TEACHERS' MESSAGES 2009

MAY 29, 2009 - Teachers' Biweekly Messages

I hope you've had an opportunity to read the memorandum State Board of Education Chairman and CEO Bill Harrison and I sent you yesterday regarding the sources of public school funding and what it might take to find $1 billion in cuts. Considering that education comprises 58 percent of the state's overall budget and that public schools comprise 38 percent of the state's budget, it's not surprising that education is going to take a hit when cuts are being considered. Approximately $8 billion is appropriated by the General Assembly each year for public education. A number of you have emailed us with suggestions as to how you would cut education to help deal with the budget crisis. The information I sent you outlines a number of cuts in a variety of areas and what the budget consequences would be. As you can see, it takes quite a bit of program cuts to make up $1 billion. I encourage you to use this information to frame your conversations with your local representatives. I also encourage you to share this information with your fellow teachers so that they too will have a better understanding of this issue.

Regards,
June Atkinson

In this Biweekly Teachers' Message:

1. Biweekly Message to Begin Summer Distribution Schedule
2. State Board Meets Next Week
3. Feedback on Essential Standards Coming to a Close
4. Students Encouraged to "Find-A-Book" This Summer
5. May Edition of the NC NCLB Newsletter Online
6. Summer Professional Development Opportunities
7. Global Education Symposium
8. High School Student Essay Competition

Biweekly Message to Begin Summer Distribution Schedule

Teachers' Biweekly Email Message will begin its summer distribution schedule in June but will resume its regular biweekly distribution schedule in September. Messages will be sent on the second Thursday of June, July and August to provide summer updates. In the meantime, please remember that if your email address changes over the summer, you will need to email this information to us so that we can update our file (send your old and new email address). Out-of-date and undeliverable email addresses are automatically deleted from the email list.

State Board Meets Next Week

The State Board of Education will meet next Wednesday and Thursday, June 3-4, in the Education Building, Raleigh. Members will act on considerations for high school social studies courses taken in middle school, receive an update on the teacher evaluation instrument implementation and next steps, and discuss the Academic Scholars Program, proposed grading policy revision and course for credit issues, academically or intellectually gifted program standards, and the State Evaluation Committee Teacher Education Program and Alternative Lateral Entry Program approval recommendations. The complete agenda and executive materials are posted online at www.ncpublicschools.org/stateboard/meetings/. Also, the State Board's committee meetings and full Board meeting are audio streamed for those who cannot attend. To listen to the sessions, please go online to www.ncpublicschools.org/stateboard/meetings/ and scroll to the Live Audio Stream links.

Feedback on Essential Standards Coming to a Close

Teachers are reminded that drafts of Essential Standards for English 10, Science K-12, Math K-12, Information Skills, and Occupational Course of Study are available online for review and feedback. Just go to www.ncpublicschools.org and click on the appropriate link under Highlights. The feedback window closes June 15.

Students Encouraged to "Find-A-Book" This Summer

The NCDPI is partnering with the Governor's Office, public libraries and parent organizations in an exciting new effort to encourage students to use their Lexile scores to boost their reading sk ills over the summer. Next week, public libraries, parent groups and school districts will receive important information about the Find-a-Book Web site (www.lexile.com/findabook), an easy-to-use, free online tool that allows students to use Lexile scores to find books on their reading level that also match their interests. Students in grades 3-8, as well as high school students taking the English I assessment, will receive a Lexile reading score with their end-of-year test results. Teachers can help promote summer reading by explaining to students what their Lexile score means and to share information about the Find-A-Book Web site with their classes before the end of the school year. For more information about the summer reading campaign, contact Sara Clark in the NCDPI Communications division at 919.807.3458 or sclark@dpi.state.nc.us.

May Edition of the NC NCLB Newsletter Online

The May edition of the NC NCLB Newsletter is available online at www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb . This edition features information on Title I applications, ARRA funding, waiver opportunities, new regulations, AYP calculations and release dates for 2008-09, Supplemental Educational Services and public school choice, and much more.

Summer Professional Development Opportunities

Summer is the best time to catch up on professional development and online PD is the best kind to fit into your summer schedule. United Star Distance Learning Consortium (USDLC), a long-time partner of the NCDPI in distance learning, is showing its support for NC educators by making its library of online, video-based courses (many filmed in NC classrooms) available at no cost through Sept. 1. Learn all the details at www.ncpublicschools.org/distancelearning/professional/usdlc.html or contact Sandy LaPlante at info@usdlc.org or 888.828.7352.

Global Education Symposium

World View's 12th Annual Global Education Symposium on "21st Century Skills for the Global Economy" will be held Oct. 14-15 at the Friday Center, Chapel Hill. Symposium details and registration are available online at www.unc.edu/world/2009K12Symposium.htm .

High School Student Essay Competition

The First Freedom Student Competition is a national essay contest offering high school students an opportunity to compete for a $3,000, $1,500 and $750 award, as they examine religious freedom, its history, current importance and relevance in today's world. Competition details including submission guidelines, student flyer and classroom poster can be found online at www.firstfreedom.org (click on the red button under First Freedom Center News). The competition is open to all high school students. The online student registration deadline is Monday, Nov. 23. The postmark deadline for mailing the essay and its accompanying materials is Saturday, Nov. 28. Winners will be announced on April 13, 2010.

 

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