OCS Weekly Newsletter for January 8, 2021

North Carolina Public Schools sent this bulletin at 01/08/2021 05:24 PM EST

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6307 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6307  

Weekly Newsletter- January 8, 2021

Important information for your annual audits

Charter Leaders,

Our office has received multiple inquiries concerning the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) and the NC Statute concerning the indebtedness clause. DPI leadership has determined that the indebtedness clause is required by law. We realize that federal PPP application forms cannot be modified and suggest that the indebtedness clause be included via an addendum to the loan documents provided by your lending institution. Please reach out to Dave Machado if you have any questions.

Please be sure to keep EDDIE up to date!

 

Upcoming Events and Reminders!

Save the Date!

 

JumpStart Report Clarification and PRC167 Grant Deadline

After careful consideration, the agency decided to disregard the data pull and deadline originally communicated in late December 2020 to allow districts an opportunity to better ascertain the impact of the Jumpstart Program. Please be on the lookout for an update to the Jumpstart Report that will be communicated later this week with a more feasible deadline to allow districts to more holistically respond.

 

Also the grant is due Jan 15. The application is located in CCIP.

PRC 167 Grant Application

The application for CARES Act – ESSERF- Exceptional Children Grant (PRC 167) opened in the NC CCIP platform on Friday, December 11, 2020.  The due date for the completed application submission is January 15, 2021.  A Tip Sheet will be added to the EC Division Padlet and the NC CCIP platform to utilize for guidance when completing the application.

 

Planning Year Session Three: Charter School Accountability & Operations

Wednesday, Jan. 27th 2021 at 8:30am-4pm

This is an online event.

Target audience: Board members from charter schools that are opening in 2021, as well as acceleration applicants, are required to attend 5 virtual Planning Year Sessions from September to March; this year we have spaced the sessions out more throughout the year.  Schools in a delay year are not required to attend but are welcome to. The school leader and some of the board members are also required to attend the New Charter School Leaders Institute in June 2021.  As a customer service, the Office of Charter Schools continues to open up these sessions to all charter schools; however, the target audience is new school leaders and baords.  If you have a new school leader and/or a new board member interested in attending any of the sessions, he or she must register to attend. 

COVID TOP TEN:

To help recap important news of the week, we are pleased to bring you the NCDPI COVID-19 WEEKLY TOP TEN.   The link does not change.  New content is added to the top of the document weekly.  

*Note, due to the holiday, there will not be a Top Ten issued next week.

Here’s a preview:

10. Returning to School: Mitigation and Mental Health Strategies-WEBINAR
9.  2021 Series of NC ABSE Virtual Town Hall Forums
8.  Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) - Voluntary Extension
7. Help spread the word! NC Teaching Fellows Application Deadline: January 11, 2o21!
6. Middle of the Year Read to Achieve (RtA) Reminders
5. Summary: Status of CARES Act Funding & Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER)
4. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Addendum and Waiver
3. Save the Date! Rethink K-12 Education Models Grant Webinar-January 22, 2021
2. NCDHHS Vaccine Information & Roll-Out Schedule
1.  Welcome State Superintendent Catherine Truitt!

Please note that the state COVID WEEKLY TOP TEN is not compiled with charter schools primarily in mind, or written by OCS. Charter schools retain flexibility by law, including but not limited to the issuance of emergency leave. If you ever have any uncertainty about a requirement, please reach out to the Office of Charter Schools.

NCDPI Agency Horizontal Logo

Follow-Up-Charter/Lab/ISD Leaders' Check-In 12/10/20

Superintendents and Charter School Directors,

Please see attached memo regarding Beginning Teacher Support Programs.

Thank you.

 

Dr. Beverly R. Emory, Executive Director of Leandro Support

Dr. Thomas R. Tomberlin, Director, Educator Recruitment and Support

Dr. Cynthia M. Martin, Director, District and Regional Support

Follow-Up-Communications Leaders' Biweekly Call-12.15.20

 

  Click here to access the recording with integrated chat and transcript.  

 

A very special thanks to our guests Katie Test Davis, Lauren Empson, and Ashley Peterson-Deluca, Haley Pittman, and Rebecca Planchard.  Also a big thanks to Ken Derksen and Freebird McKinney for moderating and Dr. Stegall joining the call and closing us out for 2020.

 

Additional resources referenced in the call:

12.15.20 Master Slide Deck (with DHHS slides)

Forthright Advising-Slide Deck
 DPI Enrollment Webinar_FINAL.pdf

 

TeachNC Slide Deck and Resources (Attached)

IMPORTANT: Please see the attached memo regarding changes with automation of GPA and Grade-Scale beginning with the 2021-22 school year.

Please send the attached memo, Summer Programs 2020–21, from Dr. David Stegall and Dr. Tammy Howard to all Charter School Directors.

Important Info Update from the School Financial Reporting Section

What’s New – FY 20-21

Please check out the What’s New section of DPI’s website at https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/district-operations/financial-and-business-services.  It will provide you the latest information about the COVID funding and Teacher and Instructional Support Bonus.

 

COVID Funding

Review the COVID Allotment Policy manual 2020-21, which reflects which COVID PRCs charters are eligible.

If you have COVID funding questions, please contact Sue Holly at susan.holly@dpi.nc.gov.

Opportunity for EL Program Coordinators, Lead Teachers, and Testing Coordinators to participate in ACCESS for ELLs Roundtable Discussions

We are pleased to announce the ACCESS for ELLs Roundtable Discussions. These roundtables are hosted by EL Program coordinators and Testing coordinators across the state to share ideas, ask questions, find answers, and discuss ways we can safely and successfully administer ACCESS for ELLs and Alternate ACCESS for ELLS assessments.

Our topics in these sessions will include discussions around preparing for the testing window, testing locations, communication with parent/family caregivers, student transportation, and other relevant information.

Please register for the session that reflects your school’s characteristics (e.g. a small population or a large population of ELs) - Space is limited.

 

ACCESS for ELLs Roundtable Registration Links

 ACCESS for ELLs Roundtable Discussions
[NC-EE] NCMNS Statewide Virtual Girls in Science Program Deadline Extended to Monday, January 11!

Virtual Girls in Science: Future Focus application deadline extended! Help us spread the word that the NC Museum of Natural Sciences is now accepting applications for our 2021 virtual program until the new deadline of 11:59 p.m. Monday, January 11th. Open to 6th and 7th grade girls statewide, and scholarships are available!

Girls in Science: Future Focus is an afterschool program focused on engaging middle school girls in exploring careers in science with like-minded peers. Each week, girls will meet a woman in science or other STEM profession, hear her story and engage in fun, hands-on virtual activities (using simple household supplies) related to her career. 

 

Running virtually January 21 – March 25, 2021 from 4-5:30 p.m., Future Focus is an intensive, ten-week program for 6th- and 7th-grade girls and nonbinary students who have shown ability and strong interest in the sciences. The Girls in Science mission is to engage girls in hands-on science experiences, connect participants to inspiring women in science and to create a safe atmosphere where diversity can be celebrated and students’ natural curiosity can flourish.

 

Are you a woman in STEM and are interested in sharing your career path with our group? Submit an inquiry to be a guest speaker!

Exceptional Children Division

Please see the attached Parent Newsletter.

School Business News

NC SIS Weekly Email Bulletin

Advancing Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) as a Lever for Equity and Excellence - Equity Insights Report

DL/I Discourse: IHE- Strategies for Online Academic Language Learning for DL/I

Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Updates

logo

 

Professional Learning, RTO, and Renewals Newsletters

Professional Learning 101

 

The Scoop With Coop-All Things Renewals 

 

Ready to Open/Planning Year

2021 SECU Scholarship - Important Information Linked

Other News about Our Charter Schools:

TOY 2020

The Office of Charter Schools is delighted to announce the 2021 Charter Teacher of the Year, Jeremy White, of West Lake Preparatory Academy. Jeremy is a Kindergarten teacher with a passion for early grades literacy,  model for teacher leadership, a published author, an inspiration to his peers at West Lake, and a superstar to his students and families. We are thrilled to shine a light on Jeremy and hear his voice amplified through the platform of the Charter TOY 2021. Congratulations!

 

Read more about it

 

From Mr. White

My name is Jeremy White. I am 34 years old and was born in Memphis TN. I have lived in 5 different states including, NJ, WI, OH, TN, and currently reside in North Carolina where I teach Kindergarten at West Lake Preparatory Academy. I lived in Japan for five years after graduating from college in 2008. I taught at 2 private English schools and 7 public schools during my time there. I moved back stateside in 2014 and received my Masters in Teaching Elementary Education in 2017. I have been working with and teaching kids for 15 years. I enjoy anything that has to do with Marvel. I am excited to be the 2021 Charter School Teacher of the Year!
T74 Achievement Gap Closing

T74 Reports - Charters Close Achievement Gap With District Schools, Study Finds, With Black and Low-Income Students Making the Greatest Gains
ACCESS

Greetings!

 

The NC Advancing Charter Collaboration and Excellence for Student Success (ACCESS) Program has launched its third round of subgrantee applications.  Currently, the NC ACCESS team is holding several live (virtual) application training sessions from October 2020 – January 2021 to assist prospective applicants with the subgrant application process. In order to aid in the successful completion of the application, please view next steps below:

 

  1. Learn more about the NC ACCESS Program, view the full training schedule, and download all subgrant application materials (application, budget and guidance document) on our website.
  2. Don’t forget to register for a January 2021 training here.
  3. In order to submit a full subgrant application, you MUST first submit a Letter of Intent by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 15 to NCACCESS@dpi.nc.gov.

 

If you have further questions, please contact the NC ACCESS Program at NCACCESS@dpi.nc.gov. We look forward to your participation!

 

Best,

The NC ACCESS Team

Leadership Opportunities:

Cape Fear Center for Inquiry: School Director

Carolina International Art, PE, Biology, 6th Grade, Interventionist

Charter Schools USA Regional Grants Coordinator for the Carolinas

Telra Institute K-5 Director of Instruction

Island Montessori Charter School Instructional Coordinator

Whom Should I Contact at the Office of Charter Schools?

 

Please note that response times to voicemails left on our phones will be much slower than usual due to the COVID-19 response efforts. Sending us an email is ideal.  Clicking the link on our names will bring up an automatic email prompt. Thank you!

OCS Main number: 984 236 2700 ocs@dpi.nc.gov

Dave Machado         984 236 2702

Director of the Office of Charter Schools

Shaunda Cooper      984 236 2712

Consultant, Renewals & Stakeholder Support

Claire Porter              984 236 2707

Consultant, Planning Year & Ready to Open Process

Ashley Baquero         984 236 2708

Consultant, Amendments & Compliance

Joseph Letterio       984 236 2703

Consultant, Epicenter Tech Support & Performance Framework

Darian Jones           984 236 2705

Consultant, Professional Development

Melanie Rackley     984 236 2712

Consultant, Charter Applications

Jay Whalen              984 236 2711

Program Administrator, NC ACCESS Program

Barbara O'Neal        984 236 2706

Program Coordinator, NC ACCESS Program

Davida Robinson   984 236 2878

NC ACCESS Subgrant Program Manager

Lakisha Robbins  984 236 2704

NC ACCESS Finance Administrator