Holdzkom explained Evaluation and Research has been collecting data about professional learning teams during the last four years and has developed a three year plan for evaluating professional learning teams. The evaluation will consider implementation in 2009-10; the impact on teachers in 2010-11 and the impact on students in 2011-12. Holdzkom said in considering implementation this year, Evaluation and Research will be looking for behaviors such as regular weekly meetings, established productive protocols, increased collaboration, discussion of issues related to students’ success and communication with parents. Holdzkom noted that in analyzing the impact of professional learning teams, researchers will take into consideration that schools are running many programs and developing initiatives simultaneously that may impact student achievement.

Employees Honored at Board Meeting

Ten WCPSS employees were honored with this month’s Employee Excellence Award at the Jan. 19 school board meeting.

Front row from left to right: Sheri Green, Lynne Hinton, David Soprano, Aaron Sunday and Lora Watson Back row from left to right: Susan Robinson, Zandra Weaver, Troy Hueschen and Clifford Watson. Not pictured: Ella Dobbin.