TEACHERS' MESSAGES 2006
TEACHERS' MESSAGES 2006MARCH 23, 2006
Earlier this month, Superior Court Judge Howard Manning sent a letter to State Board of Education Chairman Howard Lee and me concerning low-performing high schools in our state. The letter is available for you to read at www.ncpublicschools.org under News. Judge Manning's message is clear: North Carolina educators and leaders must ensure that all of our high schools are providing students with the skills and preparation that they will need for success. If that is not happening, significant changes need to be implemented to ensure that low-performing high schools improve. The State Board will begin reviewing a plan in April to address the needs of low-performing high schools, and we will share details of that with you as they unfold.
Regards,
June Atkinson
In this Biweekly Teachers' Message:
- Spring Litter Sweep Scheduled for Mid-April
- Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps Conference Update
- Words to the Wise
- Regional NBC Information Sessions Scheduled
- Writing Across the Curriculum Conference
- Professional Development Opportunity for High School Social Studies Teachers: African American Studies
- Adolescent Literacy Online Course Project
- SAS inSchool Update
- Preserve America History Teacher of the Year Award
Spring Litter Sweep Scheduled for Mid-April
The N.C. Department of Transportation is sponsoring its spring Litter Sweep cleanup April 17-30. In support of this event, Gov. Mike Easley has proclaimed April 17-30 as "Litter Sweep" in North Carolina and encouraged all citizens to take an active role in making their communities cleaner and more beautiful. Teachers may want to use this event to highlight the importance of recycling and environmental responsibility with students. For more information, please contact Helen Landi, Office of Beautification Programs, 919.715.3188.
Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps Conference Update
The Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps Conference X is less than a week away. NCDPI staff look forward to seeing you at the Sheraton Four Seasons/Koury Convention Center, Greensboro, on March 27-29. All registrants are encouraged to take advantage of the 10 excellent focus sessions scheduled for Monday, March 27, from 1-4:00 p.m. (Focus Session abstracts may be viewed on the Conference Web site at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/schoolimprovement/closingthegap/.) Please note that the Conference has reached capacity and that there will be no on-site registration. If you have any questions, please contact Angela Hopson at 919.807.3609, or by email, ahopson@dpi.state.nc.us.
The March edition of the Words to the Wise newsletter is available online and includes articles on when the next USDDC export/import cycle is scheduled and what you need to do to complete a successful import; the expanded DPI Service Desk hours for NC WISE and SIMS users; YET and helpful hints to ensure your LEA or school experiences a successful year-end transition; the new NC WISE/SIMS Information Portal and how it can improve communications for NC WISE and SIMS users; and photos from the 2006 NC WISE Symposium. To read or download the newsletter, please go online to:
http://www.ncwise.org/newsletter/wise_newsletter_03_17_06.pdf.
(pdf,
190kb)
Regional NBC Information Sessions Scheduled
A few regional National Board Certification information sessions have been scheduled for the spring. All teachers interested in pursuing certification are invited to attend the session nearest them. Sessions will be held from 4-5:30 p.m. on the following dates:
- Tuesday, March 28, Columbia High School, 902 Main Street, Columbus (Tyrrell County)
- Wednesday, March 29, Halifax County Schools' Central Office, (Halifax County)
- Tuesday, April 11, NCDPI, Education Building, 301 N Wilmington Street, Raleigh
- Tuesday, April 25, Horizons School, 1636 Parkview Circle, Salisbury (Rowan County)
- Wednesday, April 26, Ashe County High School, 184 Campus Drive, West Jefferson (Ashe County)
- Thursday, May 4, NCDPI, Education Building, 301 N Wilmington Street, Raleigh
- Wednesday, May 24, Hoke County (Location TBD)
Writing Across the Curriculum Conference
On April 1, the Capital Area Writing Project at North Carolina State University and UNC-Charlotte's Writing Project, affiliate sites of the National Writing Project, will co-host the second annual one-day conference, "Writing Across the Curriculum." The featured presenter is Dr. Chris Anson, a specialist in Writing to Learn from NCSU and director of the Center for Writing and Speaking. Eight breakout sessions will provide teachers additional opportunities to learn more about writing in the content areas, with specific examples from middle and secondary social studies, science, and English courses. For more information and registration forms, please go online to http://community.learnnc.org/dpi/ela/ and click on the appropriate link or contact Barbara Geiger at bugeiger@uptonassociates.com.
Professional Development Opportunity for High School Social Studies Teachers: African American Studies
The NCDPI in conjunction with the National Humanities Center will sponsor a two-day professional development opportunity for high school social studies teachers on African American Studies: 1865-1917. This two-day workshop, which is scheduled for April 5-6 is designed for educators who teach the high school elective course African American Studies, and other social studies educators who have an interest in expanding their knowledge of events, issues and contributions related to African Americans. Space will be limited to the first 20 paid registrants. For more information, including workshop registration forms, please go online to http://community.learnnc.org/dpi/socialstudies. Questions regarding the workshop should be directed to Steven Weber via at sweber@dpi.state.nc.us or by phone at 919.807.3828.
Adolescent Literacy Online Course Project
The Adolescent Literacy Project is an online professional development initiative for high school teachers funded by the NCDPI and produced by LEARN NC. Four, six-week asynchronous courses will be given to trained instructors identified by districts at no cost. Each instructor may teach only one of the following courses as many times as possible during the 2006-07 academic year:
- Adolescent Literacy: Science Comprehension Strategies
- Adolescent Literacy: Mathematics Comprehension Strategies
- Adolescent Literacy: Social Studies Comprehension Strategies
- Adolescent Literacy: English Language Arts Comprehension Strategies
SAS inSchool Update - Educators can get the most out of Curriculum Pathways®
through face-to-face, on-site training. Whether you're a teacher, technology
facilitator, school library media coordinator, administrator or consultant,
consultants come to you with a customized plan to meet your needs. Find out
more at www.sasinschool.com/support/pages/onsite_training.shtml.
Did you know that the NCDPI offers online learning via its eBistro site at
www.landmark-project.com/ebistro?
Look for an eBistro module, Investigating Curriculum Pathways, to debut this
spring.
Preserve America History Teacher of the Year Award
Preserve America History Teacher of the Year Award - The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and Preserve America announce the third annual Preserve America History Teacher of the Year Award, which honors outstanding teachers of American history across the country. One North Carolina educator will be selected as the 2006 state winner. For additional guidelines and application information, please go online to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/socialstudies/. The application deadline is April 28. For questions regarding this program, please contact Steven Weber at sweber@dpi.state.nc.us or 919.807.3828, or Judy McInnis at jmcinnis@dpi.state.nc.us or 919.807.3924.