NCDPI Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Updates
NC Charter
Schools Advisory Board to Meet
The North Carolina Charter Schools Advisory Board
will meet Feb.
12-13 in the 7th Floor Board Room, Education Building, 301 N. Wilmington Street,
Raleigh.
The agendas are available on the State Board of
Education’s website under the Meetings tab. The meeting
will be audio streamed for those who
cannot attend.
Questions regarding
this meeting should be directed to NCDPI Communications at 919-807-3450.
 State Employees Credit Union Foundation (SECU) High School Scholarship Opportunity - Reminder
Since the SECU Foundation was established in August 2004, it has awarded annual $10,000 “People Helping People” four-year scholarships – increasing from two to three in 2014 – to graduating seniors attending North Carolina Charter Schools. These scholarships will be awarded to students attending one of the 16 constituent campuses of the University of North Carolina. These funds are made possible through the contributions to the Foundation by members of State Employees' Credit Union.
Below are the steps for applying for this scholarship opportunity:
- Review the ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA and share scholarship information with eligible students and their parents. New for 2018: The SECU People Helping People Scholarship is only available to graduating public high school seniors who are either members of SECU or the child of a parent/guardian who is a member of SECU.
- Develop a school-level scholarship selection committee comprised of three or more members who will make the final decision on the school-level nominee. The scholarship selection committee must also identify an alternate (runner up) for each school-level nominee in the event the named nominee becomes ineligible (i.e., receives a full scholarship, declines the scholarship, chooses to attend a private or out of state university, etc.).
- Submit the following information for the school-level nominee:
-
Completed Student Application and Essay. Note: This document must be sent as a Word Document only. The document is enabled to allow SECU Foundation to import student data into our database directly. Please do not send this document as a PDF or Google Doc.
- Copy of University Acceptance Letter
- Photo of Nominee (head shot only)
-
A Brief Bio Written by Nominee with Accomplishments and Awards Noted. A guide for writing them bio is provided HERE.
-
Written Scholarship Selection Committee Statement (signed by all committee members verifying the selection of the nominee). In this letter, include the name of the selected school-level alternate nominee.
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Signed Consent Form. Each recipient of the scholarship and their parent/guardian must sign the Consent Form to release their names and images for press releases to the local news media as well as within State Employee’s Credit Union and the SECU Foundation. In addition, the nominee and their parents are asked to complete all the information on the Consent Form which will be used to verify their eligibility as an SECU member.
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Scholarship recipient information from each school must be received by the NCDPI Office of Charter Schools by 5:00 pm EST on March 9, 2018. Application information must be sent via email to Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith at ocs@dpi.nc.gov. Schools should only submit application information for the school-level nominee. Application information should be collected for the alternate nominee, but the information should not be submitted until requested.
- Schools should notify the Office of Charter Schools if the school-level nominee or alternate are no longer eligible for the scholarship.
The Office of Charter Schools appreciates the dedication and hard work by the members of each school’s Scholarship Selection Committee. Please contact Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith @ ocs@dpi.nc.gov if you have any questions or concerns about the scholarship opportunity.
Note:
SECU Foundation also provides each North Carolina Community College two (2) $5,000 scholarships. Recipients are selected by the Scholarship Selection Committee at the community college. If you have a student who will be attending a community college and exemplifies the membership philosophy of credit unions, “People Helping People”, please direct them to the Financial Aid office at the community college.
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Charter Schools Transportation Grant
Update
2.5 million dollars was
provided to the NC Department of Public Instruction to establish a Charter
School Transportation Grant Program for the 2017-18 school year.
The purpose of the Charter
School Transportation Grant pilot program is to reimburse a charter school
that has a student enrollment of at least fifty percent (50%) of its students
residing in households with an income level not in excess of the amount
required for a student to qualify for the federal free or reduced price lunch
program.
Inclement weather during January delayed the review and disbursement process. Currently, we are reviewing submitted information and hope to disburse reimbursements by mid-March. Also, the report due to OCS for any schools receiving funds should be submitted by June 30, 2018.
We apologize for the delay and continue to work diligently to get funds to the qualifying schools. Thanks for your patience.
Contact ocs@dpi.nc.gov with questions or
concerns.
Attachments: Charter Schools Transportation Grant Application
Bus Driver Appreciation Week
February 12 - 16, 2018 is Bus Driver Appreciation Week. Please send in pictures to OCS at ocs@dpi.nc.gov to show how you celebrated. We will feature the pictures in a future newsletter.
Attachment: Feb
12-16 Is School Bus Driver Appreciation Week
 Charter School Flexibility Update
Charter school leaders and boards of directors are reminded that charter schools have flexibility in many areas. As you exercise your flexibility, please remember that before implementing some policies and changes to your school, you may need State Board of Education (SBE) approval before implementation. This includes (but is not limited to) changes to your teacher evaluation process, education plans, weighted lotteries, articulation agreements and other areas that are outlined in your charter application, charter agreement and SBE policy. While there are charter specific policies, there are other SBE policies that may impact charter schools. OCS is here to guide you through that process and answer questions or concerns.
Not following the appropriate approval process could result in your school being noncompliant. OCS will work with schools to rectify any noncompliance area currently experiencing for failure to follow the appropriate approval process.
The amendment process is found on the OCS website by using the following link - http://www.ncpublicschools.org/charterschools/amendments/. Please contact OCS at ocs@dpi.nc.gov with questions or concerns about the amendment process.
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NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) Updates
Non-Violent Crisis Intervention (CPI) Train-the-Trainer Opportunity
Please see below important information on a CPI Train-the-Trainer Opportunity.
When: February 27th, 28th and March 1st, 2nd
Location: Herbin Metz Education Center - 400 Oferrell St. Greensboro, NC
Please contact Joe Simmons with questions about this opportunity at joe.simmons@dpi.nc.gov.
 2018-19 Digital Learning Initiative (DLI) Grant RFPs Approved by State Board
NCDPI Digital Learning is pleased to announce the
release of Request for Proposals (RFPs) for Digital Learning Initiative Grants
for the 2018-19 school year, approved by the NC State Board of Education.
These competitive grants are intended to support our NC districts and charters
as they address challenges, harness opportunities, and leverage resources for
digital-age, personalized teaching and learning. As specified in the Digital
Learning Plan, this grant program is intended to support the development and
dissemination of local innovative digital teaching and learning across the
state.
During this round of DLI grants
there are three RFP applications: Planning, Implementation, and Innovation
Academy. Please refer to the RFP materials on our website (http://www.ncpublicschools.org/dtl/grants/) for detailed information about each
grant opportunity and submission guidelines. The deadline for all application
submissions is April 23, 2018, at 5:00 P.M.
Also, be sure to tune in to our
upcoming webinars where we will provide details on the application process for
each of the grant types. The webinars will be recorded and available for review
at the Digital Teaching and Learning website.
Webinars will allow for brief
Q&A. In addition, questions regarding these grant opportunities may be
submitted by April 9, 2017, through our website where we will post responses. Emma
Braaten (emma.braaten@dpi.nc.gov),
our Digital Learning Initiative Specialist, is the lead on this effort and will
be hosting the webinars and keeping track of the Q&A’s.
We look forward to many of our NC
districts and charters engaging in this competitive process as we continue to
foster digital-age, personalized learning across our state. If you have
questions, please contact our DLI Specialist Emma Braaten at emma.braaten@dpi.nc.gov.
To learn more about the great
work that is happening this current school year around the state related to the
2017-18 DLI Showcase Grants, check out this overview document - https://goo.gl/NsaZhX.
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Significant Cognitive Disability Foundations of
Math
Please see the attached upcoming
professional development opportunity. Space is limited to the first 30
participants.
If you have any questions, please
contact Ginger Cash at ginger.cash@dpi.nc.gov
/ 919 807-4024.
Attachment: Memo-SCD+Foundations+of+Math-Spring+2018.pdf
 Beginning Teacher (BT) Twitter Chat
NCDPI is pleased to begin quarterly BT Twitter Chats. Please see the information below and contact Dr. Karol McNeil-Horton at karol.vauhn@cms.k12.nc.us with questions or concerns.
#NCBTChat
WHEN: MONDAY,
FEB 12TH, 7-8 PM
WHERE: THIS
IS AN ONLINE EVENT.
MORE INFORMATION: JOIN IN THE CONVERSATION WITH BEGINNING AND
VETERAN TEACHERS FROM ALL EIGHT REGIONS OF NORTH CAROLINA. YOU DO NOT WANT TO
MISS IT!
LOG IN TO YOUR TWITTER ACCOUNT AND FOLLOW THE HASHTAG #NCBTCHAT TO
PARTICIPATE.
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Reading Camp: Imagine, Discover,
Empower
The K-3 Literacy Division invites you to join
us on February 22, 2018 at 3:30 pm for a webinar that will provide
answers and support for planning and creating Reading Camps across North
Carolina. Please join us as we imagine and discover ways to create a
reading camp experience that empowers students as they deepen their literacy
skills.
Please register here to attend the webinar:
Reading Camp: Imagine, Discover, Empower for February 22, 2018 at 3:30 pm
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5276233433891023617
After registering, you will receive a
confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
2017 NC Deaf-Blind Census
Please see the attached
information and documents regarding the 2017 NC Deaf-Blind Census. The
deadline for submission is April 6, 2018.
If you have any questions, please
contact Dottie Snyder at dorothy.snyder@dpi.nc.gov
/ 919 807-3987.
Attachments:
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Charter Schools in the News
Pine Lake Preparatory Goes Digital with Canvas
Pine
Lake Preparatory, a charter school in Mooresville, is committed to using
Canvas for continued communication and digital instruction. With more than
1,850 students on a K-12 campus, finding the best tool for connecting our
community is critical. Canvas allows us to come together as teachers, students,
and parent observers to reach our academic goals.
All students currently use
Canvas to communicate with teachers, receive and submit assignments, and work
collaboratively in groups. This year, we have created new roles that allow
student club pages to be designed and maintained by students themselves.
Younger students use Canvas
Discussion Boards in Literacy Blocks. The teacher will record directions and
each student responds individually. Not only do the students enjoy seeing each
other, but the teacher also has artifacts to include in portfolios. Even
kindergartners are using Canvas. They practice typing their name, email
address, and physical address to their profile page, along with sharing their
favorite selfie. Kindergartners can then use Canvas to record short video
responses to questions and access appropriate digital content.
Parents are able to login and
see multiple children’s grades, assignments, and upcoming events in one
convenient location.
Administrators and support staff are
developing and maintaining courses for school documents such as weekly
announcements and meeting agendas that assist in organization and record
keeping for professional development CEUs.
Union Academy Wins
Record Number of State Awards for School Communications and Public Relations
Monroe, NC – Union Academy was
the only individual school and the only charter school to win
Blue Ribbon Awards for outstanding school communications and public relations.
The Union Academy communications team (Director of Communications Cynthia
Robbins Shah-Khan and Communications Assistant Taylor Covington) was among 38
school districts to receive its awards from the North Carolina School Public
Relations Association (NCSPRA) during the Association’s annual Blue Ribbon
Awards ceremony and brunch on Friday, Jan. 26 at the O. Henry Hotel in
Greensboro.
Union Academy won awards in the following categories:
Gold
Awards:
Silver
Award:
- Publications –
News from the Nest
Bronze
Award:
A
Blue Ribbon Award is the highest honor a school district can receive from the
North Carolina
School
Public Relations Association. The award recognizes excellence in school
communications and public relations in eight categories: digital media
engagement, electronic media, excellence in writing, image/graphic design,
marketing, photography, publications (print and electronic), and special events
and programs. Members of the Georgia School Public Relations Association judged
the entries, scoring each based on content, quality, effectiveness, and overall
impression.
NCSPRA is the premier organization for school
communications and public relations professionals in North Carolina. For more
information, visit the NCSPRA website, www.ncspra.org.
Charter
Schools: Fact vs. Fiction
Other News
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) New Charter School Health Nurse
The newest member of the Charter School Health
Community is Kristin Wike and will be serving as your Charter
School Health Nurse Consultant, for the NC Division of Public Health.
She is a nationally certified
school nurse with experience as a lead school nurse directing services for 4500
students in Western NC. Over the past four years, Kristin has been a regional nurse consultant for school health providing
technical assistance and guidance to school nurses and other school health
professionals. She served as the primary resource person for local health
departments, hospitals, and school systems (public, private, charter and
specialty schools) in the west region for the assessment of student health
needs and for the development, implementation, and evaluation of school nursing
services and student health services. As
staff in the School Health Unit, her responsibilities included 1) program
assessment, planning, and development, 2) program implementation, monitoring
and quality assurance, 3) clinical and program consultation, 4) coordination
and collaboration, and 5) training and resource development. The Charter School Health Nurse Consultant position
continues as a member of the regional nurse consultant team. She developed
strong leadership skills while serving eight years in the United States Marines
Corps. Kristin received her BSN and MSN in Nursing Education from the University
of North Carolina at Greensboro as well as achieved the Bronze Medal for
Executive Leadership.
In the coming weeks you will add your School Health Coordinator in the EDDIE database. North Carolina’s charter schools are required to
comply with the Care of Students with Diabetes law (G.S. 115C-375.3.) and with
the School Supply of Epinephrine Auto-Injectors law (G.S. 115-375.2A.), as well
as charter specific state board policies regarding some student health
services. Annually, charter schools report on compliance with these,
providing information that identifies staff educational and support needs
related to compliance and student safety. Kristin will provide support and assistance to ensure you meet these requirements. Her email address is kristin.wike@dhhs.nc.gov.
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