School Connection
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.Dec. 22, 2005
COMMENT PERIOD EXTENDED FOR GROWTH MANAGEMENT PROPOSAL
The comment period for the 2006-07 growth management proposal has been extended
and the Board of Education has established a schedule for its review of
the proposal.
The WCPSS Growth Management Department extended the comment period so that parents and concerned citizens will be able to view the proposal and offer comments until Jan. 1, 2006. The proposal was made available for public comment Dec. 12. Through Tuesday afternoon, Growth Management had received 1,200 e-mails, letters and phone calls offering suggestions.
The Growth Management Department will receive comments:
· Online
· By email to studentassignment@wcpss.net
· By writing to the Office of Growth Management, Wake County Public
School System, 3600 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh, NC 27609, or
· By leaving a message on the Office of Growth Management hotline
at 501-7998.
For now, comments on the proposal should be directed to the Growth Management Department which will review the comments as they revise the proposal for presentation to the Board of Education.
The growth management proposal will be presented to the Board of Education 4 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 14. Once the proposal has been presented to the board, comments on the proposal should be made to the board.
At its meeting Dec. 20, the board set the schedule for reviewing the proposal.
The board has scheduled six public hearings to receive comments. The hearings
are scheduled for:
6 p.m., Wednesday, March 1 at Garner High and Sanderson High
6 p.m., Thursday, March 2 at Middle Creek High and Knightdale High
6 p.m., Monday, March 6 at Green Hope High and Wakefield High
The board will hold a work session to review the proposal and discuss the public hearing input at 9 a.m., Friday March 10. The final vote on the plan will occur at the board's meeting on March 21.
BOARD BEGINS SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH DISCUSSION
In its Committee of the Whole meeting and later in closed session talks
Dec. 20, the Wake County Board of Education discussed the process for finding
a new superintendent. The board agreed to follow its policy and provide
an opportunity for internal candidates to apply for the job, as it works
to develop a candidate profile.
In the committee of the whole, Ed Dunlap of the NC School Board Association met with the board to discuss the superintendent search process. Dunlap encouraged the board to enlist the community in developing a profile of the skills they want in a superintendent and to use that profile in judging candidates for the job.
Board chair Patti head said the board will develop the candidate profile with input from the community and provide a time for internal candidates to apply for the job. If a local candidate doesn't meet the skills identified in the profile, then the board will expand the search.
The board contracted with the NC School Board Association to help in the administrative process of the superintendent search. The board plans to meet again with association representatives Jan. 3.
The search became necessary when Bill McNeal announced he would retire from the job at the end of June.
Head said the selection of a superintendent is one of the most important decisions the school board will make for the next 4-5 years. Head said she wants the transition from Bill McNeal to the next superintendent to be seamless.
APPPOINTMENTS
At its Dec. 20 meeting, the Board of Education named principals for four
schools and a new administrator.
The board named Gig Harris principal of Brier Creek Elementary, which will open as a new year-round school for 2006-07. Harris has served as principal of Stough Elementary since 1997.
The board named Vicki Brown principal of Carpenter Elementary, which will
open as a new year-round school for 2006-07. Brown has served as principal
at Jeffreys Grove Elementary since 2000.
The board named Scott Scheuer principal of Baileywick Elementary. Scheuer
has been assistant principal at Lead Mine Elementary since 2000.
The board named William H. Crockett, Jr. principal at Athens Drive High. Crockett has served as principal at Holly Ridge Middle since 2003. Prior to that he was principal at East Garner Middle and Carnage Middle.
The board named Chuck Dulaney Assistant Superintendent for Growth and Facility Planning. Dulaney has been a senior director in WCPSS Evaluation and Research since 1997. Prior to that, he was principal at Joyner Elementary.
BOARD APPROVES WCPSS PARTICIPATION IN ASSET INITIATIVE.
At its meeting Dec. 20, the Board of Education approved WCPSS participation
in an effort to reduce teacher turnover. Wake Education Partnership and
Wake Leadership Academy are collaborating with the Center for Teaching Quality,
the Education Foundation for the Orange County Schools, and the Orange County
Schools in a three-year initiative to reduce teacher turnover through the
adoption of distributive leadership practices (development of teacher leadership).
Four middle schools from WCPSS (Daniels, East Garner, North Garner, and
Zebulon) would participate in year 1, joining two middle schools in Orange
County. This initiative is funded by a grant from the Wachovia Foundation.
BOARD UPDATES POLICY ON DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS TO STUDENTS
At its Dec. 20 meeting, the Board of Education gave first reading approval
to a revision in policy 2420. The policy revision would be adopted upon
second reading approval by the board.
The revision to the policy was added to allow the Superintendent to develop
rules and procedures that will provide for limited distribution to students
of materials that address activities or events primarily for school age
children or which directly support the school program. The policy was revised
with the guidance of school board attorney Ann Majestic and the assistance
of a group of principals. The board Policy Committee approved the revision
last month.
BOARD APPROVES POLICY ON SCHOOL BUS IDLING
At its Dec. 20 meeting, the Board of Education gave final approval to policy
7155 on school bus idling. The action puts into policy what the Transportation
Department has practiced. The policy eliminates unnecessary idling of school
buses and activity buses in an effort to reduce harmful pollutants and conserve
financial resources. The NC Department of Public Instruction has advised
that supplemental transportation funding will be available only to those
school systems that have a "no idling" policy in place.
BOARD APPROVES INTERNATIONAL TRIPS FOR BROUGHTON/DANIELS STUDENTS
At its Dec. 20 meeting, the Board of Education approved international trips
for students from Broughton High and Daniels Middle.
Approximately 20 Broughton students grades 10-12 and 2 chaperones will travel to Compiegne, France over Spring break as part of a French Exchange Program. The students will live with French families, go to school, and see historic sites. The cost per student will be approximately $600.00. The total cost will be approximately $12,000.00. Scholarship funds are available to those unable to pay and students have held fundraisers for two years to offset the cost.
Approximately eight students from the eighth grade and two chaperones will travel to Tokyo and Shiwa Twon, Japan over the summer break. The purpose of this trip is to continue a three-year exchange with Shiwa Town Jr. High school to compare and contrast school cultures and to promote the intercultural awareness goal of the International Baccalaureate Programme. Participants are selected in an application process. The cost per student will be approximately $2,800.00. The total cost will be approximately $22,400.00. The PTA will contribute $2500.00 for financial assistance and parents will organize a fundraiser to defray the cost of the trip.
CALENDAR
| Dec. 23 - Jan. 2 | Winter break |
| Jan. 3 | 2 p.m., Committee of the Whole meeting, Board Conference Room; 4 p.m., Board of Education meeting, board room. |
| Jan. 9-12 | 6:30 p.m., Magnet Elementary School evening information sessions |
| Jan 12 | 6:30 p.m., Magnet Middle School evening information sessions |
| Jan. 17-19 | 6:30 p.m., Magnet Middle School evening information sessions |
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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