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.

June 27, 2005


SCHOOL BOARD ADOPTS BUDGET RESOLUTION
At its June 21 meeting, the Board of Education adopted a budget resolution that balanced the budget in light of the difference between the 2005-06 Plan for Student Success and the county appropriation. $17.5 million of the budget request was left unfunded by the Board of Commissioners, including $3.3 million set aside by the county to fund WCPSS employee dental insurance. The board plans to request the funds from the commissioners for employee dental. coverage.

The school board raised some revenue to help bridge the gap. The board appropriated an additional $1 million from the fund balance and doubled student parking fees for an additional $700,000. The board also identified $100,000 in savings by mandating that all WCPSS employees switch to direct deposit instead of receiving a printed paycheck. The board directed these revenues to offset cuts to the Challenged Schools and Accelerated Learning Programs, and to extra-duty compensation for teachers.

HEAD VOTED BOARD CHAIR
In its 2005 Annual Meeting on June 21, the Board of Education selected Patti Head as chair and Carol Parker as vice chair. Head is elected from District 7, West Raleigh/Morrisville. Parker is elected from District 3, North Raleigh.

BOARD DISCUSSES ADDING MORE YEAR-ROUND SCHOOLS
At its June 7 committee of the whole meeting, the Board of Education discussed converting 15 elementary and five middle schools to a year-round calendar in 2006-07 as a way to provide much-needed classroom seats. The school board heard options for adding space at the high school level as well.

By 2008, there will be 8,000 students above the 2003 projections on which the PLAN 2004 building program was based. Approximately 7,500 of those additional students are at the elementary school level. With the current construction funding and schedule, the school system cannot keep up with the tremendous growth.

Staff presented the proposal to accommodate growth and crowding as a follow-up to the school board's April retreat on year-round expansion. The proposal includes converting three elementary schools and one middle school in all but one of the six planning areas of the county; elementary and middle schools in Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina and parts of Apex are not expected to be as crowded as the rest of the county. The school board only looked at needs by planning area - there is not a list of schools proposed for conversion.

Converting schools to a year-round calendar could provide a 25 percent gain in capacity because three of four groups of students are in session and one group is on break at any given time.
The school system would need a decision by the beginning of August to convert schools to year-round for the 2006-07 school year. Board members will continue their year-round expansion discussions.

At the high school level, staff proposed adding mobile and modular units; converting a modular elementary school to a ninth-grade center; converting a new elementary school to a ninth-grade center; delaying Wake Forest-Rolesville High School's renovation project one year; and opening new high schools with 11th grade to more fully occupy the schools.

APPOINTMENTS
At its June 21 meeting, the Board of Education named two new district administrators and three new principals. The board named Russ Smith senior director of Security; Charles Steven Bingham director of Wake Leadership Academy; David Dennis principal at Cary High; Winston Pierce principal at Wendell Elementary; and Mark Savage principal at Wakefield Middle.
-Smith has served as Interim Senior Director for Security since April 2005. Prior to that, Smith was a WCPSS Security Investigator for seven years. He also worked for six years as a board investigator for the State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors and for three years as an officer for the NC Division of Adult Probation and Parole.
-Bingham has been program director for SERVE, Inc Regional Education Laboratory at UNC-Greensboro since 2000. He's also served as an adjunct associate professor at UNC-Greensboro and Samford University since 2003. Prior to that he was a project director and senior research specialist with the SERVE lab. Earlier, he was an elementary school principal, middle school assistant principal and high school teacher.
-Dr. Dennis has served as principal of Daniels Middle since 1998. Prior to that he served as a principal, assistant principal and teacher in other NC school systems.
-Pierce has served as assistant principal at Millbrook Elementary since 2001. Prior to that she worked as an assistant principal intern at Douglas Elementary and a teacher at Bugg Elementary. She also served as a teacher in other NC school systems.
-Savage has served as assistant principal at Wakefield Middle since 1999. Prior to that he was a teacher at Leesville Road High and at a high school in Delaware.

The board named 11 assistant principals including Kelly Aman at Millbrook High, Douglas Cox at West Lake Elementary, Ashlee Dixon at Salem Middle, Patches Jacob at Wake Forest-Rolesville Middle, Lauren Likosar at Ligon Middle, Steven Rhodes at Wake Forest Rolesville Middle, Lisa Rockefeller at Leesville Road Elementary, Teri Whyte Scott at Knightdale High, Syreeta Smith at Wilburn Elementary, Stephanie Morrison at Baucom Elementary and Oliver Pittman at Zebulon Middle.

At its June 7 meeting, the board named seven assistant principals including Cecelia Chapman at Adams Elementary, Frank Graham at Cedar Fork Elementary, Mark Kenjarski at Partnership Elementary, Brian Pittman at Middle Creek High, Donna Redfern at Lacy Elementary and Cathy Williams at Enloe High.

WCPSS EMPLOYEES COMPLETE SPECIALIZED ADMINISTRATOR PROGRAM
The first WCPSS employees have completed a customized master's of school administration program co-designed by Wake Leadership Academy and N.C. State University to help meet the
growing demand for high-quality principals and assistant principals.

The employees complete two years of course work together, including eight leadership seminars, followed by an internship year. All participants had worked as teachers for at least four years in order to be eligible for the program.

As an off-campus program, costs to students are lower than those in a traditional N.C. State master's program. Through private funding from Wake Education Partnership and public dollars from the Wake County Public School System, the Wake Leadership Academy provides most class materials and reimburses employees for a portion of their tuition. The employees continue their jobs in the school system during the program and must stay employed in the district for at least two years following graduation.

PARTNERSHIP WITH PEACE COLLEGE TO PREPARE EDUCATION TEACHERS
At its June 7 meeting, WCPSS administrators talked with the Board of Education about a partnership with Peace College in teacher training. Peace College invited WCPSS to participate in the development of a unique elementary teacher education program. One feature of the program that is different from other preparation programs is that students from the college will be able to participate in such WCPSS staff development programs as literacy training. These opportunities will enable graduates to transition immediately to teaching in Wake County.

SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS HELP STUDENTS REGISTER TO VOTE
More than 3,000 WCPSS students were registered to vote through the WCPSS Student Voter Registration Program last year. Broughton and Leesville Road high schools both had more than 300 students register. The program is part of the social studies programs in WCPSS high schools. Students must take the mandated courses - Civics & Economics and United States History - in which they learn about the history of our nation, the progression of the rite of suffrage offered to those of all races, all socio-economic backgrounds and men and women alike from the age of 18 and the rights and responsibilities of basic citizenship. The student voter registration program is coordinated by social studies teachers appointed by each high school's principal.

EAST WAKE HIGH RECEIVES SMALL SCHOOL GRANT
East Wake High received a check June 23 for $151,600, the first of five annual payments from Gov. Mike Easley and the New Schools Project. East Wake is one of seven NC high schools that received grants to support the establishment of small, flexible and academically rigorous high schools to serve as models for high school redesign and innovation. East Wake will use the grant money to create a health and life sciences-themed school to serve 400 students. Coursework and other learning experiences will focus on the health and life science industries and will prepare students for both higher education and for entrance into skilled fields such as health care and biotechnology. Students will participate in a college preparatory curriculum and have access to work-based experiences and community college and university-level courses. Grant funding for the New Schools Project comes from an $11 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

ORGANIZATION REPORTS ON SCHOOL ASSESSMENTS
At its June 21 meeting, the Board of Education heard from Leon Cook of Raleigh Organization for Action and Results on the group's findings after touring 50 WCPSS schools earlier this year. Cook said ROAR found schools that needed help with overcrowding, technology, drainage and air and heat controls. ROAR volunteer teams visited some 50 schools across the county from February through May 2005, to evaluate conditions and assist in making the public aware of needs. The team has provided written reports of their findings to WCPSS. School system staff have reviewed those reports and initiated follow-up actions.

BOARD CONTRACTS FOR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS
At its June 21 meeting, the Board of Education contracted for 2005-06 with the City of Raleigh and the Town of Cary to provide school resource officers at each of the high schools located in the two communities. Cary will provide officers at Cary High School, Green Hope High School, and Middle Creek High School. Raleigh will provide officers at Athens Drive High School, Broughton High School, Enloe High, Leesville High, Millbrook High, Sanderson High, Southeast Raleigh High, Wakefield High and Longview/Phillips High School,.

BOARD CONTRACTS FOR SECURITY SERVICES
At its June 21 meeting, the Board of Education contracted with Lankford Protective Services, Inc., for security services for the high school parking lots, various elementary schools, night patrol and the Alarm Monitoring Center. The contract was awarded for an hourly rate of $14.67, estimated at approximately $990,360 annually.

BOARD CONTRACTS FOR SERVICES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS
At its June 21 meeting, the Board of Education contracted for one year with the Life Course Academy to administer services for some special education students. State and federal law requires that students with disabilities who have been long-term suspended and students with severe emotional disabilities continue to receive a free appropriate public education and related services, and access to general curriculum as determined by a school system IEP team. The Life Course Academy will provide education for up to 30 long-term suspended special education students and up to 10 emotionally disabled students whose IEP's call for continued resource to separate services. Legally mandated core academic classes and behavioral training will be provided.

BOARD SETS TUITION FEE FOR 2005-06
At its June 21 meeting, the Board of Education set the tuition fee for non-resident students for the 2005-06 school year at $3,115. The fee is based on the county appropriation per student and the local building program expenditures per student.

BOARD APPOINTS WAKE TECH TRUSTEE
At its June 21 meeting, the Board of Education appointed Bill Atkinson as a trustee on the Wake Technical Community College Board. Atkinson is President and CEO of WakeMed.

BROUGHTON HIGH KITCHEN AND DINING ROOM TO BE RENOVATED
At its June 7 meeting, the Board of Education approved a vendor for a pilot test that includes renovations to Broughton High's kitchen and dining room. Denver Equipment Company is the exclusive developer and distributor of trademarked SERVTECH custom feeding systems and patented DEPCON decorative utility distribution systems. These systems allow plumbing, electrical, and data lines to run throughout the service lines without disturbing existing floors and ceilings. The company's products have paid for itself by increased student participation and sales for CNS programs in other NC school districts. WCPSS Child Nutrition Services expects to see increased sales at the high school level by incorporating new display and lighting equipment.

LEESVILLE AND WAKEFIELD COUNSELORS HONORED
School counselors from Leesville High and Wakefield High will be honored at the June 28 American School Counselor Association Awards Gala. They will receive the Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) award, recognizing that they deliver a comprehensive, data-driven school counseling program aligned with the ASCA National Model for School Counseling.

WCPSS schools began working towards implementation of the ASCA National Model for School Counseling in 2003-04, and most schools have developed a 3-5 year implementation plan for this model. Leesville and Wakefield are the first two WCPSS schools to achieve the goal. The two are among 13 schools in the nation to earn this recognition.

ENLOE HIGH STUDENTS WIN EMMY AWARDS
Students in Enloe High's television journalism class earned Emmy Awards from the Foundation of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The Enloe students won awards for Technical Achievement and Public Affairs/Community Service/Public Service. Eric Notarnicola of Enloe High School Eagle Productions won the Technical Achievement award for "American Tobacco Opening Sequence." Emre Cilem, David Leb, Kevin Moore, Aaron Motsinger, Eric Notarnicola, Scott Snyder, Andrew Zucchino of Enloe High School Eagle Productions won the Public Affairs/Community Service/Public Service Award for "Hat Amnesty Announcement." More information on the Emmy Awards program is available at http://nashville.emmyonline.org/#75

KNIGHTDALE HIGH TEACHER TO STUDY IN FRANCE THIS SUMMER
Knightdale High School French teacher Barbie Brown has been awarded a scholarship to study in France this summer. The scholarships are intended to allow teachers to perfect their language skills and learn about the culture firsthand in an immersion setting. The award covers all expenses except travel. Programs include courses in language, cultures, literature, and history. Barbie was selected by a national committee based on the applicant's proficiency in French, personal essays, professional commitment, and recommendations from colleagues and superiors. She will make presentations on her experiences to school level faculty and staff and will be available to share with other teachers of French across the county and state. Barbie was selected by the American Association of Teachers of French to receive the scholarship offered by the Cultural Service of the French Embassy.

HOLLY RIDGE TEACHER TO STUDY IN JAPAN THIS SUMMER
Holly Ridge Elementary teacher Deborah Wuertz has traveled to Japan for three weeks as part of the Japan Fulbright Memorial Teacher Program. The program allows teachers from all over the US to meet Japanese government officials, meet Japanese educators, and visit elementary and middle schools to gather ideas. Wuertz is one of 600 US teachers selected for the trip which is totally paid for by the Japanese government.

CALENDAR

July 12 2 p.m., Committee of the Whole-Board Conference Room; 4 p.m., Annual Board Meeting-Board 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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