PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2008

MARCH 20, 2008 - Principals' Biweekly Message

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings this week announced a new pilot program under No Child Left Behind aimed at helping states differentiate between underperforming schools in need of dramatic interventions and those that are closer to meeting the goals of No Child Left Behind. The Secretary announced the new pilot program to an audience of education stakeholders in Saint Paul, Minn. The formal letter from the U.S. Department of Education is expected sometime this week, and we look forward to evaluating whether North Carolina would be well-served in applying for this program. I think it is very positive that the Secretary is finding ways to offer more flexibility and improvement to No Child Left Behind.

Regards,
June Atkinson

In this Biweekly Principals' Message:

1. Superintendent's Task Force on Ethics and Licensure to Meet
2. Immunization Rule Changes for Tdap and Mumps Vaccines
3. Summit on US/China K-12 Education
4. LEARN NC Course Offerings
5. Elementary School Conference Call for Proposals
6. Staff Development Opportunity for High School Social Studies Teachers
7. Teaching Ambassador Fellowship
8. Middle and High School ACE Academies
9. Economic Educators of the Year Competition

Superintendent's Task Force on Ethics and Licensure to Meet

The first meeting of the Superintendent's Task Force on Ethics and Licensure took place today in the Education Building, Raleigh. Comprised of local school administrators, deans of education schools, teachers, local school board attorneys, and representatives from the teacher organizations, the task force began considering a number of issues including: fingerprinting at the state level, the list of grounds for disciplinary actions, the range of available disciplinary actions, how to distribute the code of teacher ethics more effectively, whether to license substitutes and teacher assistants, when to require local schools systems to report to the state regarding misconduct of teachers, and generally how to strengthen our system of teacher discipline. The task force also will examine the teacher discipline approach in other states as well as rules and procedures used to license other professionals in North Carolina. Ultimately, the task force will review whether changes to NC rules are advisable and perhaps additional legislation. The end result will be a report with recommendations to the State Board and State Superintendent. If you have any questions, please contact the NCDPI Communications division at 919.807.3450.

Immunization Rule Changes for Tdap and Mumps Vaccines

As a reminder, effective Jan. 1, the administrative rule, 10A NCAC 41A.0401, has been changed, adding requirements for one booster dose of Tdap (tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis) vaccine to be given all individuals attending public school who are entering the 6th grade on or after Aug. 1 if five years or more have passed since the last dose of tetanus/diphtheria toxoid. This administrative rule change also impacts mumps vaccination. The Immunization Branch has developed a variety of resources that the schools can use to educate staff and parents/guardians about the rule changes. A toolkit of materials will be sent to every school around the end of March/beginning of April. Each kit will include enough copies of the informational parent flyer for every 5th grade student in their school. Until the kits arrive, all of the educational materials found in it are available online at www.immunizenc.com/Schools.htm. Questions regarding the changes in the tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (Tdap) and mumps vaccination requirements or any of the educational materials should be addressed to your Regional Immunization Consultant, or by calling the Immunization Branch Central Office at 919.707.5550.

Summit on US/China K-12 Education

The Summit on US/China K-12 Education: Global Collaborations and Partnerships will be held on Thursday, May 1, from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, Raleigh. Educators, policy makers, and business leaders are invited to attend the summit to learn why US/China collaborations are important for creating a globally educated citizenry and work force. North Carolina educators will describe current collaborations and partnerships and share best practices, and offer opportunities to establish new partnerships with Chinese educators. The event is free and lunch will be provided. Space is limited. You can register online at www.fi.ncsu.edu/USChina.

LEARN NC Course Offerings

Reading, Writing and Research: Integrating Literacy across the Curriculum - Teachers can turn their students into savvy consumers of information. Explore reading and writing instruction and information literacy concepts, and learn to effectively integrate these literacy skills into your teaching, regardless of the subject or grade level. This course begins April 2.

Reaching English Language Learners - Help English language learners reach their potential in the classroom. "Reaching English Language Learners" will show teachers how to optimize their lesson plans and increase student comprehension using North Carolina's English Language Development Standards...

The course begins April 8, and teachers can earn 4 CEUs. For more information on these courses or to register, please go online to www.learnnc.org/courses

Elementary School Conference Call for Proposals

The North Carolina Association of Elementary Educators is now accepting Call for Proposals for its Fifth Annual Elementary School Conference to be held Oct. 26-28 at the Raleigh Convention Center. Information on the conference, including the online Call for Proposal forms, can be found at www.ncelementary.org. Proposals are due May 1.

Staff Development Opportunity for High School Social Studies Teachers

The North Carolina Civic Education Consortium is offering high school social studies teachers a professional development opportunity: One Nation Under Law: The US Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of North Carolina. The workshop will be held on Wednesday, April 16, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., in Room 2401, UNC Chapel Hill School of Government. The workshop will highlight resources designed to teach students about the US Supreme Court and the NC Supreme Court, including lesson plans and activities, video segments from PBS's series on America's highest court and interactive Web resources. There is a $50 fee to offset travel costs. Space is limited. To register, download the application from www.civics.unc.edu/upcomingtrainings and fax it to the attention of Anita Buie at 919.843.2558.

Teaching Ambassador Fellowship

K-12 public school teachers who have spent at least three years in the classroom are eligible to apply for a Teaching Ambassador Fellowship with the U.S. Department of Education. The program offers two tracks: a Classroom or Washington Fellowship. Teachers will be chosen based upon their record of leadership, impact on student achievement, and potential for contribution to the field. Up to 20 Classroom Fellows and five Washington Fellows will be named by the summer of 2008. Interested teachers should visit the Fellowship Web site at www.ed.gov/programs/teacherfellowship to learn more details and locate links to the application.

Middle and High School ACE Academies

The NCDOT Division of Aviation is sponsoring ACE Academies this summer for middle and high school students. The Middle School ACE Academy is a week-long program for rising 7th - 9th graders and the High School ACE Academy is a week-long program for rising 10th - 12th graders. The camps will focus on airplanes and flying, the theory of flight and aviation history, and aviation careers. Students will delve into real world aviation applications, including radio-controlled aircraft, understanding aircraft construction, and a design project of building and launching a rocket. Students will be able to attend field trips to learn more about aviation and will get the opportunity to fly an airplane. The High School Academies will be held from June 22-27 at GTCC in Greensboro and Robeson Community College in Lumberton, and the Middle School Academy will be held June 15-20 in Greensboro at GTCC. Please go online to www.ncaviationeducation.aero for more information, or call Dave Thomas, NCDOT Division of Aviation, at 919.840.0112.

Economic Educators of the Year Competition

The North Carolina Council on Economic Education is pleased to announce its 3rd annual Economic Educator of the Year competition. The competition is open to any NC high school teacher whose subject matter includes a significant portion of economics or personal financial literacy and is designed to reward outstanding and innovative approaches to teaching economics. There will be cash awards of $5,000 for the winner, with two finalists receiving $1,500 each. This competition was made possible by generous support from the BB&T Foundation. Applications, which must be postmarked by April 15, may be downloaded at www.nccee.org.

 

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