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.May 16, 2006
PRE-REGISTRATION UNDERWAY FOR SPRING TEACHER JOB FAIR
Pre-registration is underway for the 2006 WCPSS Spring Job Fair to be held
Saturday, May 21 at Forestville Elementary School and Knightdale High School.
Pre-registration for the Spring 2006 Job Fair runs May 1 - 17. At the Job
Fair, WCPSS will be recruiting teachers for nine new schools and to fill
anticipated vacancies for the 2006-07 school year. School administrators
will be on-site to conduct interviews and may offer contracts to select
applicants. For more information, visit http://www.wcpss.net/HumanResources/jobfair.html
BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVES 2006-07 PLAN FOR STUDENT SUCCESS
The Wake County Board of Education approved the Plan for Student Success
at its May 2 meeting, seeking to meet the impact of dramatic student enrollment
growth on the school system. Superintendent Bill McNeal said the school
system is seeking to keep pace with the thousands of new students entering
the schools. Enrollment grew by 6,400 for 2005-06 and is projected to increase
by more than 7,000 for 2006-07. The largest increase in funding is in response
to growth. The plan includes $17 million to open nine new schools, meet
the needs of an additional 7,000 students and retain high quality teachers.
Legislative changes for salary increases and employer's matching benefit
changes require the school district to spend an additional $8.2 million.
The plan includes $20.7 million in savings, removing one-time costs from
the previous year and reducing costs in programs. The school system receives
60 percent of its funding from the state, 33 percent from local government
and seven percent from the federal government. The county appropriation
that provides most of the local funding totals $275.8 million. The school
system is asking for an increase in the county appropriation of $21.5 million.
BOARD HONORS WCPSS MAGNET SCHOOLS FOR NATIONAL AWARDS
At its May 2 meeting, the Board of Education congratulated principals of
Wake County magnet schools who returned from a national conference sweeping
some of the top awards. Combs Elementary School was named the nation's top
magnet school at the Magnet Schools of America conference in Omaha, Nebraska
last week. Combs Elementary Principal Muriel Summers attended the conference
where she was presented the Ronald P. Simpson Distinguished Merit Award
and a $5,000 honorarium for the school. The Ronald P. Simpson Distinguished
Merit Award is considered the top award for magnet schools in the nation.
Magnet Schools of America recognized Farmington Woods Elementary School
as the top Elementary School of Excellence and Ligon Middle School as the
top Secondary School of Excellence.
Eleven WCPSS magnet schools were honored at the conference. Combs Elementary, Brooks Elementary, Broughton High, Bugg Elementary, East Millbrook Middle, Farmington Woods Elementary, Ligon Middle, Powell Elementary and Washington Elementary were named Schools of Excellence. Centennial Middle and Lincoln Heights Elementary were named Schools of Distinction.
BOARD COMMENDS SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS
At its April 18 meeting, the Board of Education approved a resolution that
recognized the valuable role that substitute teachers play in the effective
daily operations of WCPSS schools. In the resolution, the board recognized
the more than 2,300 active substitutes who are committed to WCPSS students
and schools. Substitute teachers help maintain the continuity and quality
of the instructional program. Many are former teachers, parents, and former
parents who have strong ties to the school system and the schools they sub
in. The board commended substitute teachers as flexible, caring, professional,
dedicated, and positive. The board established the Friday of American Education
Week to be recognized as Substitute Appreciation Day in Wake County. This
year it fell on May 8.
BOARD RECIVES UPDATE ON SCHOOL-TO-CAREER COUNCIL
At its April 18 meeting, the Board of Education heard from Bill Seyler,
Chair of the School-to-Career Council Leadership Team, on the Wake County
School-to-Career initiative with WCPSS middle and high schools. It began
12 years ago and now includes Business Alliances, Career Pathway Employer
Teams and Career Academy Advisory Boards. More than 100 business members
support seven career academies. More than 350 business members participate
in business alliances supporting schools. Businesses provided more than
2,000 presenters, visited more than 800 classrooms and helped to hold more
than 150 career fairs this year. More than 2,000 businesses hosted students
in job shadowing visits and 800 hosted student interns. Seyler said the
initiative seeks to prepare every student to make knowledgeable career choices
through academic rigor and work-based learning experiences.
BOARD SELECTS EXTERNAL AUDIT FIRM
At its April 18 meeting, the Board of Education named Cherry, Bakaert, &
Holland L.L.P. to conduct the annual external audit. In an earlier committee
of the whole meeting, board members discussed the four firms that had responded
to a Feb. 20 request for proposal and the move to a new auditing firm. In
recent years, external audits of the school system had been completed by
McGaldrey & Pullen, LLP.
BOARD REVISES POLICY 6426 ON WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICES AND LASER
POINTERS
At its April 18 meeting, the Board of Education gave final approval to revisions
of its policy for wireless communication devices. The policy bans use of
cell phones and other electronic devices during the instructional day. The
revisions changed the policy's title to "Electronic Devices."
A list of new items considered electronic devices including CD players,
MP3 players and electronic games were added to the policy. The revised policy
will become effective July 1, 2006.
BOARD REVISES POLICY 1800 ON BOARD ADVISORY COUNCILS
At its April 18 meeting, the Board of Education gave final approval to revision
of its policy for Board Advisory Councils. The school board will use the
advisory councils to provide a forum for receiving input on policies and
procedures as assigned by the board. With the revisions, persons appointed
to the advisory councils will begin terms of up to three years at the start
of the school year. Advisory councils will continue to make annual reports
and advisory council chairs will be given the opportunity to make oral reports
to the school board.
BOARD APPROVES BELL SCHEDULE FOR THE 2006-07 SCHOOL YEAR
At its April 4 meeting, the Board of Education approved the 2006-07 bell
schedule. Existing schools will keep the same schedules. The five elementary
schools opening in 2006-2007 - Barwell Road Elementary, Brier Creek Elementary,
Carpenter Elementary, Holly Grove Elementary, and River Bend Elementary
- will be on the third tier of 9:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. The two new high schools
opening in 2006-2007 -Holly Springs High and Panther Creek High - will be
on the first tier of 7:25 a.m. to 2:18 p.m.
STUDENT TRANSFER FORMS AVAILABLE
Student Transfer Forms are now available for
download in English and Spanish from wcpss.net Transfer requests must
be postmarked on or before June 1, 2006. The WCPSS Office of Growth Management
will notify you, in writing, of the status of your transfer request within
seven to ten days after receiving it. If your on-time transfer request is
denied, you will be given instructions on appealing the decision to the
Wake County Board of Education. Transfer forms are also available in all
Wake County Public Schools, the Customer Service Center and the Office of
Growth Management.
CALENDAR
| May 16 | 2 p.m., Committee of the Whole-Board Conference Room ;4 p.m., Board Meeting-Board Conference Room |
| May 17 | 8:30 a.m., Joint Meeting- County Commissioners and the Board of Education- Board Conference Room |
| May 20 | 7 p.m. - 12 a.m., Project Graduation held at Dorton Arena on NC State Fairgrounds. All high school seniors in Wake County are invited. |
| June 6 | 2 p.m., Committee of the Whole-Board Conference Room ;4 p.m., Board Meeting-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
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