PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2013
PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2013JUNE 20, 2013 - Principals' Biweekly Message
We expect lawmakers to finalize the budget soon and I encourage you to pay close attention to the differences in the budget proposals on the table. Chief Financial Officer Philip Price and his team have developed side-by-side comparisons and other information available at www.ncpublicschools.org/fbs. Principals more than anyone see the effects of the state education budget. Lawmakers in your district need to hear from you about the impact of budget decisions and your school's and students' needs.
Regards,
June Atkinson
In this Biweekly Principals' Message:
State Superintendent Calls for Exempting Public School Teachers from Personal State Income Taxes
State Superintendent June Atkinson has asked North Carolina lawmakers to increase the state's competitiveness in teacher pay and recruitment by exempting public school teachers from having to pay any personal state income taxes. "Those supporting a cut in corporate income taxes say that the reduction will attract more corporations and then we will have more jobs for North Carolinians. The General Assembly proposed budgets do not include salary increases for teachers, but corporations expanding or locating in North Carolina certainly need workers who are educated - the work of teachers," Atkinson said. To read more, please visit www.ncpublicschools.org and click on the appropriate link under "News."
History of MSL
In 2010, when NCDPI staff met with local superintendents, they discussed options for determining student growth as a part of teacher effectiveness. Those options included that
- Each school district would develop its own valid and reliable tests to determine student growth in state non-tested areas.
- The NCDPI, in consultation, with teachers and local school districts, would develop valid and reliable measures.
- Any other strategy superintendents may develop.
Local superintendents unanimously voted for Option 2. In 2011-12, superintendents across the state met to give feedback about whether to apply for an ESEA waiver. Again, superintendents agreed that NCDPI staff should apply for a waiver using the teacher effectiveness growth model in exchange for eliminating AYP, supplementary educational services requirements, and school choice.
As a part of the process in giving MSL statewide, we have made a commitment to do an item and test analysis. If any items or tests do not perform in a valid way, we will adjust accordingly.
EVAAS FAQ
Answers to the most commonly-asked questions about EVAAS, including the incorporation of EVAAS into the state's accountability and educator effectiveness models, are available online at www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/effectiveness-model/evaas/resources/2013-spring-faq.pdf.
Mentor Online Module
The NCDPI Development team has worked to open the mentor module early so year-round schools could have access. The mentor module is now open for enrollment at the NCEducation site under Phase III modules at https://center.ncsu.edu/nc/course/category.php?id=33281
Block Registrations Offered for Bridging the Gap K-16 STEM Conference
A number of principals have expressed interest in registering teachers for the Bridging the Gap K-16 STEM education conference, which will be held Oct. 14-15 in Raleigh. Schools are allowed to purchase blocks of registrations at a special rate before the current fiscal year ends on June 30. For every three conference registrations you purchase, the fourth registration is free. Registration is $195 per teacher. You do not need to provide the names of the registrants up front. Instead, you will receive a special code to distribute once you determine which teachers your school will send. Each teacher can visit the conference website, enter that code and fill in his or her information to complete the registration process.
To purchase a block of registrations for your school before the end of June, please contact Regina Williams, at registration@bridgingthegapnc.com or 919.785.1304 ext. 202. Do not register directly on the conference website, as this discount option for bulk orders is not available to the general public. Conference information is available online at http://bridgingthegapnc.com.