The News and Observer reported that, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday that Wake and Durham counties have been chosen to participate in a “comprehensive anti-gang initiative” that includes $2.5 million in federal funding. The Triangle is one of four regions across the country receiving this latest round of federal money to thwart gang-related crimes. Wake and Durham will split the money 50-50. Deputy Attorney General Mark R. Filip said at a news conference at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport that $1 million of the funding will go toward efforts to prevent young people from joining gangs. Another $1 million will be used by law enforcement for criminal prosecution, with the remaining $500,000 used to help  former gang members make a successful transition after they are released from prison.

http://www.newsobserver.com/print/wednesday/city_state/story/1071750.html

Teachers and Principals can expect can expect significant salary increases, if legislators side with Governor Easley’s $21.5 billion budget, which he unveiled Monday morning.  

The Governor appropriated $302.7 million as a step increase plus a $2,000 flat increase for public school teachers and administrators, equaling an average of 7 percent increase for teachers and a 6 percent increase for administrators.

To increase teachers’ salary to the national average, the Governor proposes to increase the cigarette tax from 35 cents a pack to 55 cents a pack.  The projected revenue of $116 million would subsidize the salary increases.

“Whenever there is an economic slow down, we cannot make that an educational slow down,” said the Governor. 

With a $150 million revenue surplus, North Carolina is one of the few states that appear to be resilient to the nation’s economic turn down.  The Governor and his team still remain fiscally responsible when developing the FY 08-09 budget. 

“This is the first year, since my first budget, that I’ve lowered economic projections,” said Easley.  The Governor lowered his projections to 3.5 percent, a 1.2 percent decrease from last year’s.  The 1.2 percent equates a $250 million decrease.  In addition the Governor made $400 million in cuts throughout the budget. 

Governor Easley’s budget provides an additional $492 million for public schools, a 6.4 percent increase over the FY 07-08 budget. 

Additional highlights in the educational budget include an incensement of 6,345 slots in More at Four classrooms and an expansion of the Governor’s Learn and Earn High School program, which would provide 16 planning grants for sites that will become operational for the 2009-10 academic year. 

Appropriations for transportation fuel were adjusted for the FY 08-09 to be funded at the current average per gallon, which is $2.86.  The Governor’s budgeting office assures public schools that full funding is available for fuel for the remainder for the FY 07-08.  With incensement in fuel prices every day, the N.C. Association of School Administrators will be lobbying for an increase in appropriated fuel funds. 

Other budgetary concerns include a decreased in funding for instructional supplies, textbooks and exceptional children head-count. Joint Legislative Education Oversight committee and the School Funding committee both have recommendations that are in opposition to these cuts.

Contrary to teacher and principal salary increases, the Governor appropriated $109.5 million for a 1.5 percent salary increase for all state employees and additional $182 million in nonrecurring funds for a one-time, lump-sum bonus of $1,000 and 5 days leave for employees in state-funded positions not subject to the teacher salary schedule. 

Finally Governor Easley proposes a 1.2 percent cost-of-living adjustment for retirees. 

The General Assembly was briefed on the Governor’s budget on Tuesday.  The House will be the fist chamber to draft and propose their budget.  Leaders from both chambers assure that this will be a “short” short session.   

Accordingly, we reverse the decision below and remand for entry of judgment in favor of the Board.”

To view statewide media coverage of today’s ruling, access the following links:

News & Observer of Raleigh:

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/education/wake/v-print/story/1062466.html

NCASA is developing a series of high quality, reasonably-priced leadership programs for its membership and educators in North Carolina. The first program in this series is designed to address how POLICIES, PROGRAMS AND DATA help or hurt our efforts to reduce school dropouts. Now, in the 21st century, the costs of dropping out of school education are simply too great for the individual, your school and society!

The conference that will be conducted July 24th and 25th is designed for middle and high school educators. In North Carolina, the largest group of dropouts leave school in 9th grade, but these students make decisions about dropping out much earlier.

In your districts, one or more high schools and associated feeder middle school(s) are encouraged to send a team of three to five individuals representing administrators, counselors, and teachers. Members of the school district central office might also join the team. At the conference, each team will analyze their local dropout data along with the dropout prevention policies, programs and curriculum currently in place in their district and schools. Each team will take away from the conference a planning document to improve the alignment of dropout prevention policies, programs and curriculum.

Teams participating in the July conference will be invited to join the NCASA Dropout Prevention Coalition, forming a cohort of schools across the State invested in improving their dropout prevention efforts. Following a Plan/Do/Study/Act cycle, NCASA will provide continuing support in the 2008-09 school year to help teams in the Coalition carry out their planning (Do), evaluate the results of their efforts (Study) and implement continuous improvements (Act). This support will take the form of on-site professional development conducted in your school district and online resources that permit Coalition members to share ideas and information and on best practices.

Registration is $129 per individual. Visit the NCASA website at

www.ncasa.net today to learn more and register; space is limited.

PENC is currently accepting electronic entries for its 2nd annual Young Artists’ Competition. The goal of this project is to highlight the hard work of North Carolina’s visual art teachers and their students.

Six works of art will be selected as the winning entries by a PENC panel of judges during the summer of 2008. The pieces will be displayed permanently in the PENC office in Raleigh, on the PENC website and may be used in future publications. The six winning entrants will receive an award of $50.00 and a certificate of achievement from PENC. The art teachers will also be presented with a certificate at the fall board meeting in 2008. PENC is looking forward to receiving the wonderful work from all around our great state!

Submission Guidelines:

• The work needs to be two-dimensional and created by a student in a North Carolina School (including charter, magnet and private schools).
• An art teacher must enter a digital photo of the student’s artwork electronically.
• The competition is open to any art teacher, so long as the teacher is currently employed by a North Carolina public or private school.
• One entry per student.
• All submissions must be emailed by the art teacher to artawards@pencweb.org
• The e-mail submission must include:
  • A clear, non-blurry, digital photo of the work
  • The full name of the student(s), school, and grade level (Please check your county/school policy on student work being published).
  • Your (teacher) name, title, telephone number, email address and your school address.
• All submissions must be received by 5:00 pm on Friday, June 20, 2008.
• The winners and their teachers will be notified by Friday, August 29, 2008.
• Arrangements for release forms and transportation for the winning pieces will be made by PENC in conjunction with the teacher and paid for by PENC.

Questions?

Visit our website, www.PENCWEB.org, or contact Jeffrey Elmore, NCAEA member

and PENC Vice President or Carol Vandenbergh, Executive Director at

artawards@pencweb.org or call 800.542.8844

On Thursday the N.C. State Board of Education approved the adoption of the School Executive: Principal Evaluation Instrument.  A full copy of the instrument can be found at www.ncpapa.org/

Proposed implementation policies, regarding the new evaluation instrument, were discussed Wednesday during the Twenty-First Century Professionals committee of the SBE. 

Proposed policies would require principals, effective with the 2008-2009 school year, to be evaluated annually using the new instrument and partake in a mid-year review with the superintendent or the individual responsible for the evaluation.  Principals will take the lead in conducting the evaluation process through the use of self-assessment, reflections and by gathering input form the various stakeholders with an interest in the leadership in the school.  The input and evidence gathered by the principal in not intended to become part of a portfolio.  Rather, it should provide a basis for self-assessment, goal-setting, professional development, and demonstration of performance on specific standards.

Discussed policy also states that all school executives and the individuals responsible for their evaluations must complete approved state training on the rubric and evaluation process.  Principals should continue to sign up for the 2-day summer training session at:  http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/profdev/conferences/executivetraining/ 

The Committee is currently reviewing processes to transmit summative data from the school executive evaluation instrument to DPI.  The N.C. Principals & Assistant Principals Association and the N.C. Association of School Administrators have made committee members aware of concerns regarding this reporting requirement.  The concerns include confidentiality of records, funding, and inequitable treatment of employee evaluations if only principal evaluations must be reported.  The Committee will further discuss potential methods to transmit the data and will report back in December of 2008. 

NCPAPA and NCASA will continue to review the proposed policies and address our concerns.

The N.C. State Board of Education’s budget priorities were presented to the Joint Education Appropriations committee on Tuesday.  The full 2008 request totals $385.7 million, which is a 5 percent of the current year’s budget.  A full list of priorities can be found at:  http://www.ncpapa.org

The focus of the Board’s priorities include, supporting a salary increase for teachers and school personnel and to extend learning for students through More at Four, Learn and Earn and Learn and Earn Online, and the Graduation Project.

The Board’s top priorities include:

·        Teacher Mentors-

o       Fund 1 full time mentor for every 15 newly hired teacher sin their 1^st through 3^rd year of teaching and for every 15 new instructional support personnel in their 1^st and 2^nd year.

o       $37,795,000

·        Connectivity-

o       Fully fund the needed target of $25 million.  Funded 12 million in FY 2007-08.

o       $12,000,000

·        21^st Century Classrooms-

o       Would equip 50 percent of middle school classrooms with digital white board, data projectors, computers, document cameras, and support personnel.

o       $59,823,504

·        Comprehensive Support for Districts and Schools-

o       Personnel/assessment cost to implement comprehensive support to all school districts.  Adds 47 positions with 9 being re-purposed.  Include funding for the 15.8 federal positions to be re-purposed to this initiative because the federal funding has been eliminated or significantly reduced.

o       $8,074,501

·        Children with Disabilities-

o       To reach funding at 230 percent of regular ADM funding, it will require an additional $100+ million.

o       $40,000,000

·        Academically and Intellectually Gifted-

o       Increases funding factor by 20 percent.

o       $12,796,372

·        DSSF-

o       Reduce allotment ratios by two and continue hold harmless to 16 original districts.

o       $86,231,773

·        Child Nutrition-

o       Cover the higher cost of operations due to implementing nutritional standards and salary/other cost increases.

o       $20,000,000

The new School Executive: Principal Evaluation Instrument is being presented to the N.C. State Board of Education for approval this month.  The evaluation instrument can be viewed at:  http://www.ncpapa.org/forms/Evaluation%20Instrument.pdf. 

Since last month the definitions of the ratings have been clarified and a set of implementation policies have been developed.  The implantation policies instructs the instrument to not be used at a portfolio, requires school executives be evaluated annually, and directs all principals and those responsible for their evaluations to complete state-approved training on the new instrument. 

The policies will be presented to the 21^st Century Professional Committee for discussion this month.  A full report of the discussion will posted on the Principals’ Bulletin after the meeting on Wednesday. 

The Department of Public Instruction in collaboration with the Office of the State Treasurer, Retirement Systems Division, has reviewed existing policy as it relates to the reemployment of public school retirees. At issue was the employment of retirees as teachers exempt from the earnings cap, and supplementing their teaching assignment with other duties. To view the questions and answers visit:  http://www.ncasa.net/associations/2410/files/Retirees_Questions_and_Answers.pdf

Questions include:

1. What are the eligibility criteria for a retiree to be re-employed exempt from the earnings cap?

2. Are all reemployed retirees considered exempt from the earnings cap after completing a 6-month break in service?

3. Can a retiree be employed exempt from the earnings cap in an assignment other than teaching?

4. Can a retiree exempt from the earnings cap supplement his/her teaching assignment with other duties like coaching?

5. Is all of the salary paid to an exempt retiree subject to 11.70%? If so, who pays?

6. Can the LEA deduct the 11.7% retirement contribution from the teachers’ pay?

7. Can the LEA negotiate (use state funds) to pay the 11.70% contribution for coaching supplements, longevity, annual leave payouts, mentor pay, ABC bonuses, etc? In other words, can the LEA use state funds to pay the 11.70% contribution for all covered salaries?

8. Can a retiree exempt from the cap who is employed for only 51% of the day, be employed for the remainder of the school day in another capacity such as athletic director, guidance counselor, administrator, etc?

9. Can a retiree be employed exempt from the earnings cap to teach driver’s education, online courses (virtual education) and do remediation?

10. What object codes should be used to pay the other covered salaries?

11. What codes and funding source do I use to record the 11.70% payment?