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.

February 17, 2006


BOARD NAMES VETERAN EDUCATOR BURNS NEXT SUPERINTENDENT
The Wake County Board of Education named WCPSS Deputy Superintendent Del Burns to succeed Bill McNeal as the school district's seventh Superintendent of Schools.

At a meeting Feb. 16, school board members voted to offer the job to Burns, who has served WCPSS as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, associate superintendent, and deputy superintendent. Burns was awarded the job, subject to contract negotiations.

"Dr. Burns is a proven leader with a passion for education and this community," Patti Head, chairman of the Wake County Board of Education. "We have great confidence in his vision and are excited about his plans for leading our schools."

The Board of Education began the search for a new superintendent in December 2005 following the announcement by Bill McNeal that he would retire June 30, 2006.

Burns has a long history with the Wake County Public School System. He started his teaching career with WCPSS as an LD Resource Teacher at Root Elementary. He worked at elementary and high schools as a principal. He was named WCPSS Principal of the Year in 1999 when he was principal of Millbrook High.

Burns was named WCPSS associate superintendent for administrative services in April 2000. He was promoted to deputy superintendent in July 2003.

2006-07 GROWTH MANAGEMENT PLAN PRESENTED TO BOARD OF EDUCATION
A 2006-07 growth management plan that has 1,200 fewer students and allows grandfathering for up to 3,383 students was presented to the Board of Education Feb 14.

Dr. Ramey Beavers of the WCPSS Growth Management Department said public input led to many of the changes made to the plan that will fill seven new schools opening for 2006-07. Growth Management staff reviewed more than 2,000 comments sent Dec. 12-31 by e-mail, phone and mail. Beavers said the concerns voiced in the comments included the impact on sending schools, the impact on receiving schools, travel distance to school, feeder patterns and keeping neighborhood nodes going to the same school.

The plan involves 10,258 students including 9,195 students who have a change in base assignment and 1,063 students who have a change in year-round transportation area. This is 1,237 fewer students than the Dec. 12, 2005 proposal. Beavers said the plan removes a number of students and adds some students.

Another change that resulted from public comments was the Board of Education's change in grandfathering provisions. The plan requires tenth-graders moved from an existing school to one of the two new high schools to attend those schools. However, tenth-graders who are moved from an existing school to an existing school will be considered for grandfathering.

Of the 10,258 students in this plan, 3,383 could exercise the grandfathering option of staying at their current school and providing their own transportation. If all parents exercised the grandfathering option, the current plan would mean reassignment for 6,875 students.

BOARD SETS PUBLIC HEARINGS ON ASSIGNMENT PLAN
The board of Education will continue to seek community input on the 2006-07 growth management plan in six public hearings over three nights. The sessions will be held March 1 at North Garner Middle School and Wakefield High; March 2 at Green Hope High and Sanderson High; and March 6 at Middle Creek High and Knightdale High.

Persons interested in speaking at the public hearings can sign up online from 5 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 14 until 5 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24. The WCPSS Customer Service Center can assist persons without a computer in signing up to speak at the hearings. Just call 850-1600.

Persons unable to attend the public hearings can submit comments by e-mail, mail or phone.
E-mail to studentassignment@wcpss.net,
Leave an online comment between Feb. 14 and Feb. 24
Write to the Office of Growth Management, Wake County Public School System, 3600 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh, NC 27609, or
Leave a phone message on the Office of Growth Management hotline at 501-7998.

The board will hold a work session to discuss the growth management plan 9 a.m., Wednesday, March 8. The board is expected to approve the final plan March 21.

BOARD NAMES PRINCIPALS FOR EIGHT WCPSS SCHOOLS
At its Feb. 7 meeting, the Board of Education named principals for eight WCPSS schools including the new Early College, a middle school and six elementary schools.

The board named James M. Palermo principal of the Wake Early College of Health and Sciences due to open in August. The school on Wake Tech's campus next door to WakeMed will allow students to graduate after five years with a diploma and 30 or more hours of transferable college credit. Palermo currently serves as principal of Lufkin Road Middle School

The board named Kenneth Proulx principal at Holly Ridge Middle. He currently serves as a principal for a combined middle and high school in New York.

The new elementary school principals include
-Lois Hart at E19, a year-round elementary school that will open in July in a temporary modular complex on Spring Forest Road
-Walter J. Lewis at Green Elementary.
-Jacob N. Bryant at Jeffreys Grove Elementary.
-Charles Miller at Middle Creek Elementary.
-Rhonda Jones at Rand Road Elementary.
-Cynthia Keech at Stough Elementary.

The Board also named Bradley McMillen Senior Director for Evaluation and Research.

CALENDAR

Feb. 21 2 p.m., Committee of the Whole - Board Conference Room; 4 p.m., Board Meeting-Board Room
March 1 6 p.m., Assignment Hearing at North Garner Middle and Sanderson High
March 2 6 p.m., Assignment Hearing at Middle Creek High and Knightdale High

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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