TEACHERS' MESSAGES 2006

JUNE 8, 2006

Schools on traditional calendars will end the school year this week, and I congratulate you for the work you have done this year to help your students succeed. Over the summer, the legislature will continue its short session, and I encourage you to take some time to check out the Department of Public Instruction/State Board of Education legislative update page on the Web at www.ncpublicschools.org under Education Legislation. Your opinions on legislation are very meaningful to lawmakers in the State House and Senate. I encourage you to communicate concerning the needs of your classrooms and schools.

Regards,
June Atkinson

In this Biweekly Teachers' Message:

1. Highlights of State Board Planning Retreat/June Meeting
2. 2006 Teacher Working Conditions Survey Results Announced
3. Grant to Continue High School Reform Efforts
4. UNC-G Receives Planning Grant to Create State's First Virtual Learn and Earn High School
5. Teach Online in 2006-07
6. NCAE Sponsors National Board Certification Support Session
7. Submit Your Activity Plans and Help Fight Childhood Obesity
8. NC Strawberry Association Announces Contest Winners

Highlights of State Board Planning Retreat/June Meeting

Highlights of State Board Planning Retreat/June Meeting - The State Board of Education held a planning retreat last week to discuss 21st century learning and North Carolina public schools. This discussion provided Board members time to consider priorities that should be used to flesh out the conceptual framework they approved in May. At their regular monthly board meeting held Thursday, members received a presentation on the turnaround plan for low-performing high schools, approved a policy defining No Child Left Behind corrective actions for districts in LEA improvement, alignment of licensing years with experience credit years and a revision of the school counselor job description. Members also discussed licensing requirements for international teachers and Praxis testing requirements for Exceptional Children's License areas. Complete State Board highlights are available online at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/sbehighlights by clicking on the appropriate link.

2006 Teacher Working Conditions Survey Results Announced

2006 Teacher Working Conditions Survey Results Announced - Gov. Mike Easley last week announced that individual school and district results for the 2006 North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey were available online at www.northcarolinatwc.org. With more than 75,600 teachers and administrators from across the state participating, North Carolina achieved its highest statewide response rate since the first survey was given in 2002. Eighty-five percent of North Carolina schools achieved at least a 40 percent response, which is required for an individual school to have valid data to use in improvement planning. The primary concern for teachers is the time they need to do their jobs well. Many teachers reported this as the most important factor in promoting student learning, yet it was the area with the lowest satisfaction level. Teachers also view school leadership as an essential element of school success and teacher retention.

Grant to Continue High School Reform Efforts

Grant to Continue High School Reform Efforts - North Carolina recently received a $10.4 million grant from the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation to expand the state's high school reform efforts. This grant is in addition to the original $11 million investment made by the foundation in August 2003, which is being used to develop new, smaller high schools in North Carolina. Nine million dollars of the grant will be used to plan and open additional redesigned high schools as part of the N.C. New Schools Project, which focuses on the creation of small, economic-development themed high schools. The new schools will emphasize innovative instructional practices and strong student support to better prepare students for college and skilled careers. The remaining $1.4 million will support the development of additional Learn and Earn early college high schools. Learn and Earn schools provide students with an opportunity to graduate in five years with a high school diploma and either an associate's degree or two years of college credit.

UNC-G Receives Planning Grant to Create State's First Virtual Learn and Earn High School

UNC-G Receives Planning Grant to Create State's First Virtual Learn and Earn High School - UNC-Greensboro was recently awarded a $40,000 School planning grant for the creation of the state's first virtual Learn and Earn early college high school. UNC-Greensboro's School provides high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to take college courses online or in classrooms at their high school campuses and receive both high school and college credit. This school year, 888 students from 21 high schools were enrolled in 1,752 School courses, and 92 percent of students reported that they successfully transferred the online courses for college credit.

Teach Online in 2006-07

Teach Online in 2006-07 - Do you have an innovative approach to the classroom? Are you looking for new challenges to extend your understanding of the teaching process? In partnership with the NCDPI, LEARN NC is looking for part-time online instructors in the following areas: AP English Language and Composition, AP Government and Politics, AP World History, e-Commerce I, and Principles of Business and Personal Finance. Teaching online is an exciting new way of reaching students across the state and offering flexibility to administrators and counselors while continuing to teach at your school during the day. Applicants should be North Carolina certified, have two years experience teaching the course for which they apply and have attended appropriate College Board Institutes for AP courses. If interested, please send a resume to Ross White at ross@learnnc.org no later than June 30.

NCAE Sponsors National Board Certification Support Session

NCAE Sponsors National Board Certification Support Session - NCAE will hold its annual Summer Seminar for National Board Certification Support on June 19-21 at the NCAE Center, Raleigh. This three-day workshop will help teachers get started on the National Board process, the Assessment Center, and/or NBC Renewal. Registration costs are $75 for NCAE members and $275 for non-NCAE members and must be received by June 16. The seminar begins at noon on Monday with registration and concludes mid-day on Wednesday. The deadline to register is June 16. For lodging, please contact The Brownstone Holiday Inn Hotel, 1707 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, 919/828-0811. The registration form is available online at http://www.ncae.org/pod/workshops/0607nbcworkshops.pdf.

Submit Your Activity Plans and Help Fight Childhood Obesity

Submit Your Activity Plans and Help Fight Childhood Obesity - The American Heart Association and the National Football League are joining forces to inspire and motivate adolescents to become more physically active by sponsoring a "For Teacher, By Teacher" Activity Plan Contest. Thirty teachers who submit winning activity plans targeted at children in the 6th-8th grades will be recognized and receive $250. Their activity plans also will be shared with middle grades teachers across the country. Teachers who have creative and fun ideas that integrate physical activity into an adolescent's school day (not just physical education classes!) will want to check out the contest guidelines and submission procedures available online at http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3039422. The deadline to submit your plans is June 26.

NC Strawberry Association Announces Contest Winners

NC Strawberry Association Announces Contest Winners - Over 1,000 entries were received in the art contest and over 400 entries were received in the writing contest sponsored by the NC Strawberry Association. Winning art and essays are posted online at www.ncstrawberry.com. The NC Strawberry Association would like to thank educators for encouraging their students to participate in this contest.