Join us in celebrating the charter school teacher of the year finalists
Once again, the Professional Development team had the honor of completing both the NC Charter Teacher of the Year for 2023 and the Wells Fargo Charter Principal of the Year process. The latter will be announced after the holidays. From 10 finalists interviewed, all amazing and phenomenal representatives of educators in general, but charter teachers in specific. These candidates are scored on their portfolios and an interview with the team. From this group of finalists, we are tasked with parring the group to two who stand out a bit differently, not in measure of worth or exceptionalism, but just based on the scores. There was a tie and after the tie breaker we had a tie. There was no fair way to split the difference than to bring all three of them forward rather than the two. Last Wednesday, the team, along with the 2022 Charter Teacher of the Year, William Keegan Storrs, Profe’, of Roxboro Community School – who leaves immense footprints to fill in his service to charter schools this year, finished our virtual site interviews. The announcement will be made the week we return from the holidays to ensure everyone could be in place to honor the recipient as deserved.
Here are the 10 finalists. Please join us in honoring these amazing educators and their schools. We would love next year to have a representative for every charter school. It is past time we change the narratives about the work you and our amazing charters are doing as real public schools. 😊
Heather Burrows – ArtSpace Charter School
TaKira Murphy – Envision Science Academy
Dylan Scaringelli – Lake Norman Charter
Trisha Amos – Lincoln Charter
Wendy Short – Oxford Preparatory School
Kimberly Eroh – Pine Lake Preparatory School
Ryan Henderson – Sugar Creek Charter School
Jill Clayton – Roxboro Community
Kelly Dixon – Vance Charter
Lauren Copley – Voyager Academy
The 2023 NC Charter Teacher of the Year Top 3 are as follows! We interviewed administrators, teachers, students, and parents, and each submitted a brief classroom lesson. This is one of Dr. Jones' favorite times in the work and we want to properly honor their achievement and their work.
Lauren Copley – Voyager Academy – 7th grade science, 12-year veteran! Parents and students were on a field trip the day we conducted the virtual site visit and joined us from the car. From the students: “Her joy is infectious. She makes an effort to build relationships with every student.” Admin and parents spoke about how she brings so much joy to science and really takes the time to nurture each student. Her tireless passion for her work, her students, and her peers is exceptional. She epitomizes the definition of a teacher leader.
Dylan Scaringelli – Lake Norman – Middle/High – Band Director, 7 years in! Band concert on his birthday, the night before the interviews. Students organized with no adult support to honor him with a tribute song. Admin and Peers spoke about how he willed life into the band program during and through covid. (Can you imagine virtual band class?). Mr. Scaringelli asked a grandmother to knit masks with a special aperture to mitigate the spit upon the return to school so the BAND could go on. If there was nothing more classic for me was the moment Mr. Storrs informed him how much time he would be out of the classroom next year if he was the representative. I literally thought he was going to withdraw his name at the very end of the process for the love of what he does and where he would rather be. He paused and had a look of illness and reconsideration. It may have been one of the most powerful commitments I have seen in a physical reaction to the possibility of not seeing your students every day.
Ryan Henderson – Sugar Creek – TV Broadcasting/Journalism, 11 years, career changer, started as a substitute teacher. The power of that group of students’ words steels my resolve about the things that matter most to kids. They spoke to a child about his consistency, not just in his manner, but his presence. He is there for us! He has never left my side as a young person since 6th grade when I met him. When asked how he deals with challenging students or situations, the young man that had shared a piece of his story and attributed that the only reason he had a future to Mr. Henderson’s not giving up on him, said, “He makes every challenging situation small.” Mic Drop! Lessons from the kids.
To each of these folks I would love to be in their classrooms and to be one of their colleagues! Please join me in lifting all of these folks up!!!!
Darian C. Jones, Ph. D.
Education Program Consultant II
Office of Charter Schools
School Safety Grant Reopened
The School Safety Grant reopened 2 p.m. Dec. 19 and will close at 11:59 p.m. Jan. 20, 2023.
As a reminder, this grant is for Safety Equipment, Services for Students in Crisis and Training to Increase School Safety. This grant is not funding School Resource Officers. Priority will be given to districts and charter schools that have not received funding through this grant in 2022.
Please read https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S105v8.pdf (starting on page 68) for more information.
The grant application can be found on the CCIP website under FY2023, Safer Schools-Round 2 Funding.
If you have questions, please send an email to schoolsafetygrants@dpi.nc.gov.
About the Center for Safer Schools
The Center for Safer Schools serves to promote safe learning environments for North Carolina K-12 schools. The CFSS serves as a hub of information and technical assistance on school safety to school faculty and staff, law enforcement, youth-serving community agencies, juvenile justice officials, policymakers, parents/guardians and students. CFSS staff focuses on school climate, school discipline and emergency preparedness concerns for North Carolina’s public K-12 schools. CFSS staff is available to provide training, guidance and technical assistance upon request for school faculty and staff and those working with children and adolescents. The CFSS is headed by Karen W. Fairley, executive director.
School Business
Bonus Payments - January 2023:
Attached is a summary of the various bonus payments for FY 2022-2023. We've also attached some updated FAQs since some of these bonuses have been reinstated this year that were active prior to the pandemic. We will be getting information out to the "secure shell" next week and the allotments for these will be issued in January. Thank you for your patience as we have new analysts working on this information this year. We will send an email out to all once those have been posted.
FY 2022-23 Performance Bonus Overview 1128_2022.pdf
Student FTE Report Information:
Please be advised that the required Student FTE (full-time equivalency) report will be presented to the State Board of Education at their January meeting. We will have your PSUs data in the EMFTS secure shell by the end of the day on Friday, December 16th. We've attached a document that will help with the review related to the definitions of the various elements in the report. Please remember this is based on the April 1, 2022, schedule from your districts SIS. If you have questions related to your schools data or information please contact Justin Conner with the Student Information System team (justin.conner@dpi.nc.gov)
Information to Assist in review of Student FTE Report.pdf
PRC 140 Carryover Funds - Update
Due to a technology issue a prior year adjustment needed to be made before carryover could be allotted. The allotments team expects this to be resolved by the new year and plans to have the carryover allotted in early January. If you have any questions about this or any other allotment please contact the Allotments Section Chief, Kristie Weber at krisite.weber@dpi.nc.gov. Thank you!
New Round of Grants for Digital Teaching & Learning Available for 2023-24
Digital Teaching and Learning in North Carolina’s public schools will benefit from a new round of competitive grants approved December 1, 2022, by the State Board of Education.
Up to $1.25 million in grants funded by the General Assembly through the state’s Digital Learning Initiative will be available to school districts, charter schools, lab schools, and regional schools during the 2023-24 school year.
These competitive grants are intended to support North Carolina districts and schools as they address challenges, harness opportunities, and leverage resources for digital-age teaching, and learning. As specified in the state’s Digital Learning Plan, this grant program is intended to support the development and dissemination of local innovative digital teaching and learning across North Carolina.
For the 2023-24 school year, there will be two request-for-proposal applications: the Digital Learning Impact Grant and a mini-grant for professional learning and also for emerging technologies. The window for the request for proposals for the grants opened December 1, 2022, and will close with a February 28, 2023, deadline.
For more detailed information, please see attached RFP Announcement.
NCEES Support-Certified Demographic Update Scheduled
NCDPI and PS Support have scheduled to implement a Demographic Update to define Support-Certified Staff Type in NCEES for Monday night, Dec. 19, 2022. This is to allow Support-Certified Staff Roles (listed below) navigation to the “Staff Evaluations” page so they can serve as peers, mentors, observers or evaluators in the online tool plan activities as determined and assigned locally.
PowerSchool will process the new demographic file overnight Dec. 19th, and NCDPI will verify the update Tuesday morning, Dec. 20th. Once all demographics are verified, the navigation to Staff Evaluations will be enabled for the Support-Certified roles.
Background: Districts had requested that staff roles under the new Support Demographic, which NCDPI implemented in July 2022, to have access to “Staff Evaluations” as a peer, mentor or evaluator. The Support Demographic brings in staff who are not evaluated in NCEES but can access the Professional Development available in the system.
NCDPI has reviewed and approved the ask for the certified staff roles and is working to add a new demographic called “Support-Certified” which will have navigation to ‘Staff Evaluations” enabled in NCEES.
This update has passed testing with NCDPI and vendor PowerSchool. It affects the following staff budget codes/roles:
- 1325230 - Instructional Support II-Pre-K (Certified)
- 1325240 - Instructional Support II-SLP (Certified)
- 1325250 - Instructional Support II-Audiologist (Certified)
Resources for Support Demographic staff and admins:
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Healthful Living Standards Revision Update
The Healthful Living Standards Revisions process continues to move forward. Selection notifications for the Data Review Committee (DRC) have been sent. The DRC is set to begin the initial review of data December 13-14.
The Standards Writing Team (SWT) notifications are underway with the plan of the initial meeting to take place in late January.
If you have any questions concerning the process, please contact Burt.Jenkins@dpi.nc.gov
Charter schools and AGPIP
School leaders,
As you may be aware, the statutory investment authority for NC’s charter schools was recently expanded. In particular, charter schools can now participate in the Department of State Treasurer’s investment program for non-pension governmental entities, referred to as the Ancillary Governmental Participant Investment Program (AGPIP). To assist charter schools, we have drafted some FAQs regarding AGPIP (linked).
We also included a few questions regarding the Supplemental Retirement Plans (NC 401(k) Plan and NC 457 Plan) because similar eligibility questions may arise for SRP and AGPIP.
The link to the Department’s AGPIP page is here: AGPIP and Investment Management Programs | NC Treasurer.
You can find more information on SRP at www.myNCPlans.com and the Board of Trustees page (Supplemental Retirement Board of Trustees | My NC Retirement).
Center for Safer Schools resource and training
Dec. 1: Hunt Institute webinar on school violence featuring Center for Safer Schools Executive Director Karen W. Fairley: http://ow.ly/Yj9850Lrf7i
Threat Assessment Training (tentative dates): Jan. 11, 18 and 25; Feb. 8, 15 and 22; March 8, 15, 22 and 29
Please review the attached Exceptional Children communication updates and Guidance.
Important Communication- Diabetes Care Law and Epinephrine
Important Resources for Charter Schools: (Please Read)
Please click on each link.
Charter School Diabetes Memo
Charter School Epinephrine Memo
Student Accounting Manual Update (SASA)
The SBE approved the attached updated draft of the SASA Manual at their meeting on November 3, 2022. We have linked the full SBE packet so you can see the changes that were made. Most are technical corrections for legislative changes such as the Student Code of Conduct and those applicable items now applies to ALL PSUs and not just LEAs. We also have provided the update to the PMR Attestation statement as well as updated coding that is no longer applicable post-pandemic. If you have any questions, please contact LaShon Creech at lashon.creech@dpi.nc.gov. Please make sure your LEA Data Managers are aware the manual has been updated.
Important MEMOs:
Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Updates
Please forward
School leaders, we encourage you to forward this newsletter on to your staff so they can subscribe to DPI bulletins directly through this link. They will enter their email and then it will bring them to another page where they can select “Charter School Comms Contacts” and any other public listserv to sign up for.
RTO Planning Year Session 5
The Office of Charter Schools will host session five of five planning year sessions required for all schools (boards and school leaders) in the Ready to Open process on January25th, 2023, starting at 8:30AM - 4:00PM. Please Register Here for Session 5: My School Opens in 7 Months; Now What?.
COMING SOON: 2023 NC Charter Applications
The 2023 NC Charter School Application process will open on Friday, January 27, 2023, at 5 pm (EST). The 2023 charter application window will close on April 28, 2023, at 5pm (EDT). Applicants who are interested in opening a charter school in 2024 under the accelerated timeline, or in 2025 under the standard timeline, must submit their charter applications on or before the April 28, 2023, application close date.
Both the online application and $1,000 application fee must be submitted on or before April 28, 2023, at 5pm EDT. Applicants are expected to appear in-person for interviews at the Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh, NC.
The link to the 2023 NC Charter School application will go live on Friday, January 27th at 5pm and will be posted on the NCDPI Charter Schools Application page found here.
NCSECU People Helping People Scholarship
It is that time of year again! NCSECU People Helping People Scholarship! Please share as appropriate with your seniors and their families. We would love to have a representative from every senior high school that has eligible students. Remember parents or the student must be a member of the NCSECU credit union. Let’s see if we can break 45 applicants!!!!!
- Due Date back to Dr. Darian C. Jones, darian.jones@dpi.nc.gov COB, MARCH 21st, TUESDAY CLOSE OF BUSINESS, 5:00 p.m. The date of April 3 is the due date for our office to submit our names to NCSECU. Please, please share with your team, your students, and families so they do not miss out on this opportunity. We cannot take submissions directly from parents or students.
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Each school with an eligible student is to send me, 1 name, and completed application and materials as prescribed.
Please find the 2023 SECU Foundation People Helping People Scholarship materials linked below. I have also attached the PowerPoint that I used in our webinar, and you can access the recording of the webinar here (Passcode: 8.K4o9^u).
Please pay close attention to the Membership Verification Process document; this year we are asking our students to verify that they meet the SECU membership eligibility requirement prior to submitting their application materials, and that document outlines the process by which they will fulfill that requirement. The Membership Verification Process document should be distributed to students will all other application materials, and a student should not turn in their completed application packet to their guidance office unless it also contains the Membership Confirmation letter that I have pasted below. The link at the top of the Membership Verification Process document is disabled until the morning of December 16th; it will be active from December 16th through March 31st.
Darian C. Jones, Ph. D.
Education Program Consultant II
Office of Charter Schools
HR Webinar Information - Licensure requirements, resources, and more for Charter School leaders
Once a month, Dr. Tom Tomberlin and his team provide State Board of Education and legislative updates to the human resources contacts in Public School Units (PSUs) across the state.
January 6
February 3
March 3
April 7
May 5
June 2
July 10 (Monday)
August 7 (Monday)
September 8
October 6
November 3
December 8
Link to Join:
Kim Evans' Personal Room
https://ncgov.webex.com/meet/kimberly.evans
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Simple, modern video meetings for everyone on the world's most popular and trusted collaboration platform.
ncgov.webex.com
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Join by phone
+1-415-655-0003 US Toll
Access code: 619 435 814
Kim Evans Program Coordinator, PEPSC Office of Educator Preparation and Licensure Division of Educator and Student Advancement NC Department of Public Instruction P: (984) 236-2116 M: (240) 498-5111 kimberly.evans@dpi.nc.gov
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The Office of Charter Schools and the NC ACCESS Program Hosted Dr. Ruby Payne at NCDPI for Charter Leaders on December 8, 2022
Emotional Poverty In All Demographics
Dr. Payne engaged participants in learning better strategies that calm students and motivate better behaviors. She helped participants understand the origins of anger, anxiety, and avoidance and to engage in better strategies that calm students and motivate better behaviors.
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Other Resources from DPI and beyond
NCCAT Charter Connections Program
Join NCCAT February 13-17th for their Charter School Connections week in Ocracoke Island and collaborate with charter school educators from across NC. This program is open to all charter school educators K-12. Click here to apply.
Charter School Connections Program:
How can charter school teachers build networks of support for schools, staff, and students? With each charter school operating as an independent LEA, how do we form communities with other charter school educators to share best practices and increase community support? Explore how teachers can better advocate for their specific school and charters in general and how to develop your own leadership style to help support school initiatives. Learn best practices in connecting students to digital learning and student leadership development through exploring personalized, project-based and flipped learning. Discuss ways to model these practices in your schools. Using a “make and take” model, participants will have time to develop a communication or networking plan, digital lessons, and project-based modules to share with your school.
Charter School Job Postings
If you have current teaching/leadership positions open and wish to share them in this newsletter, reach out to Joseph.Letterio@dpi.nc.gov and provide a link to the posting/s.
Whom Should I Contact at the Office of Charter Schools?
OCS Main Number: (984) 236-2700 / Email: ocs@dpi.nc.gov
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