TEACHERS' MESSAGES 2005

JANUARY 27, 2005

For the past two weeks, Department of Public Instruction staff and members of the State Board of Education have held regional informational meetings on options to implement the new high school exit standards framework approved by the Board last fall. At these meetings, teachers, school administrators and parents have provided important input on the best ways to implement the framework. If you have not provided feedback, you have until the end of January to do so. An online survey on the implementation options is available at http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB223Z4QK9EC4 . Also, if you would like more information about the high school exit standards framework and what it entails, please read more at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountablity/policyoperations/exitstandards/. Information provided through the survey and the public meetings will be used to assist State Board members in making decisions about implementing new standards.

Regards,
Tricia Willoughby

In this Biweekly Teachers' Message:

1. Input Sought on Technical Assistance Needs to Implement NCLB
2. January Heats Up for the NC WISE Team
3. Wayne County Schools' Teacher Receives National Award
4. Schools Thanked for Survey Participation
5. National Youth Science Camp
6. Holocaust Workshop for Teachers
7. Advanced Placement Forum Scheduled for March
8. First State Suicide Prevention Conference Scheduled
9. Shakespeare Festival Launches new Artist in the Schools Program
10. LEARN NC January Edition Online
11. Additional Grant Opportunities

State Board Meeting Highlights

Input Sought on Technical Assistance Needs to Implement NCLB - The U.S. Department of Education has established 10 Regional Advisory Committees (RAC) to strengthen the capacity of state and local education agencies to improve schools in their region. The Southeast Regional Advisory Committee is charged with conducting an assessment of technical assistance needs of states, districts, schools and other education stakeholders in the region. Each RAC will submit a report to the Secretary of Education by March 2005. The recommendations from these reports will be used by the US DOE to establish funding priorities for 20 new technical assistance centers. The US DOE would like your comments and input regarding technical assistance needs of educators to implement No Child Left Behind goals. You can register your comments online at http://www.rac-ed.org by clicking on Public Forum under the Region 1-Southeast link. By registering you will automatically receive E-bulletins that provide updates on regional information and notification of regional events. If you do not wish to register but would still like to provide input, please email your comments to rac@cna.org and write in the subject header "Southeast Comments." Comments must be received by Feb. 18. For more information, please contact Southeast Region Advisory Committee member Curtis Bynum, Compensatory Education, NC DPI, 919.807.3957, or by email, cbynum@dpi.state.nc.us.

January Heats Up for the NC WISE Team

January has been a busy month for NC WISE as teams travel across the state converting numerous Wave 1 LEAs and charter schools as well as hosting workshops to introduce district administrators and educators to NC WISE and how to use it. The NC WISE team welcomes the following newly converted LEAs to the NC WISE family: Caldwell County, Granville County, Iredell-Statesville, Mooresville City, Success Institute, Elkin City, Wilkes County and Yadkin County. Winston Salem-Forsyth is scheduled to go live with NC WISE on Jan. 28. A number of LEAs and charter schools got their first look at NC WISE last week as they began their Getting Started Workshops. Those LEAs and charter schools include: A Child's Garden, Franklin Academy, Franklin County, Haliwa-Saponi Tribal, Healthy Start Academy, Hope Elementary, Magellan Charter, Roanoke Rapids City, Quest Academy, Torchlight Academy and Weldon City. To date, 27 LEAs and charter schools have converted to NC WISE during Wave 1 deployment. The ambitious task of converting 40 schools a week continues through the Wave 1 deployment, and concludes in March 2005. Schools will be converted at the rate of 40 a week through Waves 2 and 3 until all 115 LEAs and 100 charter schools are converted by 2007.

Wayne County Schools' Teacher Receives National Award

Congratulations to Tommy's Road Elementary School teacher Cathie Hooks for being named the first national recipient of the AOL@School-neafoundation Technology Leadership Award. Her prize package includes $3,500 cash and $3,500 worth of technology equipment including a Dell computer, projector, and digital camera. In addition, she will be featured along with her class in an AOL commercial and listed in the World Almanac as the first national winner. Hooks also was the 2003-04 Southeast Region Teacher of the Year.

Schools Thanked for Survey Participation

The Professional Teaching Standards Commission would like to thank and congratulate educators for their participation in the 2004 Teacher Working Conditions Survey. A number of schools had participation rates of 40 percent or more. Schools with a 40 percent response rate or better have individual reports available for review. System surveys are available online at http://twc.learnnc.org/gov/twc.nsf/schools_view&openview&count=25 by clicking on the appropriate link. The Commission looks forward to even greater participation when the survey is administered again in the spring of 2006. For more information, please contact Eleanor Goettee, NC Professional Teaching Standards Commission, 919.807.3424, or by email, egoettee@dpi.state.nc.us.

National Youth Science Camp

North Carolina public school students can now apply to be the state's representatives at the National Youth Science Camp (NYSC), which will take place June 30-July 25 in Charleston, W.Va. Two high school seniors will receive a full scholarship to exchange ideas with scientists and other professionals from the academic and corporate worlds. The four-week experience includes lectures and hands-on research projects, three overnight expeditions into the National Forest, and a visit to Washington, DC. The selected delegates must not only demonstrate academic achievement in science, but also show potential for thoughtful scientific leadership. NYSC is offered at no cost to participants so that selected delegates may attend regardless of their financial status. The application deadline is Feb. 18. Additional information, including an application, is available on the NYSC Web site at www.nysc.org by clicking on the appropriate link. Applications are to be submitted to Eleanor Enthoven Hasse, Science Consultant, Instructional Services, NC DPI, 6352 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6352. For more information, contact Hasse at 919.807.3845, or by email, eehasse@dpi.state.nc.us.

Holocaust Workshop for Teachers

Three, one-day, multi-county Holocaust workshops have been scheduled for middle and high school social studies and English teachers. Presenting at the workshops will be Dr. Karl Schleunes, a historian and Holocaust scholar, and Gizella Abramson, a Holocaust survivor of the Majdanek death camp. Participants will receive a copy of "The Holocaust: a North Carolina Teacher's Resource," a guide for teaching about the Holocaust at the middle and high school levels. Substitute pay is provided for teachers attending, but space is limited and teachers are encouraged to make early contact with Linda Scher, Workshop Coordinator. Workshop dates and locations are as follows: Fayetteville, Cumberland County, Feb. 21; Louisburg, Franklin County, March 21; and Burnsville, Yancey County, April 12. For additional information, including registration, please email Holocaust Teacher Workshop Coordinator Linda Scher at Brisket234@aol.com.

Advanced Placement Forum Scheduled for March

An Advanced Placement Forum will be held at the Durham Marriott at the Civic Center on March 8. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. with the opening session scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Workshops begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. The forum will have interactive session in the following five strands: Administration, Mathematics, English, Science, and Social Studies. The one-day forum's registration fee is $125 and covers all materials and lunch. For registration information, please go to "Events and Conferences" on the Agency's Web site at www.ncpublicschools.org or contact Wandra Polk, Instructional Services, DPI, 919.807.3816, or by email, wpolk@dpi.state.nc.us.

First State Suicide Prevention Conference Scheduled

The first statewide suicide prevention conference, "Saving Tomorrows Today: Keys to Implementing North Carolina's Plan for Suicide Prevention," will be held March 24-25, at the Sheraton, Chapel Hill. The event is co-sponsored by the Mental Health Association in North Carolina, the North Carolina Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force, and Greensboro AHEC. All educational professionals, including psychologists, counselors, social workers, and nurses, are encouraged to attend. There is a registration fee of $95 if received prior to March 17 and $110 if received after this date. For more information, including registration, please go online to the Greensboro AHEC's Web site at http://www.gahec.org/Db/details.asp?results=11762

Shakespeare Festival Launches new Artist in the Schools Program

The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival announced the inauguration of ShakeSpirit: The Artist in the School, a program designed to bring artists and students together to explore various topics in the study of William Shakespeare. ShakeSpirit will allow teachers to arrange for an artist to guide their students through a vivid, hands-on experience with Shakespeare. Teachers at all grade levels will be able to choose topics and consult with artists on areas that should be emphasized. The artist can then visit the students prepared to go into a well-crafted classroom experience. There is a modest fee for ShakeSpirit based on the length and number of artist visits to a school. For more information, teachers may contact NCSF's Outreach Education Director Allan Edwards at 336.841.2273, ext. 227, or by email, allan@ncshakes.org.

LEARN NC January Edition Online

LEARN NC's January edition offers educators an important announcement regarding the redesign of their Web site in addition to the following resources: Teaching about tragedy: Tsunami; Revisiting your rules; Reading for relevance in literature; School Leadership: a new collection of articles; and Animals in winter. Check out these articles and more by going online to http://www.learnnc.org and clicking on the appropriate link.

Additional Grant Opportunities

The Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program, a partnership between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation is requesting proposals for schoolyard environmental demonstration projects throughout the program region. The region includes five major river basins: the Chowan, Pasquotank, Roanoke, Tar-Pamlico and Neuse. Demonstration project proposals are being solicited from schools, government agencies and nonprofit organizations within each river basin. The projects must address the main sections of the APNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan: water quality, vital habitats, fisheries and stewardship. Projects must address an on-site environmental issue and have an environmental education component. Some existing projects include constructed wetlands at the Pactolus Elementary in Pitt County and Winfall schools in Perquimans County and a stormwater detention area at Bunn High School in Franklin County. With a total of $100,000 available for grants, each of the five river basins may receive up to $20,000. The APNEP Citizen Council will select the projects and determine the funding amounts. Prospective grant recipients are encouraged to partner with others to leverage additional funds. To receive an application and a copy of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, visit the APNEP Web site at http://www.apnep.org or contact Kelly Williams at 919.715.4074 or by email, Kelly.williams@ncmail.net