This’ll just take a second….

This is a bit off the beaten path, but I am hoping you won’t mind my bringing a few noteworthy points to your attention before you delve into the 4 new posts below…

Firstly, if you have not yet noticed, the url of this site is slightly different.

Instead of the rather lengthy  www.nceducation.wordpress.com….

Our New Web Address is:

www.nceducationpolicy.com

******So, make sure you BOOK MARK our new URL now******

But no need worry…. The old address will still work just fine.  No one’s

“Moved Your Cheese...”

More importantly, as we approach the new – and what will certainly be an extremely long – Long Legislative Session, our goal – the purpose of www.nceducationpolicy.com – has not changed .  We hope to provide a timely, accurate, no frills/no spin connection to whats going on in the world of North Carolina Education Policy.

But there’s a critical component missing. Input, feedback, and direction from our readers.  Any alternative would incomplete, one-sided, and stagnant; and well, that’s not how we roll.

We’re gonna keep blogging.  The previews and the summaries will keep coming.  But before we really get rolling again…

We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Is this blog as useful to you as it could be?

What would you like to see more (or less) of?

Are there specific topics you would like to see highlighted?

Please, take a few minutes and give us a piece of your mind

We look forward to your comments and suggestions.

Thank you and KEEP READING.

Remember to Vote November 2nd,

Joel Maynard

UNDER THE DOME ARTICLE

From an ‘Under the Dome’ article yesterday:

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Peter Gorman has gained notice for improving student performance in an urban district.

On Thursday, he described ideas for finding and keeping the best teachers and putting them where they’re most needed for the State Board of Education, Lynn Bonner reports.

Teacher pay should be based more on how much they can teach and motivate students, not necessarily how long they’ve worked or if they have advanced degrees, Gorman said.

“If we pay everyone equally, regardless of effectiveness, we send the wrong message — we’re not valuing your gifts,” Gorman said.

He ran through dozens of graphs and slides to show that advanced degrees do not necessarily translate into better teaching, and that the pool of most effective teachers include some relatively new to the profession as well as veterans.

Novice teachers are not as effective as those with more experience, but new teachers populate high poverty schools where students are not doing well.

Starting next year, the district will look at how principals assign teachers, and include it in the principals’ evaluations.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Guilford offer extra pay to effective teachers willing to work in high poverty schools, which is not a common practice in the state.

That often leaves students who need help the most with the more ineffective and least experienced teachers.

“We’ve just not done a good job of stepping up to the plate in addressing this,” State Board of Education Chairman Bill Harrison said.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg, where more than half the students qualify for subsidized lunch, has improved test scores at high schools that were once in trouble.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ARTICLE

CMS Superintendent Presents Info on Effective Teaching to SBOE

CMS Superintendent Dr. Peter C. Gorman gave a presentation to the State Board of Education on June 3. The presentation, called “What we are learning about effective teachers,” focused on defining effective teaching and linking that to pay-for-performance.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PRESENTATION

(http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/News/Pages/CMSsuperintendentpresentsinformationoneffectiveteachingtoStateBoardofEducation.aspx)