School Connection

Dec. 1, 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.

Mares
Ramsey

MARES NAMED 2004 PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR
The Wake County Public School System named Steve Mares of Joyner Elementary the 2004 Principal of the Year and Martha Ramsey of Middle Creek High Assistant Principal of the Year in ceremonies Nov. 18.

Mares has been principal of J.Y. Joyner Center for Spanish Language/International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme Magnet Elementary School since 2001. He also served as assistant principal for three years at Apex and West Lake elementary schools and was a teacher for three years.

While Mares has been principal at Joyner, the school has made improvements: boosting student achievement, reducing faculty turnover, strengthening support for families, completing facility additions and renovations and launching efforts to become an International Baccalaureate school.

Martha Ramsey is assistant principal of Middle Creek High School. Ramsey helped to open the new high school in 2002. Prior to that she had served as assistant principal and a science teacher at Garner Senior High.

Ramsey and the Middle Creek staff have worked to boost student achievement by targeting students in need of assistance and offering them tutorial sessions. The tutoring has been strengthened by providing classroom teachers incentives to lead sessions and offering staff development that has improved reading comprehension.

More than 350 people were on hand to see Mares and Ramsey honored. He received $1,000, a crystal award and will go on to compete in North Carolina Regional and State Principal of the Year competitions. Ramsey received $500 and a crystal award.

FALL TEACHER JOB FAIR DEC. 4
WCPSS will hold its Fall Teacher Job Fair on Saturday, Dec. 4 starting at 8:30 at Knightdale High and Forestville Elementary. School-level administrators will be interviewing candidates to fill current teaching vacancies for the remainder of the 2004-05 school year and anticipated vacancies for the 2005-06 school year.

APPOINTMENT
At its Nov. 22 meeting, the Board of Education named William C. Blanchard principal at Fuquay-Varina Middle School and James Crook Assistant Principal at West Lake Middle School.

Blanchard has worked as assistant principal at Garner High School since 2002. He was an assistant principal intern at Combs Elementary and Wilson, NC schools. He was also a teacher and coach in Wilson for five years.

Crook has worked as assistant principal in Johnston County, NC. He was an assistant principal intern and teacher in Sanford, NC schools.

HUMAN RESOURCES RECRUITMENT CENTER UPDATE
At its Nov. 22 meeting, the Board of Education heard from recently hired teachers and WCPSS Human Resources administrators about efforts to recruit and retain teachers.

Athens Drive High teachers Luana McCamy and Michelle Frick praised the mentor system Human Resources has established for new teachers. First-year teacher Frick said new teachers find it comforting to have someone to turn to for advice. McCamy, a veteran teacher, coordinates the mentor program at the school. She said established teachers recruited as mentors work hard to offer support and encouragement for new teachers.

Frank Reed and Beth Neuman are in their second year of teaching at Leesville Road Middle. For both Reed and Neuman, teaching is a second career. They are lateral entry teachers supported by Human Resource's Bridges to Success program that offers 10 days of in-service instruction before the start of the school year and monthly meetings during the school year. Neuman praised the program for the opportunity to network with others facing similar issues and Reed said it was the kind of support that helped ease his transition from the corporate world into the classroom.

Toni Patterson, WCPSS Assistant Superintendent, said Human Resources operates on the belief that the quality of the teacher is the greatest single factor in improving student achievement.

Patterson said 1,119 new teachers have been employed in 2004-05, including 499 who have never taught and 70 who are lateral entry. Of that total, 46 percent are from out-of state and 22.6 percent hold graduate degrees.

Diane Kent-Parker, WCPSS Senior Director for Teacher Recruitment, said Human Resources helps new teachers successfully launch their careers with pre-employment orientation, school-based orientation and professional development, and curriculum and instruction training opportunities. She said the orientation process is a one-stop shop to help new teachers complete forms and paperwork, learn about available resources and benefits and get questions answered.

New teachers indicate orientation helps them feel welcome and retention rates are high for lateral entry teachers who took part in the WCPSS Bridges to Success program.

NC ACTION PLAN FOR HIGH SCHOOL INNOVATION TO BE LAUNCHED
The State Board of Education, the Department of Public Instruction, the NC New Schools Project and other school advocacy organizations will launch the first-ever statewide plan for high school innovation at two conferences scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 2, in Raleigh at the North Raleigh Hilton, and on Friday, Dec. 3, in Charlotte at the Adams Mark Hotel.

The action plan, which includes a workbook and video, will be disseminated to educators and citizens in all 100 North Carolina counties and to statewide policy makers over the next six months. The plan defines the urgency for high school innovation; sets forth short-and long-term strategies for change; and calls for each high school and community to form a leadership team to review recommendations and to shape a local plan.

At the conferences, Dr. William Daggett of the International Center for Education Leadership will explain the economic and social forces that require significant change in high schools. There will be presentations by the State Board of Education, NC Department of Public Instruction and the NC New Schools Project, as well as a survey of successful high schools.

For more information about the Conferences, visit http://www.ncpublicschools.org/newschoolproject/

CALENDAR

Dec. 4

8:30 a.m. Registration begins for WCPSS Fall Teacher Job Fair

Dec. 7

10 a.m. Magnet Information Session for Parents at Magnet Center

Dec. 7

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

Dec. 15

12 p.m., Joint meeting 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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