CMS board working on self-evaluation

A lot has changed in the 17 months since the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board started talking about how to evaluate itself.

The board has yet to create a self-evaluation process,  but the tone at Friday's planning retreat was festive and congratulatory when the seven members present talked about how well they work together. That's a sharp contrast with the September 2012 session where members did a self-evaluation questionnaire and gave themselves low marks on such crucial functions as researching decisions,  keeping confidentiality and supporting majority decisions.

Burney

This time around,  board members laughed frequently and celebrated their cohesiveness as a team,  as Superintendent Heath Morrison and consultant Betty Burney from the Center for Reform of School Systems showered them with praise.  Burney,  a member of the Duval County (Fla.) Board of Education,  assured the board they're positioning CMS to win the Broad Prize for Urban Education for a second time when the district becomes eligible again.

Morrison says he hears good things about the board from local and state officials,  as well as educators around the nation.  The Council of Urban Boards of Education honored the CMS board as its 2013 Board of Excellence last fall.

"But it is so easy to lose it,"  Morrison said.  "You don't want to lose the way you're being perceived right now."

That's one of the reasons the board is working on ways to formally identify the group's strengths and weaknesses.   "If you want to be a healthy board and remain a healthy board,  you've got to do a periodic check,"  Burney said.

Vice Chair Tim Morgan noted that unlike employee evaluations,  which are confidential under state law,  this rating would be a public matter.  Members worried about giving ammunition to critics,  noting the coverage they got in 2012 for the self-inflicted low ratings.  But they also said the evaluation could help educate the public and identify areas for improvement.  Member Ericka Ellis-Stewart said it will work only if members trust each other enough to use the opportunity for review of the group's work,  rather than finger-pointing or reliving clashes.

Paul Bailey,  a former Matthews town commissioner elected to the CMS board in November,  said admitting mistakes can help turn critics into allies.  Thelma Byers-Bailey,  the board's other newcomer,  agreed:  "At least you take the sting out of it when you confess to it rather than having somebody else pick it up and throw it at you."

Members looked at self-evaluations used by other boards around the country.

The CMS board has been working with the CRSS for several years on improving governance.  The district paid $5,625 for Burney to work with the board at this retreat,  which took place at the CMS Leadership Academy near Vance High.

Teacher ratings: Best and worst in Charlotte region

The teacher effectiveness ratings released this week provide rich material for analysis and debate. I just got the spreadsheet from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, and I'll be poring through it to see what trends emerge.

But I couldn't resist a quick search to see which schools fall at the top and the bottom for our area. First I looked for those with the highest percentage of teachers who exceeded the state's goals for student growth on state exams. I eliminated those with fewer than 20 teachers, where percentages are so dramatically swayed by one or two individuals. That shuts out most elementary schools, because state testing starts in third grade and only fourth- and fifth-grade teachers have students with a previous year's scores to base growth projections on.

Here's what came up:

1. Weddington Middle (Union County), 77.8 percent of 45 teachers.
2. Highland School of Technology (Gaston County magnet), 73.9 percent of 23 teachers.
3. South Point High (Gaston County), 68.9 percent of 45 teachers.

Porter Ridge High

4. Ridge Road Middle (CMS), 60.9 percent of 46 teachers.
5. Marvin Ridge High (Union County), 60.5 percent of 38 teachers.
6. Mount Holly Middle (Gaston County), 59.3 percent of 27 teachers.
7. Lake Norman High (Iredell-Statesville), 53.6 percent of 56 teachers.
8-9. Winkler Middle (Cabarrus County), 52.5 percent of 40 teachers.
8-9. Porter Ridge High (Union County), 52.5 percent of 40 teachers.
10. South Charlotte Middle (CMS), 51.4 percent of 35 teachers.

Statewide, 23 percent of teachers exceeded the target.

I also sorted for schools with the highest percentage of teachers who failed to meet the growth target. Again eliminating schools with fewer than 20 teachers, they are:

1. Hopewell High (CMS), 56.8 percent of 44 teachers.
2. Vance High (CMS), 54 percent of 50 teachers.
3. Harding High (CMS), 53.2 percent of 47 teachers.
4. Statesville High (Iredell-Statesville), 51.5 percent of 33 teachers.
5. North Meck High (CMS), 50 percent of 44 teachers.
6. West Meck High (CMS), 48.4 percent of 62 teachers.
7. Friday Middle (Gaston County), 47.8 percent of 23 teachers.
8. Grier Middle (Gaston County), 46.2 percent of 26 teachers.
9. Hunter Huss High (Gaston County), 45.9 percent of 37 teachers.
10. Independence High (CMS), 44.3 percent of 61 teachers.

Twenty-one percent of all N.C. teachers fell short of the growth target.

My search included district and charter schools in Mecklenburg, Union, Cabarrus, Iredell, Catawba, Lincoln and Gaston counties.

I'm intrigued by these numbers, but I want to be clear that this is not a definitive picture of academic quality at these schools.  It's worth noting that all schools on the "worst"  list had teachers with top ratings,  and most on the  "best"  list had teachers who fell short.  There's still plenty of room for debate on whether the value-added formula can really turn student test scores into a meaningful measure of how good a teacher is.  But these ratings are shaping education decisions and teachers' careers,  so they're worth exploring.

Testing boycott and teacher ratings

A snowstorm, an earthquake  --  and now we have Pamela Grundy and Pat McCrory on the same side of an education issue. The end times must be here.

Grundy, a founder of Mecklenburg ACTS and Parents Across America,  is urging parents to boycott state exams this spring,  part of a national  "Testing Resistance and Reform Spring"  protest against excessive testing.  Other sponsors are FairTest,  United Opt Out,  the Network for Public Education and Save Our Schools.

Grundy and Carol Sawyer of Meck ACTS

So far there aren't a lot of details about the boycott.  Charlotte-Mecklenburg parents have talked about keeping their kids out of testing in the past;  the official stand is that tests are part of the curriculum and parents aren't allowed to opt out.

McCrory,  the Republican governor,  probably doesn't support the boycott.  But he did get vocal about the hazards of overtesting at last week's Emerging Issues Forum on teachers.   (Speaking of which,  anyone interested in issues raised at that forum can sign up for a free online course on world-class teaching,  sponsored by N.C. State's Emerging Issues Institute.)

No one's arguing against kids taking tests to show what they know.  The controversy springs from the barrage of N.C. exams designed primarily to rate teachers and schools.  A lot of folks who want solid data about the quality of public schools say the state is going too far in the quest to generate numbers that may or may not capture teacher quality.

Meanwhile,  we just got a first look at how those test-generated ratings play out for N.C. schools and districts.  I'll be eager to hear what people are thinking as they check out data on their schools.  The state's site makes it easy to look up schools and districts,  but it's tough to do any kind of big-picture comparison and analysis looking up one data point at a time.  State officials say they'll send me a spreadsheet as early as today.  If you'd like a copy,  shoot me an email at ahelms@charlotteobserver.com with  "spreadsheet"  in the header.

I caught up with Julie Kowal,  executive director of CarolinaCAN,  after I'd filed the story on value-added ratings.  Her group is big on data and accountability,  so it was no surprise to hear her say that  "the wonk in me"  loves this report:  "It is so valuable for the state to make this publicly available in the way they have. We need this data to be able to make responsible decisions."  But she added a note of ambiguity:  "The parent in me thinks it's very difficult to know what it's good for."

Diversity in charters: Another view

After spending some time exploring the start-up struggles of StudentFirst Academy,  a charter serving disadvantaged kids in west Charlotte,  I swung by the other end of the charter spectrum this week.

Pine Lake Preparatory School is an established charter with strong academic results,  located in Iredell County between Davidson and Mooresville.   Most of the 1,700 students are white,  and few live in poverty.  When people complain that charters are publicly-funded private schools,  this is the kind of school they're talking about.

Terrill at Pine Lake Prep's new art building

Chris Terrill,  who was hired as head of school in 2012,  invited me to visit and hear his thoughts on North Carolina's charter system.  His previous experience was with charters in Florida,  a state many N.C. leaders look to for models of school reform.

In Florida,  Terrill said,  charters could use race as a factor in lottery selection to get closer to the area's demographics.  Here it's luck of the draw  --  and with 550 children applying for about 50 kindergarten seats next year,  there's a lot of luck involved with getting in.  He says the racial makeup of Pine Lake  --  89 percent white,  5 percent African American,  4 percent Hispanic and 2 percent Asian  --  is pretty close to that of the surrounding area.  The school offers busing from  "depot stops"  in Huntersville and Mooresville to give opportunities to families who can't drive their kids,  he said.  Pine Lake doesn't participate in the federal lunch program,  he said,  but low-income students admitted through the lottery can get aid for lunches and field trips.

Pine Lake pulls about half its students from Mecklenburg County,  with the rest coming from Iredell-Statesville,  Mooresville,  Cabarrus and Catawba.  For most,  he said,  Pine Lake provides an alternative to crowded district schools,  not failing ones.  When Pine Lake opened in 2006,  CMS had neglected to keep up with north suburban growth.  North Mecklenburg High was the state's largest school,  with some 3,100 students sprawling into trailers,  and Torrence Creek Elementary was overcrowded as soon as it opened.  While 1,700 students is hardly a small school,  Pine Lake covers K-12, which means 125 to 140 students per grade level.  Many parents see it as a safer,  more personal environment,  Terrill said.

Coincidentally,  I had also spoken with state Rep. Charles Jeter of Huntersville this week about the state's school calendar law.  Jeter has three children at Pine Lake,  and he said crowding at Torrence Creek prompted the move.

Both Jeter and Terrill said they see charters as a supplement to traditional public schools,  not a substitute.  As Jeter put it,  "charter schools should be the icing on the cake;  they shouldn't be the cake."

Terrill,  whose wife is a principal in Cabarrus County Schools,  said the ideal situation is when charters spur innovation in school districts.  He cited Iredell-Statesville Schools' decision to create an International Baccalaureate magnet at Mount Mourne Middle School,  less than a mile up the road from Pine Lake.

Terrill says he's watching with hope and trepidation as North Carolina revs up an expansion of charters,  with much of the growth centered around Charlotte.  His first experience with Florida charters came when he took a job with founders who had more ambition than expertise;  he says he found himself running seven underfunded,  low-performing charters.  He had moved to a much better setting when Pine Lake recruited him,  he said,  but he saw how easy it is to get into trouble.  If the state can't provide supervision and support for its growing roster of schools, he said,  start-ups may fail and hurt the charter movement,  the district schools that take those students back and the families who vest their hopes in the school.  "While I am a charter school proponent,"  he said,  "I cannot support the effort of every charter school."

Talking with and about teachers

With the 2014 legislative session less than three months away,  State Rep. Tricia Cotham is launching a series of forums to talk with teachers about supporting schools and shaping state policy.  The first will be at 2 p.m. Saturday,   Feb. 22,  at the Plaza-Midwood library branch,  1623 Central Ave.

Cotham

She'll hold another session for teachers at 6:30 p.m. March 11 at the Matthews library,  230 Matthews Station St.,  and a third for students and teachers on March 16 at the Independence library,  6000 Conference Drive.  That session starts at 1:30 p.m. for students and 2:30 for teachers,  according to Cotham's web site.

Cotham,  a Mecklenburg Democrat,  was a teacher and administrator in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools before joining the General Assembly in 2007.  She notes that the sessions are not limited to CMS employees;  all teachers are welcome.

Jeter

At 8 a.m. March 6,  MeckEd will host a community conversation on  "Valuing N.C. Teachers,"  with Cotham,  state Rep. Charlie Jeter,  a Huntersville Republican,  and Eric Davis,  an unaffiliated Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board member.  Click here for details and to RSVP.

And while you've got your calendars out,  here are a couple more education-related events coming up.  You can be one of the first to catch the CMS 2014-15 budget overview from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at West Charlotte High,  2219 Senior Drive.  More sessions around the county will be held through April;  click here for the schedule.  You can also take the CMS online budget survey through Friday.

And for those with an interest in services for students with disabilities,  the N.C. Department of Public Instruction will hold a public hearing on proposed changes to state policies from 5:30 to 7 p.m. March 19 in Davidson.  Click here for details.

Can governor save the (makeup) day?

Plenty of teachers,  parents and other school employees are eagerly waiting to hear whether Gov. Pat McCrory can provide a waiver to help school districts avoid cutting into spring break or holding Saturday school to make up for last week's snow closings.

McCrory in emergency mode Friday

The question is how much ability he has to tinker with the state's school calendar law. The staff at the N.C. Department of Public Instruction was delving into that issue Friday.  The conclusion:  The latest version of the calendar law removed the ability of DPI or the state Board of Education to waive makeup days,  said spokeswoman Vanessa Jeter.

But can the governor do it?  "I do not know,"  Jeter said.

If that decision rests with the General Assembly,  the timing could be tough.  Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and other districts facing shortened spring breaks have those makeup days scheduled in April.  The legislature convenes May 14.

Update: State Rep. Ruth Samuelson, a Mecklenburg Republican, called after a Monday afternoon meeting with House Speaker Thom Tillis, where legislators discussed ways to "tweak" the plan to allow more flexibility.  She said the consensus was that most districts already have the leeway they need if they focus on meeting the minimum 1,025 hours of instruction,  rather than counting days.

The makeup-day hullabaloo illustrates how different discussions can be when an issue is immediate,  rather than abstract.  Invite people to spend time pondering all the limits and trade-offs that come with the state calendar law,  and most say "no thanks."  Put the plan that's approved by those who do care into effect,  and boy,  do people have better ideas.

Likewise,  no politician wants to call for reducing the time kids are required to spend in class  ...  unless the alternative is a makeup schedule that people hate.  Then the person who saves spring break may look like a hero.

After spending two snowy days reporting on the scheduling dilemma and reading lots of opinions on social media,  I had pretty much decided that scrapping a couple of makeup days  --  either through state waiver or tallying classroom hours instead of days  --  was the only option that wouldn't make anyone mad.  But I'm not sure that's true.  People like bus drivers and teacher assistants,  who tend to need their whole paycheck,  lose hours and money when schools close.  Eliminate the makeup days and you eliminate their chance to make up the wages.

There's just no such thing as a popular weather decision.

CMS snow-day tweets exercise the brain

Students playing around on their phones during snow days may actually be learning,  my colleague April Bethea says. While she was monitoring social media and keeping our online report fresh,  she got intrigued by #CMSsnowED tweets and filed this report:

Bethea

Charlotte-Mecklenburg students have been out of class for most of this week. But the district has tried to keep some lessons flowing - all in 140 characters or less.

For four hours each snow day, students have answered questions on subjects like chemistry, math and literature or shown off their haiku writing abilities through a Twitter Q&A the district has tagged #CMSsnowED.

At the top of the hour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. -- Note: today's will start at 11 a.m. -- , the district tweets a new question from its @CharMeckSchools account. The first person who tweets back the correct response gets a shout out from the district and a promise of CMS swag (a water bottle, umbrella or other district memorabilia).

"It's just a way to keep students engaged while schools are closed and to have fun with students online during the storm," said Tahira Stalberte, CMS' executive director for communications.

The virtual Q&A first launched in late January when CMS closed for two days because of snow. Stalberte said the idea came from the district's social media team, which uses Twitter and other tools to try to connect more with students or promote CMS initiatives.

The #CMSsnowED questions come from a variety of sources, including from district teachers, SAT study guides and other online resources, said Stalberte.

One of the first questions asked students to calculate the square root of the combined jersey numbers for a group of Carolina Panthers' players. And this week, students were asked, among other things, the following question about the novel Moby Dick:

LITERATURE: "Call me Ishmael" then call me a cab! Know the name of the boat I was on when it was destroyed by that albino whale, landlubber?

The question drew more than a dozen replies. (The correct answer is "Pequod.")

CMS is not the only district to communicate with students engaged during the snow break. Many districts used social media to help communicate news about school closings. Some, like Durham Public Schools and and Iredell-Statesville Schools, asked students to share photos of what they were doing during the snow day -- DPS called them "snowfies" -- and retweeted some of the replies.

Stalberte said the district has received a lot of positive feedback from students and parents about #CMSsnowED. She said the district plans to do the Q&A each day students are out of class because of the
weather.

"We have to meet students where they are," Stalberte said, "and they are on social media."

Ann here with one more item while we're on snow days and social media: A great school-closing announcement, made by the private Durham Academy, went viral Thursday.  On the chance you missed it, here it is. (I just realized this video displays on my computer but not my iPad, so if you're seeing a blank, here's the link.)