Friday Report – January 5, 2018

The Friday Report

January 5, 2018

In CMS, Smaller K-3 Classes Will Mean 200 More Trailers and More Crowding Elsewhere

Students and parents participate in an April rally, held at the Halifax Mall in Raleigh, for a compromise

on the class-size bill. Photo Credit: Ethan Hyman, The News & Observer.

The clock is ticking for North Carolina’s Senate to revise a law that mandates smaller K-3 classes, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools leaders said Thursday. If change doesn’t come soon, they said, the district will have to budget $20 million to buy classroom trailers and start planning to reassign teachers.

Thursday’s pitch to almost a dozen state lawmakers was the first time CMS, the state’s second-largest district, has taken a strong public stand on an issue that’s been center stage for months in other districts, including Wake.

Millions of taxpayer dollars and the fate of students and teachers across North Carolina are at stake. And Superintendent Clayton Wilcox said a local budget deadline means his staff needs quick answers to avoid big costs. CMS urged legislators to act when they convene next week.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Doss Helms, A. “In CMS, smaller K-3 classes will mean 200 more trailers and more crowding elsewhere.” The Charlotte Observer. 1/4/18.

Guilford Board of Education Asks General Assembly to Repeal Class Size Mandate

Photo Credit: Pixabay, Pexels.

At a special meeting Wednesday night, the Guilford County Board of Education voted to ask General Assembly members to repeal the recently imposed K-2 grade class-size mandates and restore local school district flexibility in adjusting class sizes to fit local staffing needs.

If state lawmakers refuse to repeal House Bill 1030, the board voted unanimously to ask them to fund the additional associated costs. Questions about a potential state education bond and the way lottery monies are divided were raised.

“We just need our schools funded,” said Linda Welborn, who chairs the board’s legislative committee.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Ingram, C. “School board sets priorities.” The High Point Enterprise. 1/3/18.

Why Some NC Schools Want to Operate More Like Charter Schools While Others Are Wary

Donna Donovan, a teacher assistant at West Smithfield Elementary School, pulls Alexander Rodriguez and Joshua Wright aside from their kindergarten class to practice their ABCs. Photo Credit: News & Observer file photo.

Some North Carolina school districts are rushing to take advantage of the ability to operate low-performing schools more like charter schools, while others are taking a more cautious approach.

The State Board of Education voted Thursday to allow eight schools, including four in Johnston County, to use the “restart model” as a way to improve school performance. Schools in the program have the same flexibility of charter schools when it comes to setting calendars, spending state money and hiring teachers.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Hui, K. “Why some NC schools want to operate more like charter schools while others are wary.” The News & Observer. 1/4/18.

Report: NC Education Spending Still Below Pre-Recession Levels

According to a recent report, North Carolina education spending hasn’t surpassed pre-2008 levels.
Photo Credit: Dave Dewitt, WUNC. 

North Carolina is still spending much less on public education than it did before the Great Recession. That’s according to a recent report from the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Most states cut spending for schools to make up for budget shortfalls during the Recession. North Carolina was no exception.

But unlike North Carolina, many other states have brought funding levels back up or close to where they were a decade ago. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analyzed census data to come up with the numbers.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Philip, L. “Report: NC Education Spending Still Below Pre-Recession Levels.” WUNC. 12/29/17.

Assaults on Teachers Up in Durham Schools; See What Else is Driving Suspensions

Debbie Pitman, the district’s assistant superintendent of student services, talks about suspensions during an Oct. 5 school board meeting. Photo Credit: Greg Childress, The Herald Sun.

Assaults on teachers and other school workers jumped 56 percent in Durham Public Schools last school year, according to the district.

The preliminary data shows there were 61 assaults on school personnel last school year, 22 more than the 39 reported during the 2015-16 school year.

“The increase in acts of assault on school personnel, although it concerns us, represents just a tenth of one percent of our entire student population,” said Debbie Pitman, the district’s assistant superintendent of student services.

What Is the STEM Ecosystem in North Carolina?

A parent and student learn how to host Robox Sumo events–this teacher provided the Robox Sumo event to more than 200 students and received a grant to scale the activity in Lincoln County. Photo Credit: EducationNC.

In North Carolina, STEM means more than just science, technology, engineering and math. It means a community of schools, universities, and science centers all across the state.

“STEM education is really preparing kids to think in a different way, to take the whole natural curiosity that they have, to follow a process of inquiry to answer questions,” said Bruce Middleton, executive director of the STEMEast Network. “It’s not just a subject area, it really is a new mode of thinking.”

North Carolina is home to what is called a “stem ecosystem,” a collaborative effort focused initially on eastern North Carolina with support from the NC Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center, the NC STEM Learning Network and other STEM organizations and school districts.

North Graham Gets $20K for Theater Program

North Graham Elementary School drama teacher Jordan Clifton, left, runs through performance exercises during class on Jan. 3. Clifton has received an Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative Classroom Resource by the American Theater Wing for the school’s arts program. Photo Credit: Steven Mantilla, Times-News.

North Graham Elementary School’s theater program has something to jazz-hands about.

The school was recently awarded a $20,000 Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative Classroom Resource Grant by the American Theater Wing to purchase dance flooring, curtains, sound technology and lighting equipment.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Williams, J. “Annie get your grant: N. Graham gets $20K for theater program.” Times-News. 1/4/18.

How Many Teachers Are Leaving North Carolina’s Public Schools?

A teacher writes the schedule for the day on her blackboard. Photo: News & Observer file photo.

Fewer North Carolina public school teachers left their jobs last year, but more educators moved to work in other school districts or charter schools in the state.

A new draft state report on teacher employment released this week shows that 8.65 percent of North Carolina public school teachers left the profession last school year, down from 9 percent the prior year. At the same time, 4.8 percent of teachers left their districts to work in other public schools in the state, up from 4.36 percent the previous year.

The overall state teacher attrition rose slightly from 13.4 percent to 13.45 percent last year. That means 12,750 teachers either quit teaching in North Carolina’s public schools or decided to work elsewhere in the state.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:
Hui,  K. “‘How many teachers are leaving North Carolina’s public schools?” The News & Observer. 1/3/18.

National News

What Makes a Good School?

Students walk through a hallway after classes are dismissed at Senn High School on May 10 in Chicago.
Photo Credit: Joshua Lott, The Washington Post, Getty Images.

n a new study, Sean Reardon, a professor of poverty and inequality in education at Stanford University, looked at countrywide math and reading test data from children in grades three through eight and found some fascinating and surprising results that call into question how we think about “good” and “bad” schools.

I spoke by phone with Reardon recently. During the course of our conversation, which has been edited and condensed for clarity, we talked about what test scores actually tell us, the limits of his own study, and why the much-maligned Chicago Public Schools district may be stronger than its reputation.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Chotiner, I. “What Makes a Good School?” Slate. 12/18/17.

Four Things Educators Should Know About the Tax Bill

President Donald Trump displays the $1.5 trillion tax overhaul package he had just signed on Dec. 22 in the Oval Office of the White House. Trump touted the size of the tax cut, declaring to reporters in the Oval Office before he signed it that “the numbers will speak.” Photo Credit: Evan Vucci, AP.

President Donald Trump just signed a major tax bill into law. It took two votes in the House to finally get it done, and the holdup was related to education. (More on that below.) So what does it mean for education? Here’s a short list.

1) School funding in states and districts might get shaken up

That’s because the tax bill changes how deductions for state and local tax work. In short, it imposes a new, $10,000 cap on those deductions—taxpayers can choose to deduct that amount in either property or sales taxes they pay, or property and income taxes.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Ujifusa, A. “Four Things Educators Should Know About the Tax Bill Trump Just Signed.” Education Week. 12/22/17.

Opportunities

Synergy Conference 2018: 

Workshop and Vendor Proposals

Each year, the North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP) holds a conference to convene community, state, and national stakeholders in the afterschool and expanded learning environment. The Synergy Conference convenes hundreds of out-of-school time providers to share insight on research-based practices, effective programs, and public policies that impact students and their overall success in school and life.

Below are further details for Synergy 2018 as well as information for those interested in presenting or setting up a booth at this conference. 

Building Tomorrow’s Workforce Today Through Expanded Learning
When: April 25 – 27, 2018

Where: The Greenville Convention Center in Greenville, NC.

If you would like to present a workshop, please download and review the Workshop Request for Proposals, and then submit a proposal here.

If you would like to serve as a vendor, please download and review the Vendor Request for Proposals, and then submit a proposal here.

All proposals are due by 5pm on January 18th. Selected workshop and vendor proposals will be notified by January 31st. For more information please visit 

https://ncafterschool.org/synergyconference2018/. 

Burroughs Wellcome Fund Accepting Applications for 

Student STEM Enrichment Program

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund has opened it’s application for the 2018 Student STEM Enrichment Program (SSEP) grant awards. SSEP supports diverse programs with a common goal: to enable primary and secondary students to participate in creative, hands-on STEM activities for K-12 students and pursue inquiry-based exploration in BWF’s home state of North Carolina. These awards provide up to $60,000 per year for three years. The application deadline is April 18, 2018.

For more information or to access the application, visit https://www.bwfund.org/grant-programs/science-education/student-science-enrichment-program.

NCSSM Seeking an Admissions Counselor

The North Carolina School of Science and Math (NCSSM) is seeking an Admissions Counselor who will be responsible for the recruitment, identification and selection of secondary students who are highly talented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

For more details about this position such as responsibilities, qualifications, and requirements please visit the NCSSM Employment Opportunities web page here. The deadline for applications is January 8, 2018, 5 pm. To apply, submit an electronic application via: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/northcarolina. Please create an account, search for Admissions Counselor vacancy, and complete/submit an online application.

Grow Your Career Skills with the Kenan Fellows Program

The 2018-19 Fellowship application is now open. The Fellowship begins with a summer internship in a higher education lab or industry setting and is supported by 80 hours of professional development that focuses on building leadership capacity and proven instructional strategies.The 2018-19 application period ends Jan. 22, 2018.

Each Fellow is awarded at least a $5,000 stipend, and must develop and implement relevant educational materials and/or programs based on their internship experience. To apply click here.

The Friday Report is published weekly by the Public School Forum of NC and is distributed to Forum members, policymakers, donors, media, and Forum subscribers. Archived editions can be found at www.ncforum.org.

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