March 24, 2016 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
3/24/16 2:34 PM
March 24, 2016 Teachers' Biweekly Message
North Carolina Public Schools <NCPublicSchools@public.govdelivery.com>
Thu 3/24/2016 10:56 AM
To: Lynda
Fuller <Lynda.Fuller@dpi.nc.gov>;
The Teachers' Biweekly contains items of interest to NC public school teachers from State Superintendent June Atkinson
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March 24, 2016
We have new information about how North Carolinians are viewing
education in our state.
A WRAL-TV news poll showed that 66 percent of respondents say
that K-12 education receives inadequate funding. This same poll
also showed that 51 percent of respondents think North Carolina
lawmakers should increase teacher pay by up to 10 percent.
Education also emerged as the most important problem facing our
state in a recent High Point University Survey Research Center poll
released March 2. North Carolinians surveyed by High Point
University said that they saw education as the most important
problem facing the state (35 percent of the respondents).
As we prepare for the short session of the General Assembly, which
begins April 25, I hope that North Carolinians will share these views with their lawmakers to help them
set good priorities for our state’s budget and policies.
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March 24, 2016 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
3/24/16 2:34 PM
Farewell Message from 2015-16
NC Teacher of the Year
Happy spring, fellow educators! As I crossed our great state this year, I
confirmed my belief that North Carolina has some of the best educators
in the nation! It has been an honor to serve you as an ambassador for our
profession, and I am humbled by the opportunity to meet so many of
you.
Your schools are full of love and laughter, just as your classrooms are
filled with learning and fun! When anyone walks into your rooms, it is
impossible to refute the overwhelming evidence of the incredibly
successful public schools in our state. You serve your students by meeting them where they are and
forming those meaningful connections, which open the doors of learning. YOU are AMAZING!
As a teacher in Ashe County, I often felt isolated and alone in my classroom; however, this year, I found
that many of my colleagues across the state felt exactly the same. We often feel neglected, left out, and
silenced. Our voice just doesn’t seem to matter outside the four walls of our classroom. I understand
that feeling more than ever after witnessing so many educators voice this mindset, but I must offer
some encouragement to each of you who feel this way.
Being the 2015-16 North Carolina Teacher of the Year has afforded me the opportunity to peek outside
the four walls of my classroom and catch a glimpse of varying perspectives on education. I have
learned that our voices matter more than we think. We are the “boots on the ground” in education, and
no matter the perception, administrators, board members, leadership, and legislators understand the
fundamental truth that a great teacher makes all the difference.
I now understand that the future of public education is in our hands. We are the voice for our students,
the voice for adequate funding and support. We are worthy of being valued, and our profession has
great potential to rise above the wave of negativity that has engulfed our cultural mindset. I am thrilled
for the possibilities for which only we, as professional educators, can advocate. I am reinvigorated by
the young scholars who pursue education degrees in our education colleges across the state, and I am
passionate about the importance of phenomenal mentors for these young professionals. It is past time
for us to showcase the importance of our veteran teachers as they hold wisdom in our craft and are
essential in the process of shaping the educators of our future. We must unite to promote support for
teachers at any year of service. Your voice really does matter.
Thank you for this incredible, eye-opening opportunity to represent you this year. I have seen just how
much each educator contributes to North Carolina students, and I look forward to the day when
teaching is elevated to the seat of prominence and importance it demands. I have hope and faith that
this dream will become a reality. Soon!
As I close my last address to you, I trust that each of you will continue to unite as one voice for public
education in North Carolina. Please keep showcasing the great things happening in your classrooms
with the hashtag #PositiveNCEducators. Much love and many prayers for each of you as you serve our
students. You are what makes North Carolina great. Thank you!!
Keana Triplett, 2015-16 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year
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March 24, 2016 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
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Multi-Tiered System of Support:
Integrated Academic and
Behavior Systems
NC MTSS is a framework that promotes school improvement
through engaging, research-based academic and behavioral
practices. MTSS professional development supports districts and schools in identifying what practices
are used and determining if these practices are having positive results for most students.
As teachers, we think about “instruction” as the routines, practices, and strategies that we utilize for all
students. When implementing core instruction, all staff can clearly articulate these instructional
supports, leading to academic and behavioral progress for all students. Explicit instruction is an
example of a researched-based instructional practice that may be used with all students.
Explicit instruction is defined as a systematic instructional approach that includes an “…unambiguous
and direct approach to teaching that incorporates instruction design and delivery” (Archer & Hughes,
2011) and as “a systematic instructional approach that includes a set of delivery and design procedures
derived from effective school research” (Ideas that Work). Thus, it is not a matter of if you will use
explicit instruction, but when you use explicit instruction.
Explicit instruction is appropriate when students have little or no background knowledge, or have a
history of difficulty or failure. For example, consider this real-world connection: Your PC is replaced with
an Apple MacBook Pro. You’ve never used a Mac before. You have no experience with any Apple
product. You don’t even use an iPhone. As a result, you need explicit instruction in order to master this
new machine. You enroll in a quick class for Apple MacBook Pro users, and watch several YouTube
videos that provide step-by-step instructions.
Discovery instruction, on the other hand, is appropriate when students have a good deal of background
knowledge in the domain, or have a history of success. Consider this real-world connection: Your Apple
MacBook is replaced with an Apple MacBook Pro. You’ve used a Mac for many years. You have
experience with several Apple products. You have an iPhone and an iPad. As a result, you are able to
make sense of your latest computer, simply by practicing with it on your own.
For more information on research based practices, visit the US Department of Education website.
If you have any questions about NC MTSS, please contact Amy Jablonski.
Implementation Science:
MTSS to Present at National Conference
NCDPI’s MTSS team is presenting at the Association for Positive Behavior Support’s 13th Annual
Conference in San Francisco, Calif. on March 24. The team’s session, Using Implementation Science to
Integrate Academic and Behavior Systems Across North Carolina, aligns with the theme of the
conference.
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March 24, 2016 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
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The MTSS team will share the story of how NCDPI used Implementation
Science to develop supports for all districts, charter schools and stateoperated programs to implement Multi-Tiered Systems of Support.
Participants also will understand how the department utilized research
around concepts of readiness, capacity, and sustainability to develop a
statewide strategic plan, as well as how the state team calibrated
evaluation and implementation tools from exemplar states and agencies
to support the work of the state team, districts and charter schools.
Give Five – Read Five Underway
Yesterday, State Superintendent June Atkinson kicked off the fourth
annual statewide Give Five – Read Five campaign at Winding Springs
Elementary School in Charlotte.
As a part of this initiative, first launched in 2013, districts, schools,
businesses, nonprofits, churches and other community partners conduct
book drives from April to early June. Books from these local drives are
then distributed to students to provide them with quality reading material over the summer and reduce
summer learning loss.
Since the campaign’s beginning, more than 946,000 new and gently-used books have been sent home
with students as a part of Give Five – Read Five and similar efforts. Once again in 2016, the four schools
that collect the most books will receive a free one-year schoolwide license to online literacy tools
provided by Achieve3000, Reading Horizons and myON.
As a part of this year’s campaign and thanks to a new partnership with myON, a division of Capstone,
DPI is offering every school district in the state access to the personalized literacy tool myON
Reader. Students at every grade level in participating schools will be able to use this tool during the
summer months to select from thousands of titles and download free books well-matched to their
reading levels and personal interests. As an added bonus, parents can use the tool to track how many
pages and hours students spend reading and even measure their literacy growth while they are away
from the classroom.
Visit the myOn website for more information. To learn more and access resources to help schools and
community partners conduct their own book drives, visit NCDPI’s Give Five – Read Five website.
NC Advanced Manufacturing and STEM
Careers Awareness Week
April 3-9 is NC Advanced Manufacturing and STEM Careers Awareness Week in North Carolina.
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March 24, 2016 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
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Advanced Manufacturing and STEM careers are modern, sophisticated and use cutting-edge
technology to create products and services in fields such as aviation, communication, biotechnology
and healthcare. Students are encouraged to visit their local community college or meet with business
and industry representatives to learn more about education opportunities in this career field.
March 25 is the Last Day to
Participate in the NC Teacher
Working Conditions Survey
We have reached the final week in the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions (NC TWC) Survey
window and tomorrow, March 25, is the last day to participate. As of Monday, 68.16 percent of our
education workforce has participated. We need your help to ensure that the remaining 31.84 percent
gets their results in as soon as possible.
The NC TWC Survey gathers feedback from teachers, counselors, principals and other administrators
about every aspect of the school. The web-based survey is voluntary, anonymous and confidential.
If you have any concerns or questions about the survey, please consult your designated school-based
representative. If you need additional assistance or technical support, please contact Amy Laughter,
western regional education facilitator and lead NC TWC contact.
NC Requesting Waiver from Assessing
Speaking and Listening in Reading/English
Language Arts Assessments
The U.S. Department of Education (USED) is allowing states to request a
waiver from assessing speaking and listening as part of its Reading/English
language arts assessments.
In June 2010, the North Carolina State Board of Education adopted Reading/English language arts
content standards, which include standards for speaking and listening. Federal law requires
assessments include all adopted content standards; however, measuring speaking and listening skills in
a large-scale summative assessment is not practical at this time.
As a result, North Carolina is seeking a waiver from this requirement pursuant to section 8401(b) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act.
Specifically, North Carolina is requesting a limited waiver of section 1111(b)(3)(C)(ii) of the ESEA, as
amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, so that the state’s assessment system need not
measure speaking and listening standards at this time.
The requested waiver would be effective through the 2016-17 school year. North Carolina will continue
to develop best practices with respect to assessing speaking and listening on large-scale assessments,
though it may request an extension of the waiver for subsequent years.
The public may submit input/feedback on this potential waiver online by clicking on the Let’s Talk icon
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March 24, 2016 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
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on the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction website then selecting the USED Waiver as the
dialogue topic to provide feedback. The feedback window is open until 5 p.m., Monday, April 4.
Submit Comments on Annual State Application for
Grant Award Under Part B of IDEA
NCDPI is making available its annual State Application for receiving grant award under Part B of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as amended in 2004 for Federal Fiscal Year 2016.
A copy of the State Application is available for public review on the NCDPI Exceptional Children website
under Hot Topics. Also, each local school district’s central office will receive a copy for public review.
Comments will be accepted through April 22. The review period ends May 6.
Interested citizens may submit comments via email or by U.S. mail to North Carolina Department of
Public Instruction, Exceptional Children Division, ATTN: Tracy Riddle/Carol Ann Hudgens, 6356 Mail
Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6356.
Spring Holocaust Teacher Workshops
These one-day, multi-county workshops are for middle and high
school social studies and English/language arts teachers.
Workshop presenter Dr. Peter Stein (UNC-CH, emeritus, Holocaust scholar and child survivor) will be
joined by either Esther Lederman, a Holocaust survivor who will recount her experiences in hiding for 22
months, or Abe Piasek, who will recount his Holocaust experiences surviving the Aushwitz
concentration camp.
Participants will receive a copy of The Holocaust: a North Carolina Teacher’s Resource, a guide for
teaching about the Holocaust at middle and high school levels. There is no cost to attend the workshop,
and substitute pay is provided. Teachers also will receive .6 CEUs. Space is limited so prompt
registration is encouraged.
The workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Dates and locations are as follows:
- April 12, Chapel Hill-Carrboro (Orange County)
- April 19, Rocky Mount (Nash County).
Registration details are available online. For more information, please email Director of Teacher
Workshops Audrey Krakovitz.
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