Friday Report – October 5, 2018

The Friday Report

October 5, 2018

Lights on Afterschool NC

On Monday, October 22, the NC Center for Afterschool Programs will host Lights On Afterschool NC. This statewide Lights On Afterschool event will be hosted at the Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh, NC. The event will be an opportunity for program providers, elected officials, educators, and community members to engage in meaningful dialogue pertaining to the 2018 Roadmap of Need and the current accessibility of out-of-school time programs, as identified by the recently launched mapping database.

Lights On Afterschool NC will also spotlight a panel of experts who will share insight into the value of out-of-school time programs for NC youth and the accessibility of high-quality programs for youth statewide. Playworks North Carolina will engage attendees in enrichment activities during the event. As an organization, they aim to help kids stay active and build valuable social and emotional skills through play. At the end of the event, interested attendees will also have an opportunity to participate in an optional tour of Marbles Kids Museum.

The agenda for the Lights On Afterschool NC event will be as follows:

10:45 am: Check-In/Registration
11:00 am: Welcome
11:10 am: Roadmap of Need Overview
11:20 am: Out-of-School Time Mapping Database Overview
11:40 am: Lunch
11:55 am: Panel
12:25 pm: Enrichment Activities by Playworks NC
12:55 pm: Closing
1:00 pm: Optional Tour of Marbles Kids Museum

201 E. Hargett Street
Raleigh, NC 27601

Lunch will be provided at the event and attendees can register free of charge. Space is limited so secure your spot by registering today. The deadline to register for the Lights On Afterschool NC event is Wednesday, October 17.

To register, click here.***Please register only if you are sure that you will be able to attend.

State News

Cooper Signs Legislation Providing $56.6M in Florence Relief

Gov. Roy Cooper greets employees and volunteers at the Pender County Emergency Operations Center in Burgaw on Thursday. Photo Credit: Tim Buckland, StarNews.

Gov. Roy Cooper has signed legislation quickly approved during a special session of the General Assembly considered the initial step of elected leaders in responding to Hurricane Florence.

Cooper held a bill-signing ceremony Wednesday at a storm recovery center for businesses in Johnston County. He enacted two bills approved unanimously Tuesday in a session the Democratic governor called.

The legislation eases instructional-day requirements for school systems closed for days or weeks because of the hurricane and extend the traditional voter registration deadline by three days. There’s also $50 million that can be used to match federal recovery dollars.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Woolverton, P. “Cooper signs legislation providing $56.6M in Florence relief.” The Fayetteville Observer. 8/3/18.

Outspoken Charter School Leader Is Named Chief of Staff Overseeing NC Public Schools

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson speaks at a school choice rally held at the N.C. Museum of History on Jan. 23, 2018. Hundreds attended the rally where Johnson was one of the featured speakers. Photo Credit: Chris Seward, The News & Observer.

State Schools Superintendent Mark Johnson has hired an outspoken charter school leader and advocate to be chief of staff of the agency that oversees North Carolina’s public schools.

Johnson announced Friday that Joseph Maimone will be the new chief of staff at the state Department of Public Instruction. Maimone recently resigned as headmaster of Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy, a charter school he founded and led in Rutherford County for nearly 20 years.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Hui, K. “Outspoken charter school leader is named chief of staff overseeing NC public schools.” The News & Observer. 9/28/18.

NC Schools Expect Florence Damage to Outweigh Matthew By 3 Times

State education officials are still tallyint up the damage to schools. This photo shows flooding at Trask Middle School in New Hanover County. Photo Credit: Principal Dr. Maggie Rollison, Trask Middle School.

State education officials are still tallying up the damage to schools, but this week, the latest estimate had risen to $40 million in losses.

“That is a big number and a lot of claims, and it’s very difficult to say where that number will end up,” said Chief Officer of the North Carolina Public School Insurance Fund Eileen Townsend in her report to the State Board of Education.

And whatever the final number, the Department of Public Instruction’s insurance fund will be on the hook. The department offers flood insurance to schools that can’t afford to buy it anywhere else, so the department has a high-risk portfolio concentrated on the coast and in the less-wealthy southeastern part of the state.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Schlemmer, L. “North Carolina Schools Expect Florence Damage To Outweigh Matthew By 3 Times.” WUNC. 10/3/18.

Teachers in Schools Hit Hard By Hurricane Florence Should Get Paid, NC Lawmakers Say

White Oak High School in Jacksonville, North Carolina, was battered by rain and wind from Hurricane Florence. Photo Credit: White Oak High School.

More than two weeks after Hurricane Florence tore through North Carolina, thousands of students are still not back in class and many schools need repairs.

On Tuesday, state lawmakers will return to Raleigh for a special session to provide storm relief, with schools among the top items to be addressed. Legislative leaders said they’ll move this week to provide money for school employees in the disaster areas who have been out of work since the storm hit and to give school districts flexibility on making up the instructional time that’s been lost.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Hui, K. “Teachers in schools hit hard by Hurricane Florence should get paid, NC lawmakers say.” The News & Observer. 10/1/18.

Legislators Rejected This NC School Board Nominee. So the Governor Appointed Him.

J.B. Buxton.

Gov. Roy Cooper has appointed three people to fill vacancies on the State Board of Education, including a person who state lawmakers previously refused to confirm.

J.B. Buxton, an education consultant from Raleigh and former deputy state schools superintendent, was sworn onto the State Board of Education on Wednesday to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former board chairman Bill Cobey. Cooper, a Democrat, had previously nominated Buxton to fill a different seat on the state board, but he was rejected by Republican lawmakers in June.

To continue reading the complete press release, click here.

Excerpt from:

Hui, K. “Legislators rejected this NC school board nominee. So the governor appointed him.” The News & Observer.10/3/18.

Schools in Areas Damaged By the Storm Can Waive 20 Attendance Days, NC Leaders Agree

Photo Credit: JJ Thompson, Unsplash.

State political leaders on Tuesday crafted disaster-relief legislation aimed at quickly moving millions of dollars to ensure compensation for school employees and allow schools to waive up to 20 school days in the hardest-hit counties.

Flexibility on voter registration and polling places damaged in the storm are also part of the recovery plan.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Jarvis, C. “Schools in areas damaged by storm can waive 20 attendance days, NC leaders agree.” The News & Observer. 10/2/18.

Brunswick County Students Will Miss Nearly a Month of School, That Takes a Toll on Families

Brunswick County Schools have placed dehumidifiers at Bolivia Elementary School and other facilities to ensure its schools are safe for students upon return. Photo Credit: Port City Daily, Courtesy Brunswick County Shools.

Though Brunswick County facilities may have fared well, families with children in the school system may still be in need.

Damage from Hurricane Florence will cost the school system between $1.8 and $2 million, according to the schools’ spokesperson, Daniel Seamans. Between 19 schools and insurance coverage, the costs won’t weigh the system down too badly.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Ferebee, J. “Brunswick County students will miss nearly a month of school, that takes a toll on families.” Port City Daily. 9/26/18.

National News

Detailed New National Maps Show How Neighborhoods Shape Children for Life

A map used by the Seattle Housing Authority identifies neighborhoods, shaded in purple, where housing officials and researchers believe that poor children have particularly good odds of rising out of poverty. Image Credit: Seattle Housing Authority.

SEATTLE — The part of this city east of Northgate Mall looks like many of the neighborhoods that surround it, with its modest midcentury homes beneath dogwood and Douglas fir trees.

Whatever distinguishes this place is invisible from the street. But it appears that poor children who grow up here — to a greater degree than children living even a mile away — have good odds of escaping poverty over the course of their lives.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Badger, E. and Bui, Q. “Detailed New National Maps Show How Neighborhoods Shape Children for Life.” The New York Times. 10/1/18.

America’s Achievement Gap – Made, Not Born? What a Study of 30,000 Students Reveals About Lowered Expectations and Poorer-Quality Instruction for Kids of Color

Photo Credit: Allison Shelley, The Washington Post via Getty Images.

Students of color consistently receive less challenging instruction and schoolwork than do their white and more affluent classmates, a new study has found, often leaving them unprepared for college even if they have received top grades.

The report used extensive surveying of students, who wore vibrating watches that prompted them to take surveys during class. Their responses suggest that the failure to challenge young people from low-income and minority families in middle and high school helps explain why the rise in high school graduation rates in recent years has not translated to better college outcomes.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Cantor, D. “America’s Achievement Gap — Made, Not Born? What a Study of 30,000 Students Reveals About Lowered Expectations and Poorer-Quality Instruction for Kids of Color.” The 74 Million. 9/25/18.

From ‘Rotten Apples’ to Martyrs: America Has Changed Its Tune on Teachers

Heather Burtts, an instructional coach at Birney Elementary in Tacoma, Wash., speaks into a megaphone as striking teachers listen prior to a march and rally. Photo Credit: Ted S. Warren, AP.

For years, teachers continually heard the message that they were the root of problems in schools. But in a matter of months, the public narrative has shifted: The nation is increasingly concerned about teachers’ low salaries and challenging working conditions.

Teachers, it seems, are no longer bad actors ruining schools—they’re victims of an unfair system, and the only hope for saving kids.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Will, M. “From ‘Rotten Apples’ to Martyrs: America Has Changed Its Tune on Teachers.” EducationWeek. 9/28/18.

Opportunities

America to Me Screening – Charlotte, NC

Participant Media, Starz and Bank of America invite you to experience America To Me by Academy-Award Nominated Director Steve James (Hoop Dreams, Abacus: Small Enough To Jail). This event will be a pre-release screening of the critically acclaimed docu-series, with an empowering conversation between series’ subjects and local leaders moderated by Sonja Gantt, CMS Foundation Executive Director with opening remarks by Mayor Vi Lyles.

When: Wednesday, October 10, 2018 (5:30 – 9:00 PM)

Where: One Bank of America Center (1BAC), 150 N College St., Charlotte, NC 28202

Agenda: 5:30 – 6:30 P.M. RECEPTION (URBAN GARDEN, 1BAC LOBBY)

6:30 – 9:00 P.M. SCREENING + PANEL (1BAC AUDITORIUM)

RSVP HERE: https://america-to-me-charlotte.eventfarm.com

Participant is also offering a free workshop for watch group participants looking for strategies to have conversations about race and equity, on Sunday, November 18 with Janeen Bryant of Facilitate Movement.

RSVP HERE: https://america-to-me-workshop-charlotte-0180.eventfarm.com

Public Education Voter Engagement Community Forum Series

Join members of the North Carolina Justice Center’s Education and Law project for a series of local community forums on public education. We will join parents, educators, and community leaders to address the decline in funding support and what advocates can do to push back against harmful polices hurting our state. For more information or to schedule an event in your region, contact Sarah Montgomery: sarahm@ncjustice.org or 919-856-3194.

• CHARLOTTE: OCTOBER 10 @ 6:00-8:00 PM, Alexander Graham Middle School (policy presentation & panel discussion)
• FAYETTEVILLE: OCTOBER 11 @ 6:00-8:00 PM FAST Transit Center (policy presentation & panel discussion)
• ROCKY MOUNT: OCTOBER 16 @ 6:00-8:00 PM OIC (community forum, policy presentation)
• WINSTON-SALEM: OCTOBER 17 @ 6:00-8:00 PM Wake Forest University (policy presentation & panel discussion)
• WINTERVILLE: OCTOBER 17 @ 6:00-8:00 PM, Pitt County, South Central HS (policy presentation & panel discussion
• CARY: OCTOBER 18 @ 6:00-8:00 PM, Davis Drive Elementary School (policy presentation & panel discussion)

UNC World View: K-12 Global Education Symposium

Location: The Friday Conference Center, Chapel Hill, NC

Dates: October 17-18, 2018
Cost: $175 per person, $600 for a team of four
CEU: 1.5 CEUs will be awarded upon completion of program study guide

(NEW! Earn Digital Learning Competencies CEUs!)

Join us on October 17-18 to explore global issues, learn best practices and collect resources to implement global education activities in your classroom, school and district! With six keynotes, 20 dynamic break-out sessions, action plan team meetings, CEUs and DCL renewal credits offered, exhibitors and peers to network with from across the state, the symposium offers something for everyone.

Agenda, session descriptions and registration link available at:

https://worldview.unc.edu/programs/2018-k12-symposium/.

Upcoming Professional Development at NCCAT

North Carolina educators have plenty of opportunities throughout the fall to attend the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT), a recognized national leader in professional development programming for teachers. Applicants are encouraged to register as soon as possible to ensure a spot. Programs are available to North Carolina educators at the Cullowhee and Ocracoke campuses, online and with NCCAT faculty visiting school districts. NCCAT provides food, lodging and programming. Teachers and or their districts are responsible for travel to and from the center and the cost of the substitute teacher.

For a complete list of upcoming NCCAT programs, click here.

For more information on how to apply for NCCAT programs, click here.

Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Awards for Science and Mathematics Teachers

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award for Science and Math Teachers (CASMT) application is now available online. The Career Award for Science and Mathematics Teachers is a five-year award available to outstanding science and/or mathematics teachers in the North Carolina public primary and secondary schools. The purpose of this award is to recognize teachers who have demonstrated solid knowledge of science and/or mathematics content and have outstanding performance records in educating children.

Due to the impact of Hurricane Florence on North Carolina’s public school systems across the state, the CASMT application submission deadline has been extended to October 8th, 2018. We will continue to monitor recovery efforts and provide updates based on the status of school system closings.

For more information or to access the application, visit

https://www.bwfund.org/grant-programs/science-education/career-awards-science-and-mathematics-teachers.

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 ncforum.local.

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