Friday Report – August 3, 2018

The Friday Report

August 3, 2018

State News

After Agency Shakeup, Superintendent Lays Out His Vision for NC’s Public Schools

N.C. Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson talks about charter schools at his office in Raleigh, NC on Feb. 8, 2017. Photo Credit: News & Observer file photo.

State Schools Superintendent Mark Johnson says he’ll work to speed up approval of teacher licenses, reduce testing and hold charter schools accountable now that he’s in undisputed control of the agency that works with North Carolina’s public schools.

Last week, Johnson announced a reorganization of the state Department of Public Instruction, after the state Supreme Court upheld a state law that transfers some of the powers of the State Board of Education to the superintendent.

On Wednesday, Johnson explained his new organizational chart for DPI and how he wants to make it more than just a regulatory agency, even as it’s also dealing with two years in a row of layoffs because of state legislative-mandated budget cuts.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Hui, K. “After agency shakeup, superintendent lays out his vision for NC’s public schools .” The News & Observer. 8/1/18.

Give Us the $730 Million You Owe Us — NC Schools Taking State Leaders to Court

Rod Malone, the attorney representing the school boards, speaks on the context and history of the lawsuit being filed to enforce the 2008 court decision ordering state leaders to pay public schools, at George Watts Elementary School in Durham on Wednesday, August 1, 2018. Photo Credit: Julia Wall, The News & Observer.

North Carolina school districts are going back to court to try to enforce a 10-year old court decision ordering state leaders to turn over nearly $750 million that was improperly withheld from public schools.

In 2008, Wake County Superior Court Judge Howard Manning ordered the state to turn over $747.9 million in civil fines that should have been given to public schools over a nine-year period. With only $18 million provided so far, the N.C. School Boards Association and 20 school boards filed a new lawsuit Wednesday in Wake County Superior Court to get the state to meet its state constitutional obligation to provide the remaining $730 million.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Hui, K. “Give us the $730 million you owe us — NC schools taking state leaders to court.” The News & Observer. 8/1/18.

State Board of Education Chairman Resigns, Saying It’s Time for New Leaders

Bill Cobey is resigning as chairman of the State Board of Education. Photo Credit: Ethan Hyman, The News & Observer.

Bill Cobey, chairman of the State Board of Education, submitted his resignation Thursday.

Cobey, who has been board chairman since he was sworn into office in April 2013, said he decided to leave the board at the same time that his term as chairman ends in September. His resignation is effective at the end of the Sept. 6 meeting, when a new board chairperson is elected.

Cobey’s term on the board officially would have ended in March 2019, but he said he decided within the past month to resign early. Cobey’s early resignation means Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper will be able to appoint a successor to finish out the term.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Hui, K. “‘State Board of Education chairman resigns, saying it’s time for new leaders .” The News & Observer. 8/2/18.

Hundreds of NC Teachers Are Flunking Math Exams. It May Not Be Their Fault.

According to a report, almost 2,400 North Carolina elementary school teachers have failed the math portion of their licensing exams, which puts their careers in jeopardy. Photo Credit: News & Observer file photo.

Almost 2,400 North Carolina elementary school teachers have failed the math portion of their licensing exams, which puts their careers in jeopardy, since the state hired Pearson publishing company to give the exam in 2013, according to a report presented to the state Board of Education Wednesday.

Failure rates have spiked as schools around the state struggle to find teachers for the youngest children. Education officials are now echoing what frustrated teachers have been saying: The problem may lie with the exams rather than the educators.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Doss Helms, A. “Hundreds of NC teachers are flunking math exams. It may not be their fault.” The Charlotte Observer. 8/1/18.

Back to School: How Public Education Ranks in NC

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

Students will be going back to school in a few weeks, but where they live often determines the quality of their education, according to a new study that ranks the states with the best and worst school systems. Our state ranked 32nd.

North Carolina also ranked 32nd when it came to quality and 25th in safety.

The study by the personal finance website WalletHub compared public school systems in 50 states and the District of Columbia across 25 measures of quality and safety, ranging from the pupil-to-teacher ratio to the dropout rate to median standardized-test scores.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Johnson, K. “Back To School: How Public Education Ranks In North Carolina.” Charlotte Patch. 7/30/18.

Feds Pushing Wake Schools to Reduce Suspensions, Particularly Among African Americans

Photo Credit: JJ Thompson, Unsplash.

Under the glare of an ongoing federal civil rights investigation, Wake County school leaders are looking at further ways to reduce the number of suspensions, particularly among African-American students.

Federal civil rights investigators are asking the Wake school system to revise the way some student offenses are written in policy to make them less subjective. In addition, Wake school board members discussed Tuesday making additional changes to reduce the possibility of students being suspended for what are considered less serious infractions.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Hui, K. “Feds pushing Wake schools to reduce suspensions, particularly among African Americans.” The News & Observer. 7/31/18.

‘Not Your Old Summer School’: Program Blends Fun and Learning During Summer Months

Cara Comer works with a student attending summer camp at Koontz Elementary School.

Photo Credit: Rebecca Rider, Salisbury Post. 

Nearly 500 Rowan-Salisbury students attended an opt-in summer school this year, but the three-week program isn’t your typical summer school.

“It’s not your antiquated summer school,” said Marae Reid, assistant principal at Overton Elementary School.

Instead of sitting in desks and rows listening to a teacher drone on while cicadas buzz outside in the summer heat, students are up and down, walking around the room, building models of the Three Little Pigs’ homes and attending physical education, art and music classes.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Rider, R. “‘Not your old summer school’: Program blends fun and learning during summer months.” Salisbury Post. 7/26/18.

After Banning Confederate Flag, Orange County Schools Taking Steps for Students of Color

Parent Latarndra Strong formed the Hate-Free Schools Coalition after seeing the Confederate flag in a truck in the student parking lot of Orange High School three days in a row. Photo Credit: Mark Schultz, The Herald Sun.

Last year after months of protests to ban the Confederate flag, Orange County Schools leaders announced they were forming a task force to improve academic outcomes for children of color.

Now they’re reporting back to the community. On social media last week, Superintendent Todd Wirt described next steps, including new disciplinary practices to reduce suspensions of black and Hispanic students, who get suspended at higher rates than their white classmates.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Childress, G. “After banning Confederate flag, Orange County Schools taking steps for students of color.” The Herald Sun. 7/27/18.

National News

No, Private Schools Aren’t Better At Educating Kids Than Public Schools. Why This New Study Matters.

Photo Credit: iStock.

Despite evidence showing otherwise, it remains conventional wisdom in many parts of the education world that private schools do a better job of educating students, with superior standardized test scores and outcomes. It is one of the claims that some supporters of school choice make in arguing that the public should pay for private school education.

The only problem? It isn’t true, a new study confirms.

University of Virginia researchers who looked at data from more than 1,000 students found that all of the advantages supposedly conferred by private education evaporate when socio-demographic characteristics are factored in. There was also no evidence found to suggest that low-income children or children enrolled in urban schools benefit more from private school enrollment.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Strauss, V. “No, private schools aren’t better at educating kids than public schools. Why this new study matters.” The Washington Post. 7/26/18.

Childhood Trauma Leaves Scars That Are Genetic, Not Just Emotional, Study Affirms

Photo Credit: Mike De Sisti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Neglect, abuse, violence and trauma endured early in life can ripple directly into a child’s molecular structure and distort their DNA, according to a new study this week from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The genetic changes leave them biologically more vulnerable in later life to psychiatric afflictions like depression, anxiety, mood disorders and high-risk behavior like drug abuse, the researchers found.

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from:

Schmid, J. “Childhood trauma leaves scars that are genetic, not just emotional, study affirms.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 7/23/18.

Opportunities

Applications Open for 2018-19 NC Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP)

The Public School Forum is accepting applications for the 2018-19 cohort of the North Carolina Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP).

The North Carolina Education Policy Fellowship Program is the only statewide program of its kind that focuses on leadership and professional development in the context of education policy. Fellows come from public schools, higher education, community colleges, and a diverse array of education organizations across North Carolina. Each class includes a cohort of fellows who focus on education policy issues and the wide range of factors that influence education in North Carolina. Fellows will increase their awareness of how public policy is made, learn whom the key players are in the formation of this policy, and become more confident and involved in the policy-making process.

EPFP Application information can be found online at https://www.ncforum.org/education-policy-fellowship-program/. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Contact Lauren Bock, Public School Forum Director of Policy & Programs, at [email protected] with questions.

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. The deadline for submission is September 24th, 2018. For more information or to access the application, visit https://www.bwfund.org/grant-programs/science-education/career-awards-science-and-mathematics-teachers.

2018 NCVPS Virtual Open House

The North Carolina Virtual Public School invites you to its 2018 Virtual Open House.

When: Tuesday, August 14, 11 AM – 12 PM or Thursday, August 16, 7 PM to 8 PM.
This year we are offering two opportunities to attend the Annual Virtual Open House. Please choose the date that works best for your schedule.

Where: The event will be hosted in an NCVPS online classroom. Details will be sent following registration.

Presenters: NCVPS staff, teachers, and students.

Topics: The presentation will include Who is NCVPS?, Teaching and Learning with NCVPS, Meet the Teacher, See the Classroom, Support All Around, and Q & As.

Audience: The NCVPS Open House is open to the public. While our presentations are geared toward parents and students in public schools, private schools, and home-schools, we have something for everyone. Educators will learn about the NCVPS teaching and learning process. The general public will discover what online learning is.

To register, click here. To learn more about NCVPS, 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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