Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Hooray: Raleigh-to-English translation!

I found something on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools website that makes me want to cheer:  A  "2012 legislative update"  that summarizes all the public education bills the state legislature approved this year.

Keeping up with the action in Raleigh,  looking up legislation,  trying to decide whether I have the correct final version and deciphering the legalese has always been challenging for me,  and I have more training and experience in these things than most folks.  The new 10-page guide summarizes each bill in plain English,  with a link to the actual legislation.

I learned,  for instance,  that starting Dec. 1 it will be a crime for students to "cyberbully" teachers,  including creating fake websites and posting private information or altered images.  I got the clearest explanation I've seen of how the new third-grade literacy requirements will work.

In the "On the Horizon" look ahead to the 2013 session,  I found a good synopsis of likely developments on performance pay and teacher tenure.  And this explanation made me realize why so many of us founder in the maze of Raleigh lawmaking:  "During the short session this past summer, the Senate leadership supported a bill called the Excellent Public Schools Act (SB 795)  –  not to be confused with the Excellent Public Schools Act incorporated into the Budget Bill (HB 950).  While SB 795 did not pass,  it is almost guaranteed to resurface in the upcoming session,  which begins on January 30, 2013."

If these updates continue in real time next year,  they'll be a boon to all of us trying to understand and/or influence the state decisions that shape our schools.

9 comments:

BolynMcClung said...

Oops...

Fake websites?
Private information?
Altered images?

Apparently the folks in Raleigh haven't got the news that there is a Bill of Rights.....and an Interstate Commerce Clause that precludes states from discriminatory legislation.

Bolyn McClung
Pineville

Wiley Coyote said...

Starting with the 2014-2015 school year, the State Board of Education will require CPR training as a high school graduation requirement.

So 100% of high school students will be forced to take the course, but 25% will not graduate.

...priorities, priorities...

Anonymous said...

Its the project lift zone included in the 2014-2015 CPR training ? Or do they get a free pass on that as well?

John said...

Bolyn McClung,

Apparently you haven't heard that fraud, bullying and slander are NOT protected speech. BTW... the US Constitution is one of "enumerated rights" which means that it placed limits on what the Federal government to preclude IT from telling the states what to do in most of their own business. Also, I suggest you look up what actually makes up "discriminatory legistlation" because there is nothing in the Cyber-bullying law which meets that description.

John said...

Ms. Helms,

A word of caution here. Since this "translation" is coming from the CMS website... what appears to be a "plain English" translation, may just be special interest spin!

Anonymous said...

Bolyn, I thought a School Board member would know better...oh, wait, you are NOT on the board. Right...

Tenure is a property right. You sure you want to lose that lawsuit, State of NC? Good Luck....

Ann Doss Helms said...

John, it's always smart to consider the source. But what I saw looked pretty straightforward. That's one of the challenges: Almost everyone who makes the effort to summarize legislation has a dog in the game.

Anonymous said...

You have gotta be kidding me.

LaTarza Henry goes from director to Asst. Super?

Is this the same as Dr. Ellis being paid $160,000 to be an Asst. Principal?

Where does CMeS get off on the blatant waste of our money!

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