Future STARS Program

The Wake County Public School System, the largest K-12 public school district in North Carolina, is an award-winning, nationally recognized organization that serves more than 151,000 students in 169 schools. We recognize that highly effective teachers are the keys to achieving student success. As a result, we focus on attracting, hiring, training and retaining a world class and diverse work force. These educational professionals represent the community we serve and are committed to student achievement.

One of the primary goals of the WCPSS Future STARS (Strengthening Talent And Realizing Success) Program (FSP) centers on recruiting, training, and retaining a diverse work force of education students to become highly effective teachers within our district. Also, the FSP will continue to nurture its partnerships with various colleges, universities, organizations and community affiliations to better prepare students to teach in WCPSS.

While teacher education programs focus mainly on the curriculum, often times the important “soft skills” for overall teacher success may get overlooked in their training. The Future STARS Program will identify and strengthen these needed skills through enhanced opportunities for each participant in order to provide an extra element of support leading to teaching within WCPSS.

The WCPSS Future STARS Program is designed as a two month long program. Students will receive training regarding the key elements of the job search process and professional learning preparation for future teachers. Participants will meet on a weekly basis.

Thanks to the partnership with North Carolina Central University, WCPSS has been offered full access to their state-of-the art Praxis Learning Center. FSP participants will be required to attend Praxis II “Boot Camp” sponsored by WCPSS. The Boot Camp will provide participants with tips and strategies for passing successfully the Praxis II exam.

Weekly “career prep” workshops

These workshops are designed to educate students on modern career development issues, challenges and advancement strategies.

The first month of the program will focus on Professional Learning, targeting subjects such as: Common Core, Teaching Diverse Learners, Managing the Classroom and Differentiated Instruction.

The second month will target the following subjects:

Your career: transition from student to professional

Making the transition from student to professional may be one of the most stressful things a recent college graduate may undertake. This training will educate participants on the various experiences beginning teachers may face and what they need to do in order to proactively address these issues prior to beginning their careers.

Financial strategies for the first year teacher

Developing a sound financial plan at the beginning of a career may position individuals in a much better place to manage future success.  Although retirement may not be on the minds of many new graduates when they begin their first position, the skills to make good financial decisions ranks high as an ingredient for future stability.  This workshop will show candidates that initial, sound financial planning will only help them before and after retirement.

Great résumé

This workshop prepares FSP participants regarding the components of an outstanding résumé and interview techniques to emphasize their strengths and minimize weaknesses. Students will learn how to avoid common mistakes and to distinguish themselves above other candidates. Our knowledgeable presenters (i.e., Human Resource professionals, Principals and Assistant Principals) will coach FSP participants and provide constructive feedback concerning areas of improvement.

Maneuvering at the job fair and networking strategies

For many, the Teacher Employment Networking Event and Networking Reception may be the first interaction with potential employers. Most career events can be quite beneficial if approached the right way. Therefore, students will “build their personal brand” and learn appropriate networking strategies. This workshop will demonstrate the “do’s/don’ts” of the job fair experience and explain how networking may enhance and/or cause barriers to employment opportunities.

To participate in the WCPSS Future STARS, please register here.>

Underwood Magnet Elementary teachers had a training session at their school with the founder and developer of Conscious Discipline, a program the teachers have been using for several years.

Dr. Becky Bailey, founder of Loving Guidance Inc., visited the school to talk with teachers about the comprehensive self-regulation program that integrates social-emotional learning and discipline. The program empowers adults to consciously respond to daily conflict, transforming it into an opportunity to teach critical life skills to children.

During her visit, Dr. Bailey visited classrooms to observe and reinforce Conscious Discipline structures. She met with a team of staff members to share reflections and offer feedback.

Underwood teachers were introduced to Conscious Discipline through professional development opportunities in 2007-08 led by former WCPSS Teacher of the Year Kim Hughes, who now works as a Conscious Discipline Instructor. During the past five years, the staff has received extensive training in workshops and staff cohorts to learn more about the principles of Conscious Discipline and its implementation in the classroom. The language and structures of Conscious Discipline have become embedded in the Underwood culture.

The school has provided workshops for parents to learn more about ways to use Conscious Discipline at home.

Dr. Becky Bailey with Underwood Magnet Elementary principal Jackie Jordan and school staff.

Gov. Pat McCrory named three WCPSS teachers to his new teachers advisory committee. Fuquay-Varina Elementary math teacher Rene Herrick, Salem Middle eighth grade language arts teacher Margaret Feldman and Wakefield High English teacher Carol Wicker are among the 24 teachers named to the committee. The teachers will advise the governor on improving student outcomes, compensating teachers and recognizing innovative schools, as well as other education matters. McCrory is holding his inaugural meeting with the committee Nov. 5 at SAS in Cary. Find more information on the committee here.

The Board of Education named Dana Dougherty-Primiano the new principal of Rolesville Elementary at its November 5 meeting.

Dougherty-Primiano has served as assistant principal of Rolesville Elementary and Fuller Magnet Elementary. Her first WCPSS job was as interim assistant principal at Ballentine Elementary. Prior to that she worked as an assistant principal and teacher in the New York City public schools.

The board named retired principal Vicki Brown as interim principal at Knightdale Elementary.

The board named as assistant principals Rene Alford at Barwell Road Elementary, Jason Ramirez at Baucom Elementary, John Warwick at Mills Park Middle, William Harris at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High and Audrey Harrell at Holly Springs High.

The board named retired principal Luther Thomas as interim assistant principal at Dillard Drive Middle.

The WRAL Teacher of the Week is Danielle Hewitt, a math teacher at East Wake School of Health and Sciences. WRAL features one teacher every week on its morning and noon newscasts, from the 50 or so counties they serve. A WRAL news reporter visits the teacher’s classroom, surprising her with a token of WRAL’s appreciation for a job well done, and sitting down with that teacher for 10 minutes to talk about the profession, and their experiences.

You can watch the Teacher of the Week video here.

Teachers from Dillard Drive Middle and Centennial Campus Magnet Middle have been selected to participate in a WGBH-TV project to help support teachers nationwide with a focus on teaching literacy within various disciplines.

Dillard Drive Middle teachers Jesse Gore and Catherine Rohrbaugh and Centennial Campus Magnet Middle teachers Andrea Gambino Rhodes and Kelly Stuart Gay were selected to be videotaped for the project.

“I am very excited about this opportunity,” Gore said. “I think literacy is important for students, especially within the disciplines, not just related to reading and language arts. Its important for students to know literacy practices in science, social studies and math.”

“I think its huge as a science teacher to show the resources for literacy,” Rohrbaugh said. “People think science as this nitty-gritty type of subject, but without the language arts how can you do a lab. Our lab will look at building a wet mount slide and how do you use it with a microscope. Students will use a set of instructions, just like you would have to build a lamp. You have to follow a set of instructions. Those are literacy practices.”

WGBH will visit the two schools to record the teachers sharing literacy skills as  part of their classroom instruction.

“As a social studies teacher, I always want my students to prove their work and show evidence of why people think the way that they do,” Gore said. “In this lesson, we’re focusing on Napoleon trying to figure out if he was a hero or a tyrant. We will look at primary and secondary documents in a very high level thinking activity for the students.”

“To be picked with my teammate to do this is an incredible joy and has generated enthusiasm with the students who get to do this with me,” Rohrbaugh said.

The opportunity will showcase best practices of Common Core state standards that represent high student engagement and will be shareable online.

With funding from Annenberg Learner, the Boston public television station will produce an online professional development course for middle and high school teachers entitled Reading and Writing in the Disciplines.  This project will help teachers strengthen their literacy skills and encourage deeper learning across the disciplines for themselves and for their students. Reading and Writing in the Disciplines will be a content rich online resource populated with videos of classrooms filmed nationwide.

The North Carolina English Teachers Association named Hunter Magnet Elementary fifth grade teacher Angela Parham the association’s Outstanding Literacy Teacher of the Year at its annual conference.

The association noted that Parham goes above and beyond each day with her students to instill a love of reading and writing, while demonstrating the relevance of literacy skills in the 21st century.

Parham incorporates technology in her daily assignments that integrate literacy with the use of the classroom Smart Board. She uses real world applications which encourage her students to dig deeper into a subject.

This is the first time NCETA has presented its Outstanding Literacy Teacher Award which will annually recognize a teacher who excels in literacy instruction.

Thanks to Hunter principal Briana Pelton for sharing this story.

One hundred and nine WCPSS educators have renewed their certificates from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. National Board certification is a rigorous professional program that helps teachers improve their teaching and school leadership so they can continue to increase student achievement. Participation in the program is voluntary, and highly regarded.

Although state-licensing systems set basic requirements for teachers, National Board certified teachers demonstrate advanced teaching knowledge, skills, and practices.

Teachers must earn an initial certification, a demanding process that takes up to three years to complete. After initial certification, teachers must renew every 10 years. The program requires teachers to take on leadership roles, collaborate with peers, and analyze their teaching practices and their impact on student learning. Once a teacher completes the certification, he or she may be eligible for a 12-percent increase in pay from the state of North Carolina.

“I congratulate our teachers for their hard work to earn this distinction,” Superintendent Jim Merrill said. “Every National Board teacher I have ever spoken with has extolled the personal and professional growth he or she has experienced as a result of the process. These educators have invested tremendous time and effort to enhance their teaching so our students can continue to grow academically. We are fortunate to have these dedicated professionals in our schools.”

View a list of teachers who renewed their certifications. >>

A separate group of WCPSS teachers also has earned initial certification. A list of those teachers will be published in December.

All Wake County teachers who earned their certifications in 2013 will be honored at a reception in January. With about 20 percent of WCPSS educators earning their National Board certifications, the district remains one of the top school systems in the country for nationally certified teachers.

The NC Physical Education Association named Southeast Raleigh Magnet High teacher Cheryl Logan the NC High School Teacher of the Year at its convention in Raleigh.

Logan is a 21-year veteran educator in Health and Physical Education. She has encouraged her students and staff to strive for personal health and wellness, at school and in their own lives. In the classroom Logan stays abreast of the current and health and wellness trends and incorporates them into her classroom. At school, she has helped her co-workers become healthier by training them in the school fitness room and working on personal wellness plans.  She is a certified aerobics instructor. Health and physical education are her passions.

The NC Alliance for Athletics, Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance presented Vance Elementary teacher Tonya Wicker with a Friends of NCAAHPERD Grant at its convention in Raleigh.

Wicker plans to use the grant to enhance the use of technology within the physical education setting at her school.  The grant will enable the Physical Education classroom to incorporate 21^st century learning skills and increase students time on task and level of engagement. The wide projector screen she will purchase will provide a clear background for students in physical education to view a variety of different Apps including Timers, Fitnessgram demos, Speedstack videos, Line Dance and class-created videos for assessments. The Timer app would help maximize time on task during instant activities, warm ups and centers. Fitnessgram demos would help provide a visual for students to perform fitness components with the correct technique and the class made videos would help the teacher provide feedback to the class.

The AHPERD profession will benefit from the grant by allowing participants to attend regional physical education PLT meetings at the school. Wicker will be able to host the Regional Physical Education PLT and share use of the wide screen with other faculty at her school.

Wicker is planning a health and wellness night. She hopes local businesses will be able to use the wide screen projector for presentations that will get the community moving at these events.

WCPSS teachers may apply for a Kenan Fellowship, an initiative of the Kenan Institute for Engineering,  Technology & Science at NC State Dec. 16, 2013 – Feb. 9, 2014.

Teachers could take part in a year-long fellowship, where they would gain experience outside of the classroom by partnering with a mentor in research or industry during the summer.  They would translate their experience back to the classroom and share relevant and engaging lessons with students and colleagues. Teachers remain in the classroom while engaged in the fellowship and receive a stipend upon completion of program requirements.

Help a deserving teacher enrich his or her career by encouraging him or her to apply. Online applications for the Kenan Fellows Program open Monday, Dec. 16, 2013. The fellowships are open to public school teachers across the state.

Download the flyer here.

For more information, visit kenanfellows.org.

School psychologist Leigh Goble celebrated a big victory this fall doing something that would make her happy—visiting a classroom to read a warm Thanksgiving story to second-graders, who sprawled across the carpet and stretched their necks to see the pictures.

Goble pulled a rocking chair to a corner in Susan Morison’s classroom at Holly Ridge Elementary School. Ms. Morison announced their esteemed visitor.

“Ms. Goble is here today for a very special reason,” Ms. Morison said. “She won a very big award. She is the best school psychologist. And not just here. She’s the best in the whole, entire, state.”

The children gasped. Ms. Goble smiled.

Holly Ridge elementary and middle school are indeed home to the year’s top practitioner of school psychology, according to the N.C. School Psychology Association. The group presented Goble with the award at its recent fall conference.

“It was very humbling, because I know the caliber of the people in my profession, and the mentors and role models I’ve had,” Goble says of her 18-year career. “It’s humbling to put yourself in that company. And it’s a wonderful affirmation of the day-to-day work that goes on.”

It has been a momentous fall not only for Goble, but for four other student services colleagues who also have been named by their state associations as the top practitioners of student services in 2013. Lufkin Road Middle School social worker Susan Sweney was honored by the N.C. School Social Workers Association. School counselors Lisbeth Fillard, Kerri Bridges, and Laura Inscoe were also named school counselors of the year by the N.C. School Counselor Association, each winning for their respective grade levels.

“These five staff members are sterling examples of the quality employees that we have in WCPSS,” said Dr. Marvin Connelly, assistant superintendent of Student Support Services. “Their work contributes to the academic, behavioral, and social success of all of the students in WCPSS.  They are truly unsung heroes and we are proud of them and all of the instructional support staff that they represent.”

As a school psychologist, Goble uses expertise in both child development and classroom content to determine any variables that might be holding a student back—everything from inconsistency at home to anxiety associated with math.

“It really takes an understanding of what different factors go into a child’s learning, and understanding how it is they learn,” Goble says. “We have to look at the whole child.”

She spends a lot of her time working with individual students, evaluating their learning to find ways their teachers and families can better support them.

When a trauma or crisis affects a family from her school, Goble and a school team of counselors and social workers respond to help. On a broader scale, she also works to create a school where students understand and respect the rules, and a place where students want to be every day.

“A lot of times we think about what children need to do to succeed, but we also need to look at what the adults can do. There are some very basic things that can help a student flourish,” she says. “We know that if kids feel connected with a school, they’re going to have better attendance. We work really hard on building relationships with kids.”

Goble stands out for her professionalism and leadership, her colleagues say. In addition to being a critical member of her school team, she consults with staff across the district on ways to work with students with autism and those with traumatic brain injury—two areas where she has specialized experience.

“She is truly dedicated and passionate about students,” Holly Ridge Elementary Principal Joy Gorman said. “She serves on several school committees. On many occasions, Ms. Goble will provide training to the entire staff. She is always willing to help anyone who needs support, whatever the reason. We’re very fortunate to have her at our school.”

There are hard days, Goble says, when you speak to a child or a family, and “you just want to fix it, and make it better instantly—and you can’t.” And there are also mornings when she hears a child call her name from the carpool lane—“Hey, Ms. Goble!”—and she knows she has helped make the school a more welcoming place.

“It’s important to come to work and know that I get to facilitate a positive change. Whether it’s with a student, or a family, I get to make a day in their lives easier, and better.”

For the second year, a Wake County employee has been recognized as the school social worker of the year for the state of North Carolina by the N.C. School Social Workers Association.

Recipient Susan Sweney is based at Lufkin Road Middle School and has worked in the Wake County Public School System for the past 12 years. Her job is to work with students and families to tackle challenges outside of school that prevent students from doing their best in class—whether it be illness, poverty, or homelessness.

“If you could see the level and talent of my coworkers, it’s quite an honor,” Sweney said. “I’m surrounded by really great colleagues. They’re experts in what they do. It’s an honor even to be among them, let alone win the award.”

Sweney was chosen as the WCPSS School Social Worker of the Year in early 2013, and was then nominated for the state level award. She received the state recognition in October.

“Susan has a deep understanding of the issues and barriers to student learning,” said Darlene Johnson, director of school social work for WCPSS. “She cares. She builds bonds with families and kids, and with staff.”

In addition to working with students at Lufkin Road, Sweney coordinates internships and mentorships at WCPSS for graduate students from social work programs at six local universities.

The award Sweney received is named for Dr. Gary L. Shaffer, a well known professor at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work. He was one of Sweney’s professors, which made the award even more momentous, she said.

In 2012, former Apex High School social worker Steve Sapienza was named the Gary L. Shaffer N.C. Social Worker of the Year recipient. Sapienza is now based at Enloe High School.

The N.C. Athletic Education Association named East Wake High coach Melissa Bell the N.C. Female High School Coach of the Year at its convention in Raleigh. Bell coaches at East Wake High and teaches at Wendell Middle.

Bell grew up in a large family of six in Albemarle, NC and attended West Stanly High School. She was a multiple sport athlete who played tennis, basketball and softball. She earned all-conference honors in all three sports. Bell went on to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she played collegiate softball and as well as many intramural sports. She graduated from UNC in 1992 with a degree in Physical Education, and in 2001 graduated from NC State University with a Masters Degree in Counseling.  She taught Healthful Living for 7 years and was a School Counselor for 11 years at Zebulon Middle School. She has returned to the classroom to teach Healthful Living at Wendell Middle School.

Bell has coached for 12 years at the middle school level beginning in 1993 at Zebulon Middle School. She coached volleyball, basketball and softball. Highlights from those middle school teams include two conference championships, as well as an undefeated season. Bell is in her 4th season as the East Wake High School Varsity Softball Coach. In the past 3 seasons, her team has compiled a record of 35-22.  The team has gone to the playoffs the past two seasons, and last year made it to the 3rd round of the playoffs ending the season with a 16-5 record. Bell was named the Greater Neuse River Softball Coach of the Year for the 2012 season.

Outside of coaching, Bell loves to spend time with her family and friends at the beach and on the golf course. She is an avid runner and completed her first half marathon on Thanksgiving Day.

She is married to her college sweetheart, Joey Bell, and they have two daughters Madison, 17, and Caroline, 13.

Thanks to Wendell Middle principal Mary Castleberry for sharing this story.

Three WCPSS employees swept the awards portion of the recent annual N.C. School Counselor Association conference. Each of the counselors was named the 2013 N.C. School Counselor of the Year for her school level.

The counselors are Lisbeth Fillard of Middle Creek Elementary School, Kerri Bridges of Salem Middle School, and Laura Inscoe of Wakefield High School. Each was named a 2013 WCPSS School Counselor of the Year in June, and nominated for the state-level award.

“We are so grateful for the work of all of our school counselors, and for their endless support of students and families,” said Crystal Reardon, Director of Counseling for WCPSS. “These three professionals are standouts among a talented group of school counselors, and it is with much pride that we recognize them as leaders in our district and our state.”

The recipients are:

Fillard

Lisbeth Fillard, Middle Creek Elementary School

Fillard, who has been a counselor for 14 years, says she knew she wanted to go into the field as early as high school, when she served as a student helper to her high school counselors.

“I was just really interested in their jobs,” she says. “I knew I wanted to work with kids.” Fillard serves as the sole counselor for all 860 students at her school.

Bridges

Kerri Bridges, Salem Middle School

Bridges has been a counselor for 13 years, and was inspired to be a counselor after working previously as a health and P.E. teacher.

“It is so amazing when you help a student discover the power they already have within themselves to address a problem,” Bridges says. “They come out of a situation empowered to handle whatever life throws at them.”

Inscoe

Laura Inscoe, Wakefield High School

Inscoe has been a counselor 14 years and is the Dean of Students at Wakefield.

She was inspired to be a counselor because of the relationship she had with her own school counselor when she attended Garner High School.

The most rewarding part of her job, she says, is seeing students graduate—”Just knowing that somehow I’ve had an impact on what they’re doing in the future and where they’re going.”

A group of 71 teachers in the Wake County Public School System earned certifications from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards in 2013.

Since the national organization began 25 years ago, 2,365 Wake County teachers have completed the certification process. As a district, WCPSS currently has the most National Board Certified educators in the country. WCPSS has held the No. 1 position for the past several years.

Sharon Ruebesam in the classroom at Forestville Road Elementary School in Knightdale.

Seeking National Board Certification is a rigorous professional program that helps teachers analyze and improve their teaching and their understanding of how students learn.

Although state-licensing systems set basic requirements for teachers, National Board Certified teachers demonstrate advanced teaching knowledge, skills, and practices. Earning National Board Certification is a highly regarded achievement in the teaching profession.

“When I learned I had gotten my certification, it was a truly overwhelming feeling of accomplishment,” said Sharon Ruebesam, a newly certified teacher at Forestville Road Elementary School. Ruebesam teaches students who are deaf and hard-of-hearing and often need extra support in reading and language.

“There is a level of trust parents need when they hand their child over to a teacher,” Ruebesam says. “I sought National Board Certification because I wanted to show my parents that I could provide the best education for their child and help that child work to their potential. I wanted to show that to my students, their parents, and myself.”

Earning her national certification has made Ruebesam a more confident teacher and leader for the Special Education department at her school, she says.

View the full list of newly certified teachers. >>

The national program requires teachers to take on leadership roles, collaborate with peers, and analyze their teaching practices and their impact on student learning.

“National Board Certified teachers are academic leaders,” said Millbrook High School Principal Dana King. “They represent the best of the profession. They are smart, creative, and hard working. They are advocates for students, and the work that they do can be felt throughout our community.”

Once a teacher completes the certification, he or she may be eligible for a 12-percent increase in pay from the state of North Carolina. Certifications must be renewed every 10 years. Another group of 109 teachers from WCPSS earned their 10-year renewals last month.

“These teachers have demonstrated a commitment to professional excellence and leadership. We are proud that they teach in Wake County,” Superintendent Jim Merrill said.

Merrill will honor all 180 teachers with new and renewed certifications at a reception on Thursday, January 9.

Knightdale High teachers in the Environmental Studies Career Academy met with other Wake County high school career academy teachers to share what they have learned about project based learning. The career academy teachers discussed the collaboration and planning that are required to create lessons to challenge their students.

The Wake County Board of Education recognized 20 Wake County students as their school’s recipient of the Spotlight on Students award at the board meeting on Tuesday, December  17. The Spotlight on Students program has been a project of the Wake County Public School System since 1982.

The ceremonies, which take place throughout the school year, honor students for outstanding achievements and accomplishments with a WCPSS plaque. By the end of the school year, one student from each participating school will be selected for the Spotlight on Students recognition.

Families and the school community join in celebration of the student recognition at the board meeting.

The board also honored eight WCPSS employees Tuesday with Employee Excellence Awards. The employees receive a WCPSS plaque for their outstanding accomplishments of service beyond what their job requires.

Employee Excellence Awards were presented to Joseph Hinton of WCPSS Custodial Services, Leigh Goble of WCPSS Counseling and Student Services, Drew DiMarco of Underwood Magnet Elementary, Ricky Faulcon of WCPSS Custodial Services, Steve Solum of Jones Dairy Elementary, Linnea Czerney of Brentwood Magnet Elementary and Bridget Fogarty of Davis Drive Middle. Kevin Saeva of Jones Dairy Elementary was also honored.

The Board of Education approved several staff appointments at its December 17 meeting.

• Louis Ambrico has been appointed Assistant Principal at Panther Creek High School.
• James Baughan has been appointed Interim Assistant Principal at Holly Springs Elementary School.
• Gary Duvall has been appointed Assistant Principal at Hunter Elementary School.
• Edmon Jones has been appointed Assistant Principal at West Cary Middle School.
• Charles Langley has been appointed Interim Principal at Athens Drive High School.
• Hugo Linares has been appointed Assistant Principal at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School.
• Kelly Nilles has moved from a half-time to a full-time Interim Assistant Principal at Wakefield High School.
• Che-Von Stone has been appointed Principal at Cedar Fork Elementary School.

The Board of Education approved several staff appointments at its January 7 meeting.

• Kathy Chontos has been appointed Interim Assistant Superintendent for Student Support Services.
• Lucille Glass has been appointed Assistant Principal at Richland Creek Elementary School.
• James Hedrick has been appointed Principal at Athens Drive High School.
• Craig Matthews has been appointed Interim Principal at Aversboro Elementary School.