GCS Insider - Making a Difference

 

 

Eloise Lynch, Reading Specialist for Brooks Global Studies still remembers her first day of teaching school. The Auburn graduate was teaching fourth-graders when she realized that she did not know how to teach reading. She finished the year and went back to college to get her master’s degree in reading. “By the fourth grade, there is a huge diversity of reading levels,” says Lynch. “It was so easy for some students, but a struggle for others.”

Years later, Lynch, now a reading specialist at Brooks Global Studies, has evolved her teaching techniques and style. Lynch is in her fifth year at the school and her twelfth year of teaching. Lynch is also the recipient of the first Enrichment Fund Leah Tannebaum Reading Specialist award for teaching excellence. Prior to her current position she taught first, second, fourth and Title 1 reading. “I am grateful that Brooks made the decision to have this position on site,” smiles Lynch. “They made reading a priority.”

 

The way reading is taught has also evolved, becoming more research-based. Traditional teaching methods include teaching phonics and reading by sight. “In order to break the code of reading, students needed to know letter/sound correspondence and how to blend those sound into words,” says Lynch. Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or Attention Deficit Disorder often have reading issues that must be addressed. “The earlier these issues can be identified, the better chance you have to turn it around,” explains Lynch. “By the fourth and fifth grade it is difficult.”

 

“Reading is a life skill,” reminds Lynch; it is more than a “warm fuzzy” or school requirement.  “Reading is also something you can do at any age,” says Lynch. “When you are young, you read to learn and for enjoyment. As you grow into adulthood, reading is for learning, enjoyment and for companionship.”

Beth Folger, chief curriculum and organizational development officer, agrees that the importance of reading instruction has never been more critical. “Adolescents in the 21st century will read and write more than at any other time in history,” says Folger. “Students need advanced levels of literacy to perform their jobs, operate their households, participate in citizenship and conduct their personal lives. In a complex world, the ability to read is crucial. Continual instruction beyond the early grades, in reading, writing and listening is needed to ensure success.”

 

Do you know GCS employees that should be spotlighted for their efforts on and off the job? Contact Lynne Brandon at 370-8353 or brandol@gcsnc.com to share their stories.

 

 

GCS Insider - Employee of the Month

 

Cindy Kernodle says she’s is “just office support,” but to District Relations, she is a woman of many talents. Whether she is managing the front desk, assisting with event planning, overseeing the department’s purchasing, helping guide media calls, lending a calm voice of reason during a crisis, working late or coming in early, her good nature is contagious. Her kind sincerity to even the tensest of situations immediately eases emotions of those involved. For her nurturing demeanor and depth of understanding of GCS operations, Kernodle was selected as the September GCS Employee of the Month.

As Employee of the Month, Kernodle received a $50 gift card from Sam’s Club, which has partnered with GCS to support the employee recognition program. During the month of September, her photo will hang at all GCS main offices as well as the Wendover Avenue Sam’s Club. In addition, the Guilford County Board of Education will recognized her at its September 13 meeting.

 

Do you know an employee who goes above and beyond the call of duty in his/her job? Let us know! Click on the following link to submit your nomination form online: http://www.gcsnc.com/emp_month/emp_month.htm

 

 

 

 

GCS Insider - The Journey of your 2007-08 Budget

 

 

Every year, the superintendent and the board of education embark on a challenging journey - the challenge of developing an annual operating budget for the district. The budget takes the district’s prioritized educational needs and translates those needs into a financial operating plan. This plan consists of estimates of the proposed expenditures for the fiscal year and the anticipated revenues that will finance those expenditures.

 

Some of the factors driving the budget include:

• salary increases,
• changes in fringe benefit rates or amounts,
• increases in energy costs (increases in costs + additional square footage coming online),
• increases in premiums charged for various lines of insurance coverage and
• projected growth in student enrollment.

 Unfortunately, these and other factors are often moving targets. Here’s an example of the budget road trip:

• Our initial budget estimates are based on information available from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
•  The initial budget estimates are then revised based on the governor’s proposed budget.
• Followed by more revisions based on the House of Representative’s proposed budget.
• Followed by more revisions based on the Senate’s proposed budget.
• Followed by more revisions based on the final budget approved by the governor and the state legislature.  

 

But there are more stops along the way.  Usually somewhere between the time the governor proposes a budget and the final budget is approved by the state, the board of county commissioners approves a local budget which includes funds for education expenses. These two budgets combined can impact our district budget positively if those moving-target factors are less than our original estimates – negatively if they are greater than the initial estimates.

 

However,somehow in the twists and turns of year-end fund balance projections, spread sheets, numerous board meetings, public hearings, work sessions, calculations and recalculations, the journey ends, and a budget for the school year emerges.

 

Here’s how this year’s budget journey unfolded. The board of education submitted a 2007-08 operating budget to the board of county commissioners requesting an increase in county funding of $15.8 million. The board of county commissioners funded an increase of $8.5 million. The ultimate operating budget shortfall based on the final budgets approved by the county commissioners and the state legislature was $7.3 million. Approximately $4.3 million of that $7.3 million figure was funding for a comprehensive program aimed at improving school climate while decreasing student suspensions. The remaining $3.0 million was requested to cover base budget costs including $1.4 million for modular village lease costs at Eastern Guilford High School.

 

Because of this shortfall, the budget was once again revised. Adjustments were made across the district, and the board of education approved $3.0 million in budget reductions in order to balance the 2007-08 operating budget equation. Those budget cuts included the loss of 50 positions: three administrative positions, 20 middle school reading/math teachers, one SRO at Brown-Summit Middle School, seven social worker positions and 19 elementary teachers. The budget adjustments made by the board of education to balance the 2007-08 operating budget also included:

• +$100,000 for the Home Field Advantage program - Approximately 41 percent of students who change schools during the school year can fall four to six months behind in the classroom. The Home Field Advantage allows students whose families move to other parts of Guilford County to stay at their original school while GCS provides round-trip transportation for these students.
• +$140,000 for the New Light suspension support program - The New Light At Risk Intergenerational Outreach Program is a partnership between GCS and New Light Baptist Church. The program is designed to benefit high school students who have been suspended from school through counseling/encouragement, educational enrichment, anger/conflict resolution and community agency involvement. The desired outcome is a reduction in the number of students who have recurring suspensions from school. 
• +$420,000 for additional teacher/assistant positions at the elementary level to address class size issues.  

 

 “All schools could use additional funds for math and reading,” says Laverne Bass, principal at Frazier Elementary. “I don’t think of it in terms of test scores. I am concerned with the overall growth of the students from one year to the next. We have found that small group and one-on-one instruction have resulted in the academic growth of our students each year. Without the funds for positions or tutors, there are fewer opportunities for teachers to remediate or accelerate instruction.”

 

On a more positive note, GCS employees received salary increases in 2007-08. The state legislated salary increases include 5% for licensed employees such as teachers, counselors, social workers and media specialists; 4.44% for principals/assistant principals and 4% for classified employees (i.e., office support personnel, secretaries/treasurers, bus drivers, custodians, maintenance staff, school food service workers, etc.). “However, some employees will experience changes in health insurance costs reflected in increases in deductibles, co-pay amounts and premium rates depending on their choice of insurance plan,” says Patty Kinkade, director of benefits.

 

At the end of the long budget journey, Chief Financial Officer Sharon Ozment is concerned about the future impact of shortfalls and reductions on the resources needed to address the needs of our students most impacted by poverty and to improve student achievement for all students. “We need to be mindful that our students don’t have three to five years to wait for the resources to materialize that are needed to implement programs that will make a difference in classrooms throughout Guilford County. The timeframe that is crucial for our students’ success is now.”

  

 

GCS Insider - Quick Notes

 

September 2007
National Literacy Month
Library Card Sign-up Month

• 18        Early Release Day
• 17-21   Constitution Week
• 21        International Day of Peace
• 23        First Day of Autumn
• 24        School Desegregation Order Enforced
• In 1957, nine African-American students attended the previously all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas

 

National Library Card Sign-Up Month
September is national library card sign-up month. All Guilford County residents are eligible for a free library card that is good at seven library branches throughout the county. Please take the time to get a card for yourself and your children, if you do not already have one. For more information click here

 

Wachovia’s Best in Class
Who will be the 2007-08 GCS Principal of the Year and the Teacher of the Year? We’ll find out on September 26, 2007 at the Wachovia “Best in Class” awards which will be held at Embassy Suites. This year’s Principal of the Year committee members include Dr. Doris Henderson, Lewis Ferebee, Gay Citty, Dr. Gilda Scott, Susan Poindexter and Linda McDougle.

GCS Principal of the Year finalists:

• Valerie Akins – Vandalia Elementary (currently at Aycock Middle)
• Laverne Bass – Frazier Elementary
• Lori Bolds – Welborn Middle
• Revonda Johnson – High Point Central High
• Darcy Kemp – Morehead Elementary
• LaToy Kennedy – Bluford Elementary (currently at Wiley Elementary)   
• Grenita Lathan – Washington Elementary
• Pam Misher – Alderman Elementary (currently at Pearce Elementary)
• Bill Stewart – Northwest Middle

GCS Teacher of the Year finalists:

• Kristal Britton – Dudley High
• Janice Clark – Aycock Middle
  
• George Eckart – The Middle College of Entertainment Technology at GTCC
  
• Carolyn Hiatt – Hunter Elementary
  
• Michael Joncas – Summerfield Elementary

We look forwarding to honoring and celebrating the accomplishments of these outstanding educators on September 26.    

 

GCS Insider - Cornerstone

Happiness

By John Holt, Cornerstone Psychological Services

Tal Ben-Shahar has written a book, “Happier” and teaches the most popular course at Harvard, “Positive Psychology.” Yes, he teaches students how to be happier. So, is trying to be happier a worthy goal? Turns out that research says it is. For example, a study of aging nuns found that those with a positive outlook in their 20’s lived as much as a decade longer than those with a negative outlook. And the good news is that optimism is a skill that can be taught and learned.

 

Part of Dr. Ben-Shahar’s message is that happiness is found in the journey, not the destination. But being happier and more optimistic is not a “don’t worry, be happy” approach. It’s about perspective. How you see things can matter more than what actually happens. You can build optimism by recognizing and disputing pessimistic thoughts. Here’s the basic strategy:

 

1. Distancing. Become more aware of your conscious thought processes (what you’re telling yourself) and begin to treat them as if they were being uttered by an external person whose goal in life is to make you unhappy. 

2. Distraction. Distract yourself from the thoughts by not allowing yourself to think about them, direct your thoughts elsewhere.

3. Disputation. Dispute the beliefs. This is crucial and involves checking out the accuracy of the beliefs about ourselves that are encouraging us to feel pessimistic. When we dispute we use the same techniques which we use to argue logically with other people.

In his class, Dr. Ben-Shahar shares catchy phrases to help people begin to look at what happens to them in a different way, a more positive way. For example, ''Learn to fail or fail to learn," and not, “It happened for the best, but “How can I make the best of what happened?" Dr. Ben-Shahar also freely shares some happiness tips:

 

• Give yourself permission to be human. When we accept emotions such as fear, sadness, or anxiety as natural, we are more likely to overcome them. Rejecting our emotions, positive or negative, leads to frustration and unhappiness.

• Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning. Whether at work or at home, the goal is to engage in activities that are both personally significant and enjoyable. When this is not feasible, make sure you have happiness boosters-moments throughout the week that provide you with both pleasure and meaning.

• Keep in mind that happiness is mostly dependent on our state of mind, not on our status or the state of our bank account. Barring extreme circumstances, our level of well being is determined by what we choose to focus on (the full or the empty part of the glass) and by our interpretation of external events. For example, do we view failure as catastrophic, or do we see it as a learning opportunity?

• Simplify. We are generally too busy trying to squeeze in more and more activities into less and less time. Quantity influences quality, and we compromise on our happiness by trying to do too much.

• Remember the mind-body connection. What we do - or don't do - with our bodies influences our mind. Regular exercise, adequate sleep and healthy eating habits lead to both physical and mental health.

• Express gratitude, whenever possible. We too often take our lives for granted. Learn to appreciate and savor the wonderful things in life, from people to food, from nature to a smile.

By using these strategies, you can begin to have a more positive perspective, which can lead to increased happiness and well being.

 

Recommended books with positive thought messages and themes:“Happiness” by Dr. Ben-Sharhar, “Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life,” by psychologist Martin Seligman, “The Power of Positive Thinking,” by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, “Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao” by Dr. Wayne Dyer and others.

 John Holt, Cornerstone Psychological Services (CPS). CPS is the district’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that offers five free counseling sessions per year to eligible employees and/or immediate family members. Call CPS at 540-9400 for information.