TEACHERS' MESSAGES 2007

OCTOBER 11, 2007 - Teachers' Biweekly Message

Last week, the State Board of Education met in Dare and Hyde counties where we toured schools (First Flight Elementary, Middle and High schools and Ocracoke School). A highlight of the visit was our stay at the new campus of the NC Center for the Advancement of Teaching. The new campus is on Ocracoke in the historical former Coast Guard station. I encourage you to consider applying for the incredible opportunity that a week at NCCAT offers you in terms of reinvigorating your enthusiasm for the classroom and for the teaching profession. The NCCAT staff noted that teachers who have that experience are more likely to stay in the profession than those who have not had that benefit. At NCCAT, you participate in a week-long theme seminar, are an honored guest treated with incredible hospitality and have the opportunity enjoy the company of other teachers. A week at NCCAT is at no cost to you, and your substitute also is provided. I cannot imagine a better way for North Carolina to thank the teachers in our state than to provide the NCCAT experience to them.

Regards,
June Atkinson

In this Biweekly Teachers' Message:

1. State Board Meeting Highlights
2. Dropout Reform Public Hearing
3. 2007 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools Announced
4. North Carolina Graduation Project Web Site Online
5. The 57th Conference on Exceptional Children
6. SAS inSchool Professional Development Opportunity for High School Teachers
7. Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest

State Board Meeting Highlights

At last week's Board meeting, members approved school calendar waivers based on weather history, changes to the 2006-07 ABCs/AYP results, revisions to teachers' license renewal requirements to reflect recent legislative requirements, and recommended instructional materials for Social Studies, Business and IT Education 6-12 and Marketing 9-12. Complete Board highlights will be posted online later this week.

Dropout Reform Public Hearing

As a reminder, the Speaker's House Initiative on Dropout Reform will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Oct. 11, from 6-8 p.m., in the Roanoke Chowan Community College's Auditorium. Administrators, teachers, parents, students and community members are invited to attend and share their thoughts regarding issues facing students at risk of dropping out of school and how the state can improve it's high school graduation rate. For more information, please contact Rep. Annie Mobley's office at 919.733.5780.

2007 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools Announced

Congratulations to Bee Log Elementary (Yancey County Schools), District No. 7 Elementary (Cumberland County Schools), Hendersonville Elementary (Henderson County Schools), South Charlotte Middle (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools), and Tryon Elementary (Polk County Schools) for recently being named 2007 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. Two representatives from each of these schools will be honored during a National Recognition Ceremony scheduled for Nov. 12-13 in Washington, DC, where they will receive a plaque and a flag signifying their No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School status.

North Carolina Graduation Project Web Site Online

The North Carolina Graduation Project (NCGP) Web site is up and running at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/graduationproject. On the site you will find the NC Graduation Project Implementation Guide, a DVD presentation that may be used to explain and promote the NCGP, a presentation that may be used to provide an overview of the guide, an explanation and instructional presentation on the use of the NCGP rubrics, and user-friendly versions of the rubrics and sample documentation forms. Additional information and resources will be added in the future. For more information, please contact Bryar Cougle, Middle and Secondary Education Division, NCCDPI, 919.807.3855 or by email, tcougle@dpi.state.nc.us.

The 57th Conference on Exceptional Children

The 57th Conference on Exceptional Children will be held on November 12-14 at the Sheraton Four Seasons Hotel/Koury Convention Center in Greensboro. Superintendents, exceptional children administrators, principals, classroom teachers, parents, related service personnel and all others involved in the education of students with disabilities and/or academic gifts are welcome and encouraged to attend. Highlights of the conference are 110 informative instructional sessions, a dynamic plenary session and keynote presentation, poster displays on innovative programs, the annual Teachers of Excellence awards, post-conference institutes for administrators and related service personnel, and exhibits from vendors and non-profit organizations from throughout North Carolina and the nation. This conference, hosted by the Exceptional Children Division, is the largest and longest-running exceptional children conference sponsored by a state education agency in the country. For more information and online registration, please visit www.ncpublicschools.org/ec/conference.

SAS inSchool Professional Development Opportunity for High School Teachers

In recognition of the Department's and districts' support of Curriculum Pathways(R), SAS inSchool is offering 50 North Carolina high-school teachers (English, social studies, science, math, and Spanish) the opportunity to participate in its online professional-development course, beginning Jan. 22 and ending Feb. 29. They also are waiving the standard course fee ($300) for all participating teachers. Curriculum Pathways® OPD incorporates a variety of assignments such as working through resources as students, evaluating instruction, implementing lessons in the classroom, participating in cooperative learning activities and online discussions, and creating portfolio artifacts (capstone project). Teachers completing the course are provided with documentation to facilitate the receipt of renewal credits (2.0 CEUs). If you would like to participate, or know of teachers who would like to participate, please email Deborah Gray at deborah.gray@sas.com no later than Oct. 31 and provide your name, email address, high school, and subject area. Teachers will be selected based on their geographic location and the disciplines they teach. Participant selections will be announced after Nov. 1. Selected teachers will receive registration information at that time. If you have any questions, please contact SAS inSchool's professional development coordinator Deborah Gray at 919.531.3268 or toll free at 888.760.2515 ext. 13268.

Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest

Prudent Publishing Company, Inc./The Gallery Collection is sponsoring its first annual Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest. The winning entry receives a $10,000 scholarship. All high school, college and university students enrolled in the fall of 2007 are eligible to participate. The submission deadline is Jan. 15, 2008. For official scholarship rules and an entry form, please go online to http://www.gallerycollection.com/scholarship.htm.

 

If you'd like to review past Teachers' Biweekly Messages sent to the listserv group, just go online to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/teachersarchive/ .