School Connection
January 23, 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.
SUPERINTENDENT MCNEAL VISITS WASHINGTON
Superintendent Bill McNeal and three other finalists for the
American Association of School Administrators' 2004 National
Superintendent of the Year visited Washington, D.C. last week
for interviews that will lead to one of them being honored
next month in San Francisco.
The other candidates include Reginald Mayo, superintendent of the 21,000-student New Haven Public Schools in New Haven, Conn.; Jerry Weast, superintendent of the 140,000-student Montgomery County Public Schools in Rockville, Md.; and James Hager, superintendent of the 61,000-student Washoe County School District in Reno, Nev.
The four were selected from 50 finalists by a national blue ribbon panel of educators, businesspeople and government officials. The panel selected the national finalists based on extensive application materials which probed a range of school leadership issues, such as how each superintendent has exerted instructional leadership in the face of declining state financial support, the most dramatic change each superintendent faced over the course of his career, and what procedures each superintendent instituted to inform the local community about the district's efforts to increase accountability.
A $10,000 scholarship will be awarded in the name of the National Superintendent of the Year to a student from the high school from which the honoree graduated, or the school now serving that area. In addition, the honoree will receive a gold medallion, a $2,000 U.S. Savings Bond, a jacket emblazoned with the National Superintendent of the Year emblem, and a National Superintendent of the Year plaque. The three national finalists will receive a silver medallion, a $1,000 U.S. savings bond, and a plaque with the National Superintendent of the Year emblem.
As part of the visit to Washington, D.C., the four national finalists took part in a news conference at the National Press Club where they discussed educational issues with news reporters from national news media and education journals.
The name of the 2004 National Superintendent of the Year will be announced Friday, Feb. 20 at the general session of American Association of School Administrators' 2004 Annual Conference and Exposition in San Francisco.
GROWTH MANAGEMENT PROPOSAL FILLS 7 NEW SCHOOLS FOR 2004-2005
A proposal that will fill seven new schools opening next year
was unveiled this week for a two-week public comment period.
The proposal was made available on wcpss.net at 5 a.m. Wednesday (Jan. 21). There were more than 480,000 requests for information on the website in the first 12 hours the proposal was posted. During the same time Thursday, another 92,000 requests for information was made. WCPSS Customer Service estimated they received 800 calls Wednesday and devoted 2.5 times more time per call.
Parents were seeking information about the draft proposal developed by the WCPSS Office of Growth Management to fill new schools, meet the demands of a growing student enrollment and address the concerns raised by parents in a series of community engagement meetings.
The enrollment for 2003-2004 is 108,970. Projected enrollment for next year is 113,150. Planners estimate the number of students will grow to 130,000 by 2010-11 and 160,000 by 2020-21.
The seven new schools include Forestville Road Elementary, Jones Dairy Elementary, Heritage Middle, Knightdale High in eastern Wake County, and Highcroft Drive Elementary, Turner Creek Elementary and Salem Middle in the western Wake County. Jones Dairy Elementary, Turner Creek Elementary and Heritage Middle will operate on the year-round calendar.
The process for developing the proposal began in September with the first of a series of 11 meetings that were held during the fall. The WCPSS Growth Management Office held meetings across the county to discuss the growth management process and listen to parents' concerns.
Dr. Ramey Beavers, senior director of WCPSS Growth Management, said the community engagement sessions indicated parents were concerned about distance, stability, alleviating crowding, keeping neighborhoods together and providing grandfathering.
WCPSS MAGNET PROGRAM SETS INFORMATION SESSIONS
The WCPSS Magnet Program has schedule school visits for parents
interested in their children attending magnet school next
year. Sessions and tours are scheduled for magnet elementary
schools Jan. 27 and Feb. 4; for magnet middle schools Jan.
28 and Feb. 3; and for magnet year-round schools Jan. 29.
For more information, call the WCPSS Magnet Center at 501-7900
or visit their Web site at http://www.wcpss.net/magnet.
HEALTHFUL LIVING POLICY UPDATED
Final approval was given to changes in Policy 5120 by the
Board of Education on a split vote after tense discussions
during the board's meeting Jan. 6.
The board finalized action board member Bill Fletcher introduced at the Dec. 16 board meeting where he re-wrote the policy on sex education instruction in the school system's healthful living classes.
After discussions with the legal and curriculum staff in the Jan. 6 Committee of the Whole meeting, the board approved a policy that now states:
"All students must take Healthful Living Education in grades kindergarten through eight and at least once in high school. When offering sex education instruction in grades K-12, the Wake County Public School System staff shall be limited to teaching the State Board of Education Healthful Living Curriculum, K-12, following the requirements of GS 115C-81 (e1) which teaches that abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage is the expected standard for all school-age children and that a mutually faithful monogamous heterosexual relationship in the context of marriage is the best lifelong means of avoiding sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS."
While retaining points 1 through 4, the updated policy adds:
"5120.5 - All WCPSS staff are expected to promote the message that abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage is the expected standard for all school-age children."
After updating the policy, the board voted not to revisit the topic for at least six months.
The sex education instruction takes place for about five days as part of the Healthful Living class that also includes athletics, stress management, teamwork and nutrition. Curriculum and Instruction administrators are updating instruction to comply with the changes in policy.
PURCHASE OF SCHOOL BUSES AND ADDITION OF BUS DRIVERS
At its Jan. 6 meeting, the Board of Education approved the
purchase of 25 school buses and addition of 25 bus drivers
to accommodate growth and the student assignment plan.
WCPSS Transportation Director Vern Hatley explained that since the three-tier bus system was developed in 1993, 39 additional schools have opened and another 16,655 students have begun taking the bus to school. Buses are usually added at the rate of one bus for every additional 100 students transported. Instead of adding 160 buses over that time, Hatley said WCPSS actually added 40 buses
Hatley said WCPSS currently has 743 buses transporting 57,200 students. He said secondary school students attending base schools have one-way rides of 38 minutes and elementary school students attending base schools have rides of 32 minutes. He said students attending magnet schools have one-way rides of 51 minutes and students attending year-round schools have rides of 57 minutes.
A recent assessment revealed the 30 buses already on order for the 2004-2005 school year are insufficient to meet the demands of growth and opening seven new schools. Past fiscal decisions to delay purchase of school buses have created an untenable situation, which must be immediately addressed if students are expected to be transported safely and on time. Fiscal Implications: A total of $1,787,643 is required ($1,575,000 capital outlay and $212,643 driver cost).
MAYORS' TASK FORCE PRESENTATION
Cary Mayor Ernie McAlister and Apex Mayor Keith Weatherly
led a group of citizens before the Board of Education's Jan.
6 meeting to report on their 11-month study of the student
assignment process. Ervin Portman, Lib McGowan and Dave Duncan,
members of the Mayors' Task Force summarized their recommendations
to the board. Portman discussed planning, McGowan talked about
community involvement and communication and Duncan reviewed
ideas for expanded choice.
Board Chair Susan Parry thanked the presenters for their months of hard work. The school system's Healthy Schools Task Force is completing its work. Parry said the board will soon consider the growth management issues the groups have been studying.
BOARD APPROVES LEAD MINE ELEMENTARY ROOF REPLACEMENT
At its Jan. 6 meeting, the Board of Education awarded a single-prime
contract to Metal Roofing Corp. in the amount of $436,850
for roof replacement of all steep slope roof areas at Lead
Mine Elementary. The project is funded from PLAN 2000 funds.
BOARD APPROVES SCHEMATIC DESIGN DOCUMENTS
At its Jan.6 meeting, the Board of Education approved the
schematic design documents prepared by Pearce Brinkley Cease
+ Lee PA for the construction of Cary High addition and renovations.
The PLAN 2004 improvements include demolishing the old auditorium
and constructing new classroom building, auditorium and support
spaces.
APPOINTMENTS
At the Jan. 6 meeting, the Board of Education named three
new school principals. The board named Elaine Hanzer principal
of Wake Forest-Rolesville Middle, Carla Jernigan principal
of Reed Creek Middle and Rodney Stanton principal of Cary
Elementary.
-Hanzer has served as assistant principal of Athens Drive High since 2002. Prior to that she served as assistant principal at Ligon GT Middle and a teacher at Millbrook High.
-Jernigan has served as assistant principal of Green Hope High and worked as a teacher at Wake forest-Rolesville High and Ligon Middle.
-Stanton has served as assistant principal at Lincoln Heights Elementary, an assistant principal intern at at Cary Elementary and a teacher at Davis Drive Elementary.
SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENTS
At its Jan. 6 meeting, the Board of Education recognized 17
students with the Spotlight on Students awards. Students honored
included Chelsea Davis of Hodge Road Elementary, David Hong
of Leesville Road Middle, Colin Loftin of Apex Middle, Sarah
Young of Fuquay-Varina High, Katie Bottomley of Combs Elementary,
Jocelyn Mondaca of Kingswood Elementary, Carole Anne Edwards
of Middle Creek High, Jack Tomick of Weatherstone Elementary,
Christine A. Cormier of Pleasant Union Elementary, William
Stephenson, IV of Wakefield Elementary, Katelyn Litalien of
Leesville Road High, James Hinton of Poe Elementary, Tyler
Tankard of Penny Road Elementary, Yanery Rogel of Wilburn
Elementary, Prince Bonsu of Lacy Elementary, Katherine Rodriguez
of Carroll Middle and Kristin Denise Wright of Powell Elementary.
INSIDE THE NEWS
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction reports "North Carolina Receives High Marks for Improving Teacher Quality"
The Beacon of LEARN NC reports on education
Time Warner News 14 reports School News
CNN reports on education
The National School Board Association reports the School Board News
CALENDAR
|
Jan. 27 |
Magnet elementary school visits |
|
Jan. 28 |
Magnet middle school visits |
|
Jan. 29 |
Magnet year-round school visits |
|
Feb. 2 |
7 p.m. Southeast Raleigh High magnet school visit |
|
Feb 3 |
Magnet school information session at the Magnet Resource Center, 1600 E. Millbrook Road. Call 501-7900 |
|
Feb. 3 |
Magnet middle school visits |
|
Feb. 3 |
2 p.m. Board of Education Committee of the whole meeting-Board Conference Room; 4 p.m. Board meeting |
|
Feb. 3 |
7 p.m. Enloe High magnet school visit |
|
Feb 4 |
Magnet elementary school visits |
|
Feb. 4 |
7 p.m. Broughton High magnet school visit |
|
Feb. 5 |
7 p.m. Garner High magnet school visit |
|
Feb. 7-18 |
magnet application acceptance period |
|
Feb. 10 |
2 p.m. Board of Education Community Relations Committee-Board Conference 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
Tell a friend about the School Connection and encourage them
to sign up at
http://www.wcpss.net/online_newsletters/the_school_connection