September 24, 2010

Top News

New Board Schedule

On Sept. 21, the Board of Education held its first work session following the new schedule that includes a monthly meeting and monthly work session. The work session covered a number of topics including a review of draft calendars for 2011-12, capital planning and a report on Make a Difference Day.

2011-12 Draft Calendars Presented to Board

At its Sept. 21 work session, the board heard from WCPSS administrators Dawn Dawson and James Overman about the draft calendar for 2011-12. Dawson outlined the law, guidelines and process the school system follows in putting the 180-day instructional calendars together. Dawson presented the work of the school system calendar committee of educators and community representatives who recommend a draft traditional calendar for the school system. Board members asked about several dates to be considered as the calendars are brought to the board for approval at its next meeting. They asked about the possibility of changes for the holidays of Rosh Hashanah which begins at sundown on Wednesday and Yom Kippur which begins at sundown on Friday as well as Easter Monday. Board members asked about keeping schools open on Election Day when schools serve as polling sites bringing additional traffic and people onto school campuses. In the last election, 69 schools were used as polling sites. James Overman discussed the calendar for year-round schools. Board members asked about changes that would provide students the day off on President’s Day and on the day before Thanksgiving.

For the draft traditional calendar, the first day would be August 25 and the last would be June 7. Winter break would be Dec. 22 through Jan. 2. Spring break would be April 2 through 6.

For the draft year-round calendar, the first day for tracks 1-3 would be July 11. For track 4, its August 1. The last day for tracks 2-4 would be June 29. For track 1, its June 1. Winter break would be Dec. 21 through 30.

Board meeting start time

At the Sept. 21 work session, the board discussed a new start time for the next school board meeting. The Oct. 5 meeting start time will be 5:30 p.m. With the meeting starting at 5:30 p.m., public hearing time will be scheduled for 6 p.m.

The board work session began at 1 p.m. Board Chair Ron Margiotta said the starting time was set early because of the number of items to be reviewed by the board. Margiotta said the start time could move later in the day with a shorter agenda.

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Capital Planning Discussed

At the Sept. 21 work session, WCPSS Chief Facilities and Operations Officer Don Haydon talked with the school board about student membership projections, strategies for providing capacity and the capital improvement planning process. Projections call for the school system to need space for an additional 19,700 elementary students, 8,000 middle school students and 11,800 high school students in 10 years.

Haydon said the board has a range of strategies to address growth that include:

• Starting schools early in existing temporary modular campuses and the planned H6 high school
• Adding mobile/modular classrooms
• Constructing additions to existing schools
• Changing school calendars and/or schedules
• Building new schools

Haydon explained that from design to commissioning, it can take 32 months to open an elementary school, 41 months to open a middle school and 49 months to open a high school.

Haydon outlined a two-year capital improvement planning process for the board. In the initial phase, the board would approve long range enrollment projections and building capacity and space standards. In the visioning phase, the school system would finalize education program models for schools, the board would receive the new assignment plan model and the school board and county commissioners would work together to approve the building program assumptions. In the next phase, the school board and county commissioners would determine a bond amount, determine new school locations and determine renovation and technology needs. In the final phase, the board would present a plan for approval by the county commissioners so that a bond referendum could be set.

Haydon recommended starting the process with a review of planning assumptions with the board at its next work session.

Assignment Transition Plan

At the Sept. 21 work session, WCPSS Chief Facilities and Operations Officer Don Haydon talked with the school board about a transition plan to move from the current student assignment process to full implementation of the community based school assignment plan being developed by the school board. The new plan will need to be in place for the assignment of students for 2012-13. Haydon said the school system is developing programs and aligning systems and structures to promote and support learning and teaching and student achievement in the community assignment zone plan.

Committee to Continue Work on Proposed Attendance Zones

The Student Assignment Committee will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 28 to continue its work on the development of a new attendance zone model for the school system.

At its last meeting on August 31, members of the committee selected the high school attendance zone model as a basis for developing a new community-based school assignment plan and directed staff to bring additional information on it to the next meeting.

During the meeting on Tuesday, committee members will discuss feedback on the high school attendance zone model received from the WCPSS website and from citizen advisors. In addition, committee members will also review achievement and magnet data and discuss information related to school funding, school choice opportunities and the community engagement process.

Board Chairman Ron Margiotta said he is looking forward to the committee continuing its work on the proposed model.

"The committee's work is far from being finished," he said. "The selection of the high school attendance zone model simply provides a starting point for review, analysis and public comment. It is still very early in the process, and changes will be made based on feedback and discussion."

The meeting will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Board Conference Room located in the WCPSS Administration Building at 3600 Wake Forest Road in Raleigh.

Make a Difference Day

At the Sept. 21 work session, WCPSS Communications Chief Michael Evans briefed the board on Make a Difference Day. The event encourages volunteerism and North Carolina school districts have been encouraged to find ways for citizens to volunteer in schools.

Evans explained WCPSS plans to focus on creating Kindergarten literacy kits. The WCPSS Literacy team is developing a list of items for the kits that can be put into gallon plastic zip bags. During October, information about the kits will be published and families will be encouraged to donate kits at their schools. On Saturday, October 23, the school system will have collection sites for the public to donate literacy kits.

Evans explained the program was created with the assistance of elementary school principals, the Wake County PTA Council, WCPSS Literacy team, WCPSS Media Services and WCPSS Communications.

Dr. Hargens Visits Northwoods First-Grade Teachers

Interim Superintendent Donna Hargens spent some time in the five first-grade classrooms at Northwoods Elementary Thursday. For Hargens, it's the second of a series of visits she plans to make to schools with Tama Bouncer of Wake NCAE to connect with teachers and get a firsthand look into the classroom. In the coming weeks, she plans to visit classrooms from kindergarten through high school.

At Northwoods, Dr. Hargens visited the first-grade teaching team as they met in their professional learning team meeting before the start of school. After spending time with the teachers, Hargens was interviewed by students on the school's close circuit television newscast that goes into classrooms. Then she visited each of the first-grade classrooms where she found the teachers using technology and manipulatives helping students to count.

Click to listen to Dr. Hargens Visits Northwoods First-Grade Teachers

This is a 19 minute mp3 file.

You can see photos of Northwoods first graders working on math skills here.