TEACHERS' MESSAGES 2005

OCTOBER 27, 2005

Every two years, North Carolina receives information from the National Assessment of Educational Progress based on assessments given to a representative sample of our state's fourth and eighth graders. This year's information provided us with some good news and some not-so-good news. The good news is that North Carolina students continue to score higher than the nation on mathematics. North Carolina outpaces the nation on the growth we have experienced in mathematics since the NAEP first began at the state level. The not-so-good news is that reading scores for our state decreased in 2005. Nonetheless, this serves as a wake-up call that everyone - including families and communities - needs to refocus attention on encouraging and supporting reading as a lifelong habit.

Regards,
June Atkinson

In this Biweekly Teachers' Message:

1. Gov. Easley Announces Plan to Bring Teacher Salaries to National Average
2. Gov. Easley Announces 23 New Learn and Earn High Schools
3. Winston-Salem/Forsyth Teacher Named to All-USA Teacher Team
4. Public Comment Sought on North Carolina State Performance Plan
5. Resources for Healthy Active Children Policy: Classroom Based Physical Activity
6. Literacy to Learn: Reading, Writing, and Thinking across the Curriculum
7. Balanced Curriculum Survey Responses Appreciated
8. Reading Resource
9. NASPE's Teacher's Toolbox Available Online
10. Applications Being Accepted to North Carolina Principals Fellows Program
11. North Carolina Office of School Readiness' Newsletter Online

Gov. Easley Announces Plan to Bring Teacher Salaries to National Average

On Tuesday, Gov. Mike Easley announced a plan to bring teacher salaries to the national average within four years and substantially increase the competitiveness of North Carolina's beginning teacher salary. By the 2008-09 school year, teachers in North Carolina will earn an average of $52,266, above the national average estimated by the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) to be $52,206 for that year. Easley's plan provides for an increase of $750 for teachers on an annualized basis this year, effective in the November paycheck. This permanent increase is in addition to the average 2.24 percent increase already provided in the 2005-06 budget. There will be additional average annual increases of 5 percent for the following three years. This increase will significantly increase pay for new teachers. Future raises may be provided as flat rate, percentage increases or some combination of both to meet the state's goal.

Gov. Easley Announces 23 New Learn and Earn High Schools

Gov. Easley recently announced that school districts, community colleges and universities in 22 North Carolina counties will receive $1.035 million in state funds for planning grants to create 23 new Learn and Earn high schools across the state. New schools will be planned in the following counties: Brunswick, Caldwell, Carteret, Cherokee, Columbus, Craven, Greene, Guilford, Haywood, Hertford, Hoke, Lee, Macon, McDowell, New Hanover, Pamlico, Pender, Pitt, Randolph, Stanly, Union and Wake. Learn and Earn schools enable students to attend high school for one additional year to earn a diploma and an associate's degree or two years of college credit.

Winston-Salem/Forsyth Teacher Named to All-USA Teacher Team

Congratulations to Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools' teacher Kathy Lineberger for being named to USA TODAY's 2005 All-USA Teacher Team. Lineberger is one of 19 individuals and one instructional team of four nationwide selected for this honor. She will receive a trophy and $500. Her school, Ward Elementary, will receive $2,000. To read more, please go online to http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/allstars/

Public Comment Sought on North Carolina State Performance Plan

Educators, parents and community members are encouraged to review North Carolina's State Performance Plan and offer comment between Oct. 28 and Nov. 28. The State Performance Plan is designed to evaluate North Carolina's efforts to implement the requirements and purposes of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and how the state will improve its implementation. Beginning Oct. 28, the North Carolina State Performance Plan will be available on the NCDPI's Exceptional Children Web site at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/ec. Comments may be submitted via email to Ira Wolfe, Exceptional Children Division, NCDPI, by email iwolfe@dpi.state.nc.us or by US mail to Ira Wolfe, Exceptional Children Division, NCDPI, 6365 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6365.

Resources for Healthy Active Children Policy: Classroom Based Physical Activity

The Carolina Panthers, in partnership with Charlotte Country Day and the NC Department of Public Instruction, are working to provide a resource for elementary classroom teachers to help students be active. By next school year, grades K-8 are required to offer at least 30 minutes per day of physical activity for students (SBE Policy # HSP-S-000). This requirement can be met through three, 10-minute segments or accomplished in a 30-minute block. The Carolina Panthers Fit Squad was created to provide elementary classroom teachers with a resource to provide this physical activity. To register for the "Fit Squad" program, visit the Carolina Panthers Web site and click on the community involvement link. You may also visit http://www.panthers.com/community/commProgramsDetail.jsp?id=20846 for more information. An additional resource to meet the physical activity requirement is "Energizers: Classroom-based Physical Activities" located at www.ncpe4me.com and available to download for free. For more information about either of these products or the Healthy Active Children Policy, please contact Kymm Ballard at kballard@dpi.state.nc.us.

Literacy to Learn: Reading, Writing, and Thinking across the Curriculum

Announcing Literacy to Learn: Reading, Writing, and Thinking across the Curriculum - three new online courses from the United Star Distance Learning Consortium (USDLC). These courses -- one for elementary, a second for middle and high school, and a third for K-12 specifically on digital literacy -- are designed to help educators learn about and teach 21st century literacy. Course content is delivered via video or audio files. With prior approval from their local school system, teachers may earn up to 6.0 CEU renewal credits per course in Reading or Technology. All courses are free for North Carolina public school educators. For more information, visit the Literacy to Learn Web site during its "open house" from Oct. 17-31 and register to win a "door prize" that will help you take your professional development with you - an iPod (20GB PC + Mac) donated by Apple Computer. Go to www.USDLC-L2L.org and visit as a guest to preview the site. To create a personal account, contact your school system's professional development coordinator for your system site code and password or contact Linda Walters, USDLC Professional Development Coordinator, NCDPI, at 919.807.3497, or by email, lwalters@dpi.state.nc.us.

Balanced Curriculum Survey Responses Appreciated

The NCDPI's Elementary Division staff would like to thank educators for their time and honesty in responding to the Balanced Curriculum Zoomerang Survey. Staff members are in the process of reading through each question and each response as they decide their next steps. Plans will be posted and advertised via the biweekly email newsletter once they've been finalized.

Reading Resource

According to Reading Rockets, October is Kid Check-In Month, the perfect time to make sure a child's reading ability is developing on track. Reading Rocket offers online tips, strategies and ideas on how to strengthen student's reading skills, make reading more fun and share information with parent/guardians. By going to their Web site at http://www.readingrockets.org/index.php, teachers can access materials that can be used to screen students to see if they are developing on track in learning to read. Reading Rockets is one resource teachers can use to enhance their reading instruction in the classroom.

NASPE's Teacher's Toolbox Available Online

Elementary teachers may want to check out the National Association for Sport & Physical Education's (NASPE's) popular Teacher's Toolbox for November, which is now available online at www.naspeinfo.org. Scroll down to "Hot News Items" to find the new physical activities tied into the national standards for physical education, a fitness calendar in both English and Spanish, national health observances, puzzles, poems, coloring book page, ideas for promoting physical education, and free resources.

Applications Being Accepted to North Carolina Principals Fellows Program

Applications are now being accepted for the 2006-07 NC Principal Fellows Program, which assists selected individuals to prepare for a career in school administration (i.e., assistant principal or principal). Each scholarship loan will provide funding for up to two years in the amount of $20,000 per year to support students who enroll in and complete a full-time, two-year master's degree program in school administration at one of the participating institutions of the University of North Carolina. Recipients of the scholarship loan must be willing to practice at an approved site in North Carolina as a full-time administrator for two years for each year of funding (four years) or repay in cash. The deadline to apply for the 2006-07 academic year is Jan. 16. For applicant requirements and an application, you may write to the NC Principal Fellows Program, Attn: Director, 140 Friday Center Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27517; or call 919.962.4575; email mupdike@northcarolina.edu; or fax a request to 919.962.4328. Program information also is available online at http://www.ga.unc.edu/Principal_Fellows/

North Carolina Office of School Readiness' Newsletter Online

The inaugural edition of the North Carolina Office of School Readiness' newsletter is now online and contains the following articles: Collaborating for Children's Success: Announcing the North Carolina Office of School Readiness, Professional Development, and School Readiness Resources. To read more, please go online to http://www.governor.state.nc.us/Office/Education/Newsletter.asp