WCPSS Announces Schools added to STEM and Global Schools Networks

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Superintendent Tony Tata today announced the names of the five Wake County schools joining the STEM Schools Collaborative Network and the first three schools that will join the Global Schools Collaborative Network. The five schools joining the STEM Collaborative Network are:


•Hilburn Drive Elementary

•York Elementary

•Aversboro Elementary

•Carroll Middle

•Knightdale High

The WCPSS STEM Schools Network will join a statewide group of schools dedicated to enhanced strategic planning, professional development, programming and community advocacy around science, technology, engineering and math.

Schools will benefit from shared professional development opportunities, instructional activities and connections to local, state and national leaders committed to having students focus on science, technology, engineering and math.

Three Wake County elementary schools will be joining the Global Schools Collaborative Network, another statewide educational initiative. They are:

•Timber Drive Elementary

•Jeffreys Grove Elementary

•Stough Elementary

The Global Schools Collaborative Network’s goal is to promote and support global education throughout the school system. The network will work to prepare students to complete globally through a number of means, including new technology, global curriculum as well as support for faculty in identifying global learning opportunities.

Tata also announced the deadline for middle and high schools to apply to the Global Schools Collaborative Network is extended to Friday, May 6 to give those schools extra opportunity to apply.

“These eight schools will make great additions to our innovative learning networks,” said Tata. “Achievement and success in the 21st century will rely heavily on global awareness, as well as a focus on science, technology, engineering and math. WCPSS is committed to giving our students the tools needed to realize that success,” Tata added.

The eight schools joining the WCPSS STEM Schools Network and the WCPSS Global Schools Collaborative Network will begin their innovative instruction in the 2011-12 school year. Additional support for these schools includes technology facilitators or foreign language instructors, along with 30 iPad tablet computers for each grade level to provide students opportunity to explore STEM and global concepts.

Applications were reviewed by a team that scored each application based upon student population/capacity, vision for network, summary of needs, key leadership support, and current aligned initiatives.

For more information about the NC STEM Collaborative, please visit www.ncstem.org

For more information about the NC Global Schools network, please visit www.globalschoolsnetwork.org



6 named to student assignment panel - Wake County - NewsObserver.com

Thursday, March 10, 2011

6 named to student assignment panel - Wake County - NewsObserver.com


RALEIGH -- Wake County Superintendent Tony Tata on Tuesday announced a task force of school administrators he's forming to develop a student assignment plan.
The task force will be led by James Overman, the senior director of elementary school programs for the school system and former principal of East Garner Elementary School.
The other five members of the task force are Brad McMillen, a senior director in evaluation and research; David Ansbacher, senior director of magnet programs; Tamani Anderson Powell, a director in magnet programs; Susan Pullium, a director in growth and planning; and Susan Andrews, a senior administrator in staff development.

Tata said the student assignment task force will take into consideration the plan presented last month by the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and the Wake Education Partnership. Their Wake School Choice Plan calls for factoring in student achievement as a way to provide diversity by avoiding concentrations of low-performing students at a school.
Tata said the task force also will look at previous proposals and information that he has gathered through the listening he has done since he started as superintendent Jan. 31.
The goal is to have a plan ready to present to the school board by late spring. Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/03/09/1039229/6-named-to-student-assignment.html#ixzz1GD5olhMm

TEACHERS WANTED to participate in innovative Service Learning Program

Dear Teachers of Grades 4-12 throughout Wake County!

Here's an exciting Service Learning Project for 4th-12th grade students to
improve water quality in their local watershed and Neuse River Basin, then
present their project outcomes to an international audience of
environmental educators!

The Neuse RIVERKEEPER® Foundation and Environmental Educators of North
Carolina (EENC) invite teachers of grades 4-12 to join the Neuse
RIVERKEEPER® Foundation Environmental Challenge. The NRF Environmental
Challenge is an environmentally focused service learning program where
teachers work with local organizations to develop student-directed
initiatives that address water issues in the Neuse River basin.

Participating teachers will be trained in the Earth Force (
http://www.earthforce.org/) service learning model. This training will provide
tools to guide students as they assess environmental issues in their
watershed and design action projects to address those issues. Projects can
be carried out during regular classroom instruction, elective classes, or
after school clubs in the fall of 2011.

The NRF Environmental Challenge will serve as a model service learning
program for the October 2011 Annual Conference of the North American
Association for Environmental Education (http://www.naaee.org/) in Raleigh.
Student service learning projects will be presented at the NAAEE Conference
and will also be showcased at the Neuse RIVERKEEPER® Foundation Film
Festival in January 2012.

Important Dates:

April 1, 2011- Teacher applications due
May 6-7, 2011: Earth Force training for participating teachers in Raleigh
October 13, 2011: Students and teachers present work at NAAEE Annual
Conference in Raleigh
January 2012: Final project work showcased at the Neuse RIVERKEEPER® Film
Festival

Apply now!!! Flyer and application attached.
Visit www.neuseriver.org/challenge.html for additional information.