September 2021 K-12 Monthly Mathematics Update

North Carolina Public Schools sent this bulletin at 09/02/2021 02:33 PM EDT

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September 2021

K-12 Mathematics Newsletter

ACADEMIC STANDARDS

Division Announcements

Congratulations to Mrs. Beverly Vance on her retirement!

Always a consummate professional, Beverly has impacted math and science education across our state, excelling in her multiple roles over the past 28 years.

As an outstanding leader, she has guided much work in our state, driven to ensure that EVERY North Carolina student is empowered to accept academic challenges, prepared to pursue their chosen path after graduating high school, and encouraged to become lifelong learners with the capacity to engage in a globally-collaborative society.

As a Section Chief, Beverly positively impacted the professional learning of teachers across North Carolina, cultivating opportunities that supported the implementation of North Carolina’s educational standards. She enthusiastically collaborated with others, working elbow-to-elbow, to create and conduct a bevy of learning experiences designed to address the specific needs of teachers and students. Nearly every public and private organization that advocates for the students of our state has benefited directly or indirectly from the efforts of Beverly Vance.

Moving forward, we are excited for Beverly to be able to enjoy more time with her grandchildren- Kaleb and Krissy, husband Elmo, and church community. Beverly will most definitely spoil herself with good books, Marvel movies, Carolina Cupcakes and, there are rumors of new Jimmy Choo shoes possibly in her future.

There is no doubt that Beverly has been a true one-of-a-kind in her field.

Beverly's expertise, professionalism, enthusiasm, warmth, and nurturing leadership will be missed tremendously. North Carolina has been incredibly fortunate to have benefited from the services of Mrs. Beverly Vance.

Thank you for celebrating Bev’s achievements with us as we all wish her well in her retirement!

We are excited to announce Dr. Mary Hemphill-Joseph as the new Director of Academic Standards!

Dr. Hemphill-Joseph comes to the division with a wealth of experience, from teacher to principal and most recently, the Director of K-12 Computer Science and Technology Education at DPI.

In an effort to align the support our team provides and the strategic plans of agency leadership, the K-12 Standards, Curriculum, and Instruction division is now known as the Division of Academic Standards. Our work and the support we provide has not changed. We remain committed to supporting NC educators with resources and professional development that assist with standards-aligned instruction, along with assistance for legislative and grant-related programs.

Professional Development Opportunity

Amazing Leaders,

We hope that you are doing well and preparing for what will be an amazing academic year! I want to tell you about a professional development opportunity that has significant potential to catalyze a mindset shift in instructional practices across North Carolina.

NCDPI strives to ensure all school leaders and teacher leaders are adequately prepared to provide quality instruction to our 1.5 million students across the state; so, for the 1st time, we have partnered with Duke University to bring forth an Open Design Academy.

The Open Design Academy will offer a cohort of up to 30 participating teachers and principals experiential professional learning in open design as a strategy to:

increase educational equity as highlighted in the NC State Board of Education's 2025 Statewide Strategic Plan; and
increase standards-based learning aligned with all of North Carolina's Academic Standards.

During this time, you will learn how to engage students through a discovery-driven process which encourages creativity, communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and integration of design thinking instruction into your subject content.

Due our current societal situation, the Open Design Academy will be mostly virtual in nature.

Below is a tentative schedule to help you decide if you wish to take advantage of this pilot program.

October 4, 2021: Designer Mindset (Asynchronous)
October 19 OR 21, 2021: Open Design & Equitable Education (Synchronous)
October 22 – November 4, 2021: Understanding (Asynchronous)
November 4, 2021: Sprint – Engage Your Challenge (Synchronous)
November 5 – November 22, 2021: Implementation & Iteration (Asynchronous)

We will ensure that all participants receive CEUs for completing the Open Design Academy.

To express interest in this opportunity, please complete this survey by September 8, 2021.

Feel free to contact Dr. Mary Hemphill-Joseph, mary.hemphill@dpi.nc.gov, directly if you have any questions.

Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Math Teaching (PAEMST)

The K-6 Cycle for the Presidential Awards is now open!

Nominations and applications are now open for the 2021-22 cycle of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) for K-6 teachers of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science.

The entire application cycle has been moved forward a few months, with nominations closing on Friday, January 7 and applications due to be completed by Sunday, February 6.

Visit www.paemst.org to nominate a great K-6 teacher!

Did you know that a person does not have to be nominated to complete a Presidential Award application?

Each year, several our state’s finalists, and eventual awardees, began their application without a nomination. Any eligible K-6 teacher of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or computer science can complete an application. To start an application, visit www.paemst.org.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about the North Carolina Presidential Awards Program, please contact the State Coordinator for PAESMT, Joseph Reaper, at joseph.reaper@dpi.nc.gov.