School Connection

Dec. 15, 2004

Goal 2008: WCPSS is committed to academic excellence. By 2008, 95 percent of students in grades 3 through 12 will be at or above grade level as measured by the State of North Carolina End-of-Grade or Course tests, and all student groups will demonstrate high growth.


197 WAKE TEACHERS EARN NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION IN 2004
A record-setting 197 teachers from the Wake County Public School System earned certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards this year. The 197 teachers earning National Board certification while teaching in Wake County public schools were the most of any school district in North Carolina, which once again led the nation in the number of teachers earning certification. North Carolina had 1,675 teachers earn certification this year bringing the state total to 8,280 during the program's 10-year history.

"More than 800 of our teachers have now earned certification, the highest credential in the teaching profession," said Superintendent Bill McNeal. "Our teachers care enough about the children in their classrooms to go through the demanding self-examination required by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. Our students' academic success is powered by the high quality instruction our teachers deliver."

The 197 teachers who earned National Board certification this year bring the total for WCPSS to 820. Among all the nation's schools districts, WCPSS appears to be second in the number of National Board certified teachers. Based on the National Board's website, only the Los Angeles, California, Unified School District has more certified teachers.

WCPSS FALL JOB FAIR DRAWS MORE THAN 500 JOBSEEKERS
There was a great turnout Dec. 4 for the 2004 Fall Teacher Job Fair held at Knightdale High and Forestville Elementary. 574 job seekers registered at the fair. Deputy Superintendent Del Burns told the Board of Education at its Dec. 7 meeting that 80 percent of the candidates were from North Carolina. Burns said there were 23 from New York, the most of any other state. About one-third of the licensed teachers held masters degrees. Sixty percent of the candidates were available immediately. The school system offered 21 early contracts.

The fair provided jobseekers the choice to meet and interview with administrators from nearly all of WCPSS' 134 schools. Burns praised the efforts of Diane Kent-Parker, Senior Director for Teacher Recruitment and Retention, and all the employees who spent the day helping to recruit quality teachers for Wake County students.

BOARD HEARS SCHOOL HEALTH ADVISORY COUNCIL REPORT
At the Dec. 7 meeting of the Board of Education, Dr. Carol Mitchell of the Wake Cooperative Extension Service and chair of the WCPSS School Health Advisory Council outlined five commendations and five recommendations to the board.

The advisory council's five commendations included:

Mitchell said the advisory council recommended that WCPSS:

In recommending a study group to address nutrition issues, Dr. Mitchell presented board members with a copy of "Eat Smart North Carolina's Recommended Standards for All Foods Available in School." Board of Education member Patti Head was a member of the Consensus Panel that helped to develop and publicize these standards.

BOARD RECEIVES COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT
At its Dec. 7 meeting, the Board of Education received the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the Wake County Board of Education for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2004. Mark Winters of WCPSS said thanks to appropriate fiscal management, including realistic budgeting practices, effective cost controls, and sound cash management, the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report indicates a strong financial position at June 30, 2004. Winters noted the WCPSS Comprehensive Annual Financial Report earned Certificates of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 15th year in a row from the Government Finance Officers Association and the Association of School Business Officials The Board's independent certified public accountants, McGladrey & Pullen, LLP, reported it had audited the general-purpose financial statements and related combining and individual fund and account group statements and schedules and rendered their unqualified opinion on them.

BOARD HEARS PROPOSED 2005 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
At its Dec. 7 meeting, the Board of Education heard from Susan Harrison of WCPSS about the proposed 2005 Legislative Agenda developed by the WCPSS Legislative Committee. Harrison said the agenda continues to ask lawmakers to provide increased flexibility and local control by revising public school laws to remove restrictions on funding categories and allow retired teachers to return to work without penalty. Other priorities include seeking:

Harrison reviewed additional priorities and key issues with the board, which will consider adopting the legislative agenda at their next meeting. Board chair Susan Parry said the board would like to meet with the Wake County legislative delegation in January.


Individual math competition winners including Eric Shiue, Gavin Bruss, Jeremy Diepenbrock and Andy Tan with NC State professors Jeff Scroggs and John Griggs.


Winners of the team math competition were Leesville Road High including teacher Julie Kolb, Jon Buttaci, Brittany Johnson, Eric Shiue, Angie Sharer, and Ryan Miller with NC State professors Jeff Scroggs and John Griggs.

APPOINTMENT
At its Dec. 7 meeting, the Board of Education named Drew Cook assistant principal at Garner Senior High. Cook was serving as an assistant principal intern this year. He had been a teacher at the school since 1997.

2004-05 TODD FULLER MATHEMATICS COMPETITION WINNERS
Students who had top scores in the 2004-05 Todd Fuller Math Competition Award were recognized before the Board of Education Dec. 7. Professor Jeff Scroggs of NC State and Athena Kellogg of WCPSS congratulated the Leesville Road High School mathematics team for their first place finish. The team included Jon Buttaci, Brittany Johnson, Ryan Miller, Angie Sharer, Eric Shiue, TJ Burnell and Katie Mason. They introduced individual winners including Andy Tan from Enloe High School who finished in first place; Jeremy Diepenbrock from Enloe High School who finished second; Eric Shiue from Leesville Road High School and Gavin Bruss from Apex High School who finished in a tie for fourth place. The math competition is sponsored by Todd Fuller, a NC State graduate who was an outstanding math student and basketball player.

SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENTS
Fourteen students were recognized by the Board of Education Dec. 7 with the Spotlight on Students award. The students honored included Thomas Andrew Woodberry of Brentwood Elementary, Magda Lopez of Apex Elementary, Beatriz Guillermo of Baucom Elementary, Matthew Lee of Combs Elementary, Jennifer Strickland of Jeffrey's Grove Elementary, Stephen Andrews of Millbrook Elementary, Corey Alexander Davis of Rand Road Elementary, Demetrius Taylor of Swift Creek Elementary, Timothy Brown of Timber Drive Elementary, Jennifer Sue Doran of Zebulon Elementary, Brooke Vestal of Ligon Middle, Sarah Cartwright Parker of Reedy Creek Middle, Jeffrey E. Olander of Sanderson High and Aaron McKenzie White of Wake Forest-Rolesville High.

NC DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION LAUNCHES ACTION PLAN FOR HIGH SCHOOL INNOVATION
The face of high school education in North Carolina needs to change. At conferences held on Dec. 2 in Raleigh and Dec. 3 in Charlotte, educators, public officials, business leaders, parents, and community leaders were presented with both the case for why high schools in North Carolina need to change and the process to be used to change them.

"High schools, as we now have them, were created to serve a world that no longer exists," said Howard Lee, Chair of the State Board of Education. "Jobs are changing. Technology is changing the way we live and work. Students need to be better prepared to live and work in this world, to be prepared for jobs that will exist tomorrow."

Participants were given a video and workbook that are available online. The video can be viewed online at: www.nortellearnit.org, and the workbook is available as a pdf at www.newschoolsproject.org.

CALENDAR

Dec. 15

9 a.m., Work session of the Board of Education and County Commissioners

Dec. 20

12 p.m. Committee of the Whole Meeting - Board Conference Room and then at 2 p.m., Board of Education meeting - Board meeting room

Dec. 23-31

Winter break

Jan. 3

Teacher work day for traditional calendar schools

Jan. 4

2 p.m., Committee of the Whole Meeting-Board Conference Room and then at 4 p.m., Board of Education meeting - Board meeting room

You can find more information on school events at http://www.wcpss.net/Calendars


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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