PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2004
PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2004MAY 20, 2004
For many of the young students in our schools today, it would be hard to imagine a time when counties ran two school systems separated by race. Thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka our young people have not experienced the legal racism of the past. That court decision, handed down 50 years ago this week, ushered in a new era of equal access to education that was meant to be unbounded by race or other demographic factors. Today, we continue to advocate not only for access for all, but also for universal proficiency for all groups. That means continuing to work to close achievement gaps and to open wide the doors of opportunity for all youngsters.
Regards,
Mike Ward
In this Biweekly Principals' Message:
- SBE Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Rigor
- General Assembly Convenes
- Teacher Preparation Program Surveys
- Gov. Easley Recognizes Swain County High School
- Giant African Land Snails Pest Alert
- July 20 Election Primary
- Local School Libraries Benefit from Grant Awards
- Summer Leadership Conference to be Held in July
- New Teacher Institute Offered
- Exceptional Children's Conference
- NCLB Spanish Communications' Materials Available Online
- ESL Listserv Available
- The ABC's of Children's Mental Health
- 2004 Ed Tech Leader of the Year Contest
- "Champions for Children" Award Nominations
- Article of Interest
SBE Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Rigor
The SBE Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Rigor met May 4 at the Education Building. Linda Robinson, a consultant who works in staff development in gifted education, made a presentation on various components to consider in defining academic rigor. Committee members continued their discussions regarding the impact throughout the education system of defining academic rigor, barriers to academic rigor, and current courses of study for high school students. Minutes from the May 18 Committee meeting will be included in the Teachers' Message, which will be distributed Thursday, May 27.
The 2004 short session of the General Assembly, which began May 10, really is expected to be a short session, with members completing their work in plenty of time for schools to open in August with a budget in place. Fortunately, this year's financial outlook is more positive than we have experienced over the past few years, but there are many education needs and others that are unmet. Principals are encouraged to bookmark the legislative update portion of DPI's Web site at http://149.168.35.203/legislative_report/ as a good resource for staying abreast of activity in the General Assembly. Remember, legislators value the opinions and perspectives of principals and teachers!
Teacher Preparation Program Surveys
Within the last couple of weeks, some of you should have received a survey from DPI's Teacher Education Section asking for feedback on a teacher preparation program that you, a colleague, or an employee recently completed. We'd like to thank those of you who have completed and returned the survey. If you have not yet had a chance to complete and return the survey, we hope that you will do so as soon as possible. The results of the surveys are part of the Institution of Higher Education (IHE) Annual Performance Report. If you have questions, or need additional information, please contact Stephanie Helms at 919.807.3371 or Steleana Rountree at 919.807.3378.
Gov. Easley Recognizes Swain County High School
Earlier this month, Gov. Mike Easley recognized the efforts of students and staff at Swain County High School (Swain County Schools), which have resulted in higher student achievement and a lower dropout rate. The school's efforts earned them recognition as a national model from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's new project, "New Traditions: Options for Rural High School Excellence."
Giant African Land Snails Pest Alert
North Carolina's Department of Agriculture is interested in locating any Giant African Land Snails that may have been used in science lessons, classrooms, and/or nature facilities. These snails are illegal in the United States because they are highly invasive and can cause extensive damage to important food crops and other agricultural and natural resources. In addition, they may pose a potential health risk if improperly handled. If teachers have Giant African Land Snails, they are asked NOT to release them into the environment or give them away but instead to call the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service at 919.855.7600. Arrangements will be made to collect the snails. Additional information regarding Giant African Land Snails was emailed to central offices last Friday.
Since most schools will be closed in July, Gary Bartlett, executive director of the Board of Elections, has asked us to please remind principals to leave on the air conditioning for the July 20 election primary.
Local School Libraries Benefit from Grant Awards
Nine North Carolina public schools will be able to bolster their library offerings thanks to a grant from the Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries. Recipients were selected from more than 1,200 applications in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and US Virgin Islands. The awards, which can range up to $5,0000, were based primarily on need and will be used to create or expand book collections. Award recipients are: Westerly Hills Elementary, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools; Arlington Elementary, Gaston County Schools; Gillespie Park Elementary and Ceasar Cone Elementary, Guilford County Schools; Roberson Elementary, Edgecombe County Schools; Eastern Elementary, Beaufort County Schools; Darden Middle and Vick Elementary, Wilson County Schools; and Latham Elementary, Winston-Salem-Forsyth Schools. To read more, please go online to http://www.laurabushfoundation.org/052004_awardees.html
Summer Leadership Conference to be Held in July
The 2004 Summer Leadership Conference will be held July 12-14 at the Great Smokies Holiday Inn Sunspree in Asheville. Additional information, including registration and a tentative conference overview, is available online at http://www.wresa.org by clicking on the appropriate link. Questions regarding the conference also may be directed to Roger Metcalf, Western RESA, 828.418.0011, ext. 112, or Vicki Wilson, ext. 122.
Based on feedback from district representatives at the Instructional Services Conference in Charlotte (Fall, 2003), the Department of Public Instruction is offering a New Teacher Institute for arts education, second languages, physical education, and health education K-12 teachers. New teachers are classified as those who are either new to the profession (two or less years of experience), new to the state, or new to the curriculum area or level in which they will be teaching. The Institute will be held Sept. 30 - Oct. 1 at the Radisson Governor's Inn, Research Triangle Park. Registration for the Institute will open on July 1 and is limited to 120 participants. Registration will close on Aug. 27. The registration fee is $100 per participant, which includes materials, breakfast, lunch, and breaks. The registration fee is non-refundable. For more information please contact any of the following consultants: Michele Wallen, Health Education Consultant, 919.807.3857 (mwallen@dpi.state.nc.us), Bryar Cougle, Arts Education Consultant, 919.807.3855 (tcougle@dpi.state.nc.us), or Helga Fasciano, Second Languages Consultant, 919.807.3865 (HFascian@dpi.state.nc..us).
Exceptional Children's Conference
"Making the Promise a Reality" is the theme of the 54th Annual Conference on Exceptional Children. The conference will be held Nov. 1-3 at the Sheraton Hotel/Koury Convention Center, Greensboro. The conference theme is especially timely, as this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision, which helped lay the groundwork for equitable treatment for all, including children and youth with disabilities. In addition, this year marks the 30th anniversary of NC's first comprehensive special education law, the Equal Education Opportunities Act, assuring that "no child shall be excluded from any service for any reason whatsoever." Over 50 instructional sessions, several workshops and institutes, and poster displays will be offered. Teachers, related services personnel, administrators, parents and others are encouraged to mark their calendars and plan to attend.
Principals are asked to let their ESL coordinators, directors and teachers know about the availability of a listserv tailored to fit their communications' needs. To join, go to the ESL Web site at http://www.learnnc.org/ and click on the bullet "Listservs." Check out the other bullets on that Web site for lots of information related to limited English proficient students and instructional programs to serve them in North Carolina.
NCLB Spanish Communications' Materials Available Online
NCLB Spanish Communications' Materials Available Online - NCLB Sample Letters, Forms, and Fact Sheets Addressing School Choice, Supplemental Educational Services, and "Highly Qualified" Teachers have been translated into Spanish and are available online at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/ by clicking on the appropriate link. Each Spanish version is listed with its English counterpart.
The ABCs of Children's Mental Health
The National Association of School Psychologists has developed a publication that may be of interest to local principals, "The ABCs of Children's Mental Health." This publication addresses the role mental health plays in the school context and its impact on students' social, emotional and academic success. The NC School Psychology Association is also distributing this for May, which has been designated National Mental Health month. To download a free copy of this publication and others, please go to the NASP Web site at http://www.naspcenter.org/ and scroll to the appropriate link.
2004 Ed Tech Leader of the Year Contest
Technology&Learning's Ed Tech Leader of the Year Program recognizes and honors K-12 teachers, technology specialists, and administrators who use technology in innovative ways to motivate students and enrich learning. The deadline for submission is Sept. 10.
"Champions for Children" Award Nominations
McDonald's is asking for your help in nominating outstanding middle and high school students who have shown leadership, compassion and an earnest desire to help children in their community for their "Champions for Children" annual award. Four awards, each including a cash prize of $250, will be given in the following locations: Charlotte area, Triad (Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem) area, Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) area, and the Greenville area. If you know a deserving student, please submit a one-page letter on his/her behalf and email it by Sept. 30 to gigid@mindspring.com. For more information, please contact Gigi Donovan at 919.855.0092 or at the above email address.
The following article from the PEN Weekly NewsBlast may be of interest to principals. In "Partnering with Families&Communities," Joyce Epstein and Karen Clark Salinas discuss the benefits a well-organized program of family and community partnerships yields for schools and their students and shares best practices in building school partnership programs. To read more, please go online to http://www.ascd.org/publications/ed_lead/200405/epstein.html