Education: Bill Fletcher 2018 January Newsletter
Cary, NC – Thoughts for January 2018 from Bill Fletcher, Member of the Wake County Board of Education.
Tell Us What You Want and Expect!
The “Help Wanted” sign is out at Wake School HQ for a new superintendent! And while we search near and far for quality talent to provide great leadership, the School Board wants your guidance. What qualities do you want our new superintendent to have and exhibit? Please provide your thoughts and ideas. We need your input by January 17, 2018.
APPLY for Year Round and Magnets in January!
Students new to Wake must enroll first and use their student ID number to apply. Kindergarten registration opens January 4.
Enrolled students may apply for a multi-track (year round) school and/or a magnet school starting January 10. The open application period ends January 31. Notice of selection will be made February 14. School-based open houses are scheduled all month long.
State Mandate Limits Choices for Parents
Senate interpretation of the state budget requires that state-funded positions first be used to reduce class size in K-3 to an average of 17 students. The consequences include loss of pre-K classrooms and much larger classes at grades 4 & 5, cross-grade combination classes, capped schools, loss of art, music and PE instructors, and fewer choices for families.
Efforts continue behind the scenes to inform legislators of the negative impact on students and school communities. A “no cost” solution for the State: return to the past practice of allowing the average class size to be 21 across the District and allow principals to have flexibility in organizing their schools to best serve their students. Let your senator know your concerns.
Board Schedules Discussions about School Assignment Objectives for 2018
When school feeder patterns have mismatched school calendars, what should the System do? Should some new schools be opened on a multitrack calendar instead of the traditional calendar? And what should the District do to unravel the existing cross-calendar mismatches?
Watch both Student Achievement and Facilities committee agendas for scheduled discussions.
Wake School Calendar Demonstrates Commitment to Quality Instruction!
What is better for teaching and learning: an extra five minutes in every class period or an extra five instructional days for all classes? What is better for professional development and teacher satisfaction: schedule teacher workdays every month or schedule them all before classes begin in August or after the school year ends in June?
The answers illustrate why Wake’s calendars differ from other school districts.
As You Plan Your 2018, What Will Be Your “One Thing?”
In Gary Keller’s #1 best seller The One Thing, he asks: “What’s the one thing you can do such that by doing it everything else would be easier or unnecessary?”
Keller’s research and synthesis of the traits of successful people results in this surprisingly simple truth behind extraordinary results. Allow me to recommend that you adopt this question as part of your personal strategy for 2018.
Factoid #38
During the 2017 legislative session, more than 60 school districts requested more local flexibility and autonomy to set schools calendars. Objectives such as aligning K-12 calendars with community colleges or having exams before the Christmas/Winter break were rebuffed by Senate leadership as disruptive to in-state tourism. After more than sixty requests none was granted.
Parent chats (except on holidays)
1st Thursday – 1 PM
Cary Chamber, 315 N Academy St., Cary
3rd Monday – 11 AM
Caribou Coffee shop, 109 SW Maynard Rd., Cary
Bill Fletcher school info: BFletcher@wcpss.net || Voice Mail: 919-694-8843 || Mobile: 919-880-5301
Story by Bill Fletcher, Member Wake County Board of Education. Photos courtesy of MizLit and the Wake County Public School System.
Thanks Bill, I appreciate the update.