The School Connection
|
November 27, 2006
|
2008-09 TRADITIONAL CALENDAR PROPOSAL PRESENTED TO BOARD
 A draft calendar for 2008-09 was presented to the Board of Education at its Nov. 21 meeting. Click on the calendar to see a pirntable version that requires Acrobat Reader. |
At its Nov. 21 meeting, the Board of Education was presented an instructional calendar for 2008-09 for traditional calendar schools.
Dawn Dawson, WCPSS Senior Director for Federal/State Programs, said the proposed calendar was reviewed by the calendar committee and met all requirements of the state's calendar Law. The 25-member calendar committee includes parents, teachers, community leaders and school administrators. The proposed calendar contains 180 student days, 11 paid holidays, 10 paid vacation days, and 9 of 14 teacher workdays. The Division of Principals will make recommendations for the remaining teacher workdays.
The first day for students will be Monday, August 25, 2008. The last day will be Wednesday, June 10, 2009. Winter break is Dec. 22 to Jan. 1 with Jan. 2 as a teacher workday. Spring break is April 6-10 with April 13 as a teacher workday.
Board members asked staff to return with another calendar proposal that moves spring break so that it has more days in common with the year-round calendar.
The 2007-08 calendar was adopted in 2005.
2008-09 YEAR-ROUND MULTI-TRACK CALENDAR PROPOSAL PRESENTED TO BOARD
At its Nov. 21 meeting, the Board of Education was presented an instructional
calendar for 2008-09 for year-round calendar schools.
Caroline Massengill, WCPSS Special Assistant for Year-Round Schools, said the proposed calendar was reviewed by year-round school principals, had little change from prior year-round calendars and complied with state law.
The first day of school for students on tracks 1-3 will be July 7. The first day for track 4 will be July 28. The last day for track 1 will be June 2. The last day for tracks 2-4 will be June 30. Winter break is Dec. 22 to Jan. 2.
The 2007-08 calendar was adopted in 2005.
2008-09 MODIFIED CALENDAR PROPOSAL PRESENTED TO BOARD
At its Nov. 21 meeting, the Board of Education was presented an instructional
calendar for 2008-09 for modified calendar schools.
Dr. Ken Branch, WCPSS Senior Director for Magnet Schools, said current plans are to continue using this calendar at Southeast Raleigh High, Centennial Campus Middle, Moore Square Middle, Carver Elementary and Partnership Elementary.
The modified year-round instructional calendar combines features of the traditional and year-round calendar. The first semester is similar to Track 4 of the year-round calendar and the second semester is similar to Track 1. The calendar provides a summer break of approximately seven weeks. The first day for students will be Thursday, July 24, 2008. The last day will be Tuesday, May 27, 2009.
Branch and board members discussed possible changes for the 2008-09 modified calendar, including changing the calendar to a single-track, year-round calendar. There was also discussion of aligning other schools such as Brooks, Combs, Olds and Root elementary schools, which send students to Centennial Campus and Moore Square middle schools. Board members said they would like to reach agreement on such issues before finalizing the calendar.
Community Engagement MeetingsTwo more community engagement meetings remain where you can hear the latest information about plans for opening new schools for 2007-08 and provide WCPSS Growth Management staff your comments. Nov. 27 at Knightdale High Nov. 30 at Middle Creek High Meetings begin at 7 p.m. |
MORE THAN 100 ATTEND FIRST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETING
More than 100 parents and school officials attended the first of three
WCPSS Community Engagement Meetings to discuss filling new schools for 2007-08.
Chuck Dulaney, WCPSS Assistant Superintendent for Growth and Planning, talked for about 40 minutes on growth in the student population, new school capacity and issues affecting student assignment. Then Dulaney listened to the comments and answered questions from parents. People also filled out comment cards that were turned into Growth Management staff.
Schools opening for 2007-08 will operate on the year-round calendar and will nclude East Garner, North Forest Pines and Sanford Creek elementary schools. Wendell Middle will open in the temporary modular campus near Wendell. East Cary Middle will open with sixth grade students while continuing to serve as a ninth grade center for Cary High.
Two other Community Engagement Meetings are planned for this month. The first will be Nov. 27 at Knightdale High and second Nov. 30 at Middle Creek High. All meetings are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and last for approximately two hours.
A draft Growth Management Proposal will be available for review and public comment on the school district website beginning at 5 p.m., Friday December 8. Suggestions regarding the draft will be accepted via the website until 5 pm., Tuesday, January 2.
The WCPSS Growth and Planning Department will use this information to refine the draft and will present a staff recommendation to the Board of Education at the board's meeting on January 9. The Board of Education will then schedule public hearings and work sessions. The board is expected to vote on a Growth Management Plan at its February 6 meeting.
APPOINTMENTS
At its Nov. 21 meeting, the Board of Education named a new middle school
principal and an interim elementary school principal. The board named Tina
Hoots principal of Davis Drive Middle and Michael Williams as interim principal
at Knightdale Elementary.
Hoots will begin her job as Davis Drive Middle principal Dec. 1. Dr. Hoots has served as assistant principal at Wake Forest-Rolesville High since 2001. Prior to that, she served as an administrator for the Franklin County Schools and was a teacher at Wake Forest-Rolesville High and in Cumberland County.
Williams began his job as interim Knightdale Elementary principal Nov. 22 and will continue in the job for the rest of the school year. Williams has served as the school's assistant principal since 2001. Prior to that he worked as an assistant principal intern at Daniels Middle and was a teacher at Daniels Middle and in Durham County.
BOARD APPROVES RECOMMENDATION FOR POLICY CHANGE
At its Nov. 21 meeting, the Board of Education approved a recommendation
from the board's Policy Committee to request that the local legislative
delegation make changes to the state legislation that established the Wake
Board of Education to allow full voting rights to the board chair. As currently
written, WCPSS Board Policy 1323.12 allows the Board Chair to vote only
in order to break a tie. The Policy Committee recommended that the board
pursue revision of this policy with the delegation in order to allow full
voting rights to the Board Chair. Prior to Board policy 1323 being revised,
there must be a change in the local legislation.
ABC ACCOUNTABILITY COMPONENTS FOR ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS
At its Nov. 21 meeting, the Board of Education approved local options approved
by schools and heard David Holdzkom, Assistant Superintendent for Evaluation
and Research discuss the state's 2006-07 ABCs policies for alternative schools.
The evaluation of alternative schools are based on two state mandated achievement-based components and three local options. Local options defined by the state include attendance, dropouts, school safety/student conduct, higher expectations for student achievement, student progress and proficiency, parent involvement, community involvement, and customer satisfaction. Schools achieving five of the five components will be determined to have made high growth, at least three of the five will be expected growth, at least two of the five will be no recognition, and one or none of the five will be low performing. As part of their school improvement plans for 2006-2007, the alternative schools identified three local options that reflect their school's mission. The local options selected by the schools were approved by the school improvement teams.
Mt. Vernon School, Mary E. Phillips High School, and River Oaks Middle School are designated as alternative schools. Longview is designated as a special education school, which does not submit local objectives.
ABC incentive funds will be received from the state for the system's three alternative schools, Mt. Vernon School, Mary E. Phillips High School and River Oaks Middle School if they achieve their objectives.
 Click on the logo above to visit the Success Series Webpage. |
BOARD RECEIVES REPORT ON SUCCESS SERIES
At its Nov. 21 meeting, the Board of Education received a report from
Athena Kellogg, WCPSS Senior Administrator for High School Math, on the
Success Series, a multi-media resource that students can use to review for
EOC or AP exams. Kellogg said students are able to view segments of WCPSS
teachers teaching mathematical concepts from AP Calculus, AP Statistics,
Geometry, and Algebra 1. Algebra 2 is slated for completion well in advance
of the January EOC. Students can access the Success Series through one of
our Resource Centers on the Internet as well as through DVDs provided to
each school.
Kellogg introduced East Wake High math teacher Cathy Hairr who taught the Geometry lessons for the Success Series. Hairr said it took five days of taping to provide 15-minute segments on 30 different topics of instruction. Hair introduced one of her former students, Symonia Lynch, who had used the Success Series to study for and successfully pass Geometry.
Superintendent Burns congratulated the Instructional Services Department and Communications Department for working together on the project and thanked Kellogg, the teachers and Communications Chief Michael Evans for the hard work that provided educational continuity that extended teaching and learning resources to students.
CALENDAR
| Nov. 27 | 7 p.m., Community Engagement Meeting at Knightdale High |
| Nov. 28 | 4 p.m., Citizens Facility Advisory Committee at Salem Middle |
| Nov. 30 | 7 p.m., Community Engagement Meeting at Middle Creek High |
| Dec. 5 | 12 p.m., Committee of the Whole Meeting in board conference room; 2 p.m., Board Meeting in board room |
| Dec. 19 | 12 p.m., Committee of the Whole Meeting in board conference room; 2 p.m., Board Meeting in board room |
| Dec. 22-Jan. 1 | Winter Break |
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/