NC taxpayers get out your wallets. The schools now need $ for new tests and new textbooks in ALL subject areas. WGHP NC Teachers Have New Curriculum to Learn Next Year Travis Fain The Winston-Salem Journal 1:20 PM EDT, October 12, 2011 Advertisement Next year, all curriculums -- from kindergarten to 12th grade -- will change across the board for North Carolina students. They can expect new tests, new assignments and a new focus on a deeper teaching of core principles. That means more essay questions and fewer multiple choice on tests, more word problems, and less rote mathematical memorization. If the current curriculum is -- as some have complained -- "a mile wide and an inch deep," then the new one "is scuba diving," said Bud Harrelson, who is spearheading the shift for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school system. To prepare teachers, a major training operation is gearing up. And since elementary teachers delve into every subject, instead of specializing, they'll have to put in 58 hours of training before the next school year begins. Middle and high school teachers will get about 18 hours of training. And all Winston-Salem/Forsyth County teachers will have to complete their training to be hired back next year, Superintendent Don Martin has said. Central office staffers will run sessions at schools, and there are a lot of options for teacher training, including plans for online classes. But the sheer mass of material will mean lost evenings, weekends and planning time for teachers, according to Ann Petitjean, president of the Forsyth County Association of Educators. Petitjean said Martin has been "very open and understanding" about this. But teachers, who have not had raises in three years, will still have to put in the hours. "I've got some very unhappy teachers," Petitjean said. "It's a lot to ask these elementary teachers with no extra money and nothing being taken off their plate." Still, expectations are high for the new curriculum. Petitjean said she is "all for" the changes, though implementing them at once, across the country, may prove difficult. North Carolina is one of 44 states to adopt the new "common core state standards." They were put together by a partnership of states based on years of research into U.S. and international education systems. A number of groups are backing the changes, including the national PTA, which calls the new standards "rigorous and clear." In the past, the curriculum has shifted more slowly. Generally, one subject would be updated each year, so the whole curriculum would turn over in five to seven years, Harrelson said. This time, it's a vastly accelerated process, making training a challenge and leading to questions about textbook purchases. But the school system has bought books and other materials that will work in the new curriculum for two years, Harrelson said. That's good, since the N.C. General Assembly and governor cut textbook money from this year's state budget. With the budget crunch expected to continue, there are concerns that some needs will go unfunded. Maria Pitrie-Martin, the state's curriculum and instruction director, said her department is working through those issues. The state has set aside some of the $400 million it won from the federal Race to the Top program to buy sample tests and instructional materials for teachers, Pitrie-Martin said. The curriculum transition dovetails with Race to the Top; to be eligible for the grant money, each state's General Assembly had to adopt the new curriculum standards. The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County system is planning a number of ways to educate parents about the new curriculum, including a website now under construction.
Yeah right........ Keep spending more and more money on education and the results never show up. It is time for NC to try something unique and not blindly follow the US model, which has been a disaster for the state in regards to rankings.
:iagree: Most of the "new" programs never even get off the ground before the so-called experts are off to something else. The money goes to adopt the initiative and train employees and then the system drops it in favor of the next new thing. And where is this money coming from to provide all of that training? I can assure you that the elementary teachers I know would prefer to have their TA's reinstated rather than spend the money on training for something that will most likely be abandoned in a year or two. The kids would benefit more from putting that money back into the classroom to reduce class sizes.
The discussion of how much we need/don't need to fund was put into perspective for me when I saw a report on what proportion of the North Carolina state budget is currently spent on education. Does everyone know? Anyone? Ferris? Anyone? 8)
off the top of my head....78%? there's a breakdown on my wake county property tax bill and it seems like it's about 80%. going to google it now to see how far off i am...
30% of lottery revenue goes to education. I saw a report that stated 63% of the NC budget is for education.
Not sure why the word advertisement was posted under the date/byline. Briefly looked for references for this change but, didn't catch anything.
It would be nice if teachers got a raise every year. I know teachers that have not had raises in 6 years!!!! That's terrible.
Teachers are far from the only ones that haven't gotten raises. I, for one, would be happy to be making what I was making six years ago.
