Friday Report – April 27, 2018

The Friday Report

April 27, 2018

New Statewide Map and Database Available to Locate Out-of-School Time Programs for Youth

With the generous support of the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the NC Center for Afterschool Programs [NC CAP] has developed a statewide, searchable database for out-of-school time programs. This new tool, made available for the first time at the 14th annual SYNERGY conference in Greenville, allows families, schools, communities and elected officials to locate programs across North Carolina that children can access before school, after school, summers, weekends and during school breaks. 

Using the database, users can search for information on program locations, activities, number and grades of youth served. It also aids in identifying community assets and gaps in out-of-school time programming. To search for programs, please visit https://ncafterschool.org/mapping-database/

Providers that serve youth during out-of-school time hours are now able to register their programs in the database by visiting https://ncafterschool.org/program-entry/

To continue reading the complete press release, click here.

Excerpt from:

“New Statewide Map and Database Available to Locate Out-of-School Time Programs for Youth.” Public School Forum of North Carolina. 4/27/18.

2018 Jay Robinson Education Leadership Award Gala

Ann Goodnight has been named as the recipient of the 2018 Public School Forum of North Carolina Jay Robinson Education Leadership Award. The Forum established the award in 2000 to recognize leaders who have demonstrated innovative, creative, effective leadership for public education in North Carolina. Mrs. Goodnight will be honored at a gala event on Monday, May 21, at the Raleigh Convention Center.

Complimentary NC Educator Tickets 

Each year the Public School Forum reserves complimentary tickets for NC educators to join us for the Jay Robinson Education Leadership Award Gala. Complimentary tickets will be given on a first come, first served basis with priority given to Public School Forum program participants.

To request a ticket, fill out the form here. We will notify those selected on Monday, May 7, 2018. Please note that filling out the request form does not guarantee you will receive a ticket. Please contact Irene Mone at 919-781-6833 ext. 102 or imone@ncforum.org with any questions.

Event Details:

Monday, May 21, 2018

Raleigh Convention Center

6:00 p.m. Reception, 7:00 p.m. Dinner and Program

Featured Speakers:

Wes and Marianne Wheeler 

More information about this year’s event, as well as previous award recipients, can be found at ncforum.org/events/jay-robinson-education-leadership-award.

Event tickets can be purchased here:

https://2018jayrobinsonawardgala.eventbrite.com.

If you are interested in discussing a sponsorship, contact Lizzy Mottern at lmottern@ncforum.org.

State News

Lawmakers Say Reworking School Funding Will Take Time

Photo Credit: WRAL.

North Carolina hasn’t overhauled the formula used to fund public schools for at least 25 years, and lawmakers said Wednesday it’s going to take more time to do it again.

House and Senate leaders put together a committee last fall to develop a better way to pay for the operations of both poor, rural school districts and fast-growing urban ones. But Rep. Craig Horn, R-Union, who co-chairs the committee, said no proposals will be ready for the General Assembly to consider when it reconvenes next month.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Leslie, L. “Lawmakers say reworking school funding will take time.” WRAL. 4/25/18.

NC Ranks 37th in the Nation for Teacher Pay, 39th in Per-Pupil Spending

Photo Credit: WRAL.

North Carolina ranks 37th in the nation for average teacher pay, according to estimates released Monday by the National Education Association.

The estimate may be revised later based on updated data. Last year, NEA first estimated that North Carolina was 35th in the nation for teacher pay, but it revised the numbers to show that N.C. was 39th last year.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Hinchcliffe, K. “NC ranks 37th in nation for teacher pay, 39th in per-pupil spending.” WRAL. 4/23/18.

Not Enough: Teachers Voice Concerns Over Pay, Student Spending

Raine Jirak, Brunswick County School Teacher. Photo Credit: WWAY.

A town hall for teachers talked about issues with pay and funding for supplies in North Carolina and local schools. The discussion came as several states are seeing teacher and staff walkouts.

The National Educator’s Association reports that after adjusting for inflation, North Carolina invests $476 less per student since the recession began. The report says the state ranks 43rd in the nation for per-student spending, investing about $2,800 less than the national average.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

“Not Enough: Teachers Voice Concerns Over Pay, Student Spending.” WWAY News. 4/24/18.

CMS to Matthews Families: It’s Time to Choose Between Our Schools and Town Charters

Photo Credit: WBTV.

Eight members of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board vowed Tuesday to fight for the loyalty of Matthews families, going on the offensive against town officials who want to open the door to municipal charter schools.

The CMS board used most of Tuesday night’s meeting to make speeches saying the town charter bill would raise Matthews taxes, undermine participation in the public schools many residents love, increase segregation and divide the people who care about public education in Mecklenburg County.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Doss Helms, A. “CMS to Matthews families: It’s time to choose between our schools and town charters.” The Charlotte Observer. 4/24/18.

Why NC Leaders Think More Nurses, Counselors and Social Workers Could Make Schools Safer

There are so few nurses in North Carolina’s public schools that a new state report says it could cost an additional $45 million to $79 million a year to help meet student health needs. Photo Credit: Travis Long, The News & Observer.

Support is building among state leaders to try to make North Carolina schools safer by hiring more counselors, psychologists, nurses and social workers to target the mental health needs of students.

On Monday, a state legislative subcommittee adopted a report recommending that the state increase the number of school support personnel to provide better care of the social and emotional needs of students. The report comes a few days after Gov. Roy Cooper unveiled a $130 million school safety proposal that includes $40 million to hire more counselors, psychologists, social workers and nurses, and $15 million for additional “innovative programs” to address students’ mental health challenges.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Hui, K. “Why NC leaders think more nurses, counselors and social workers could make schools safer.” The News & Observer. 4/23/18.

Join the Conversation About Education and Economic Opportunity in Your Community

Image Credit: EducationNC.

The myFutureNC Commission—comprised of state leaders in education, business, philanthropy, government, and faith‐based and nonprofit communities—is reimagining the ways our communities, our regions, and our state support an individual’s attainment journey, from pre-Kindergarten through postsecondary and into the workforce.

To help them in this task, the myFutureNC Listening Tour is collecting ideas and feedback from people all over the state. We want to hear from everyone: educators, parents, service providers, faith leaders, employees, employers, government representatives, and students.

Please join our team at one of our Listening Sessions this spring and summer to share your thoughts and ideas about strengthening educational and economic opportunities for your community. Drop in at any time: We will share information on our work at 2:30 pm, meet in small groups for discussion at 3:00 pm and host community conversations with local education thought leaders at 4:15 pm.

To learn more & RSVP for a Tour stop, click here.

National News

First, It Was West Virgina. Then, Kentucky and Oklahoma. Now Arizona and Colorado Teachers Prepare to Walk Out.

Teachers protested at Tuscano Elementary in Phoenix this month. Tens of thousands of educators plan to descend on the state Capitol to rally for more education funding, shutting down classes Thursday. Photo Credit: Ross D. Franklin, AP.

Classes are canceled for hundreds of thousands of students in Arizona and Colorado as educators descend on state capitols to rally for more education funding, part of a wave of teacher activism that has swept through West Virginia, Kentucky and Oklahoma.

The walkouts in the two states mirror earlier activism as educators, parents and the business community campaign to reverse years of cuts that have left teachers without raises, schools in disrepair and classrooms bereft of up-to-date textbooks and modern technology. The school funding reductions in the GOP-led states are a byproduct of generous tax cuts.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Balingit, M. “First, it was West Virginia. Then, Kentucky and Oklahoma. Now, Arizona and Colorado teachers prepare to walk out.” The Washington Post. 4/26/18.

Discipline Disparities Grow for Students of Color, New Federal Data Show

Photo Credit: JJ Thompson, Unsplash.

At a time when the Trump administration is contemplating rolling back discipline guidance with protections for vulnerable groups, new federal data find continuing disparities in how students of color and those with disabilities are disciplined and in the opportunities they get in schools.

The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday released two reports highlighting statistics from the 2015-16 school year’s civil rights data collection on school safety and discipline and on students’ access to science and math courses. The department released the full data, which provides an array of civil rights information for 50.6 million students attending more than 96,300 schools nationwide.

To continue reading the complete article and watch the videos, click here.

Excerpt from:

Sparks, S. and Klein, A. “Discipline Disparities Grow for Students of Color, New Federal Data Show.” Education Week. 4/24/18.

Opportunities

Making Innovation a Priority in NC Schools

Join the UNCW Watson College of Education for the “Making Innovation a Priority in NC Schools: Exploring Innovative Practices” conference on Monday, April 30, 2018.

• Explore innovative programs and practices (personalized learning, 1:1 technology, problem-based learning, STEAM) and other unique initiatives.
• Learn how innovative programs and schools can help engage students in meaningful and challenging learning.
• Help identify the opportunities and obstacles to making innovation a priority in our public schools.

DATE & LOCATION
Monday, April 30, 2018 from 8:30am-3:00pm
UNCW Watson College of Education – Room 162

Keynote
Dr. Buddy Berry, Eminence Independent Schools, KY

Special Guest
Mark Johnson, North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction 

To learn more or register, visit https://uncw.edu/ed/innovation/ or contact Robert Smith at smithrw@uncw.edu or 910.962.4076. 

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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