Wake Education Partnership presents "EduBrief," a periodic update about education topics and activities in Wake County and beyond
02.22.07
EduFACT: During the 2005-06 school year, 14.7 percent of WCPSS students were classified as special education students. That’s up from 13.6 percent in 2000-01. For more data and information, read Quality Matters 2006 from Wake Ed Partnership.
 


Winning Artists Revealed for 2007 Gifts of Gold

A panel of judges selected winners this month in the 14th annual Gifts of Gold art show. Ninety Wake County students from 70 schools showcased their artistic abilities in the competition, which serves as the visual arts component of Pieces of Gold, the annual performing arts extravaganza produced by Wake Education Partnership and the Wake County Public School System.

Wake County art teachers were each encouraged to submit one piece of 2-D or 3-D student art to be honored in the showcase, which will be featured in the lobby of the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium on March 6-7, 2007. Images of the winning artwork and a complete list of student participants can be found online.

Pieces of Gold will be held at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday, March 7, at 7 p.m. Tickets are still available for Pieces of Gold, which will feature more than 800 students representing 31 groups from 30 Wake County public schools.

Roundtable to Examine Teacher Working Conditions Survey

Join us for the upcoming Wake Regional Education Roundtable, hosted by Wake Ed and the Holly Springs and Apex Chambers of Commerce. The March 8 meeting, held from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Holly Springs Cultural Center, will focus on the results of the 2006 N.C. Teacher Working Conditions Survey. All guests must register online by Feb. 28.

Wake County's 2005 teacher of the year, Bill Ferriter, will provide a snapshot of how Wake County teachers responded to the Working Conditions Survey, what they said about working conditions in our community's schools, and examples of how information acquired from the survey can be used in school-level decision making. Chamber members, parents, business people, educators, community representatives and elected officials are encouraged to attend. For more information on this topic, check out the February edition of Wake FYI, Wake Ed’s monthly newsletter that takes an in-depth look at relevant education topics.

WCPSS Launches New Facilities Site

The WCPSS Facilities Design and Construction Department launched a new website this month. The site contains school-by-school project information, including a project summary and status, acreage, square footage, and photos; general information and the financial status of the PLAN 2000, PLAN 2004 and CIP 2006 building programs; a 2007 bid schedule; and a glossary of construction terms.

Lynch Named Regional Principal of the Year

Jamee Lynch, the Wake County Principal of the Year, was honored Feb. 13 as North Central Regional Finalist for N.C. Principal of the Year. Lynch is one of eight principals now under consideration for N.C. Principal of the Year. Lynch has been named principal of Sanford Creek Elementary School, due to open next year. She has served as principal of Hodge Road Elementary, assistant principal at Vance Elementary, and a teacher at Garner High, in addition to working in other N.C. school systems. For more information, visit WCPSS online.

Upcoming Teacher and Parent Workshops

  • The N.C. Society for Hispanic Professionals is offering Hispanic Achievement Workshops: FROM TPR TO TPR STORYTELLING on Friday, March 2, from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at NCSU’s McKimmon Center. Cost is $80 per person (lunch and materials included). Second Language Consultant Luz Frye will show participants how to address the needs of LEP students in the classroom through interactive lessons and activities; liven up class presentation by tapping into the playful nature of the right side of the brain; make props from found objects and recycled materials; increase student comprehension and retention of material; improve student ability to remember and re-work concepts, vocabulary and grammatical structures; encourage communication by using physical memory; and empower students to become willing storytellers. (TPR is Total Physical Response, a method of teaching.) To register, contact Whitney Woodyard at 919.467.8424 or mailbox@thencshp.org.
  • The Triangle Area CHADD is offering Parent-to-Parent: Family Training on Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, a series of seven two-hour interactive classes for anyone who wants to learn about AD/HD. The classes will be held on Saturdays, from March 10 to April 28, 2007 from 10:00 a.m. to noon at N.C. State University. Cost, which includes two participants for the series and one participant manual, is $75 (CHADD members) or $120 (non-CHADD members). Registration deadline is Friday, Feb. 23.


Charlotte Schools to Decentralize System

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools last week announced its plan to decentralize into six geographic areas for the 2007-2008 school year. The reorganization, first called for by the Board of Education in its Theory of Action for Improved Student Achievement, is intended to move decision-making and authority closer to the classroom by giving schools more flexibility. For more information, visit CMS online.

Report Recommends Merit Pay for Teachers

A new report from the John Locke Foundation recommends that North Carolina shift its focus away from raising teacher pay to the national average, and instead adopt a new merit-pay system and streamlined teacher certification. According to the Spotlight report titled “Learning about Teacher Pay,” the average North Carolina teacher earns $2,700 more each year than her average peer across the country, once pay is adjusted for cost of living and other factors. The National Education Association reports that North Carolina’s average teacher salary in 2005-06 ($43,922) ranks the state 27th in unadjusted average pay.

Seeking Jay Robinson Award Nominations

The Jay Robinson Leadership Award was established by the Public School Forum Board of Directors in recognition of outstanding leaders in the field of public education. The award may be given to anyone who has displayed innovative, creative, effective leadership for the public schools of North Carolina. Nominations must be postmarked by March 1, 2007. The honor includes a cash award sponsored by BB&T. To obtain an application, contact Claire Ancelet at 919-781-6833.

Report Says Public Schools Promote Common Good in U.S.

Public education plays a vital role in America’s democratic society, and the public spirited missions of public schools remain essential today, according to a report by the Washington-D.C. based Center on Education Policy. The report, Why We Still Need Public Schools: Public Education for the Common Good, highlights the history and importance of public education in the United States, dating back to its establishment as a necessary institution for the young republic and Horace Mann’s efforts to promote a common school for all. The report focuses on:
• How and why the U.S. system of public education came into being;
• The six core public missions that public schools have been expected to fulfill, such as unifying a diverse population, preparing people for democratic citizenship, and ensuring equal opportunities for all children; and
• Why these missions are relevant today and why the nation must maintain them while pursuing reforms to help all schools live up to these core ideals.

Report Shows Benefits of Educated Population

Education Pays 2006, the second update of the 2004 College Board report Education Pays: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society, examines how an educated population strengthens the nation. The report documents higher levels of voting, volunteering, and other positive civic behaviors, as well as improved health outcomes, among college graduates over the past two years, and reaffirms the conclusion that investing in higher education pays off in terms of both a stronger economy and improved quality of life for everyone.
 

MAKE AN INVESTMENT

Your donations make the Partnership's work possible. Please help us continue to support excellence in public education in Wake County by making an investment in the Annual Fund for Education today. When we invest in our schools, we build a better, stronger, more prosperous community for us all. And together, we all win.

 

UPCOMING WAKE ED PARTNERSHIP EVENTS

March 7: Pieces of Gold annual performing arts extravaganza at 7 p.m. at the Progress Energy Center's Memorial Auditorium. Tickets are on sale now!

March 8: Wake Regional Education Roundtable. Topic: N.C. Teacher Working Conditions Survey; hosted by Wake Ed and the Holly Springs and Apex Chambers of Commerce. Registration is available until Feb. 28.

March 22: Education Exchange meeting at the Knightdale Town Hall from 7-8:30 p.m. Topic will be the work of the Citizens Facility Advisory Committee with a focus on site selection for schools

March 28: Deadline for Food for Thought grant applications. Applications for Wake Education Partnership’s Food for Thought grants are being accepted online now through March 28.
 
Wake Education Partnership is a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to making world-class schools possible in Wake County through business and community involvement. We play a critical role in bringing people together, raising the level of discussion through capacity building, and brokering information and relationships around key issues in public education. Founded in 1983 by Raleigh’s leading business, civic and political leaders, Wake Education Partnership serves as an independent link between the school system and the community to promote public responsibility for globally competitive schools in Wake County. Programs for 2006-07 focus on retaining effective teachers, developing effective education leaders, and ensuring healthy schools for all students.