Superintendent's Blog

April 23, 2009 - Take Me Out to the Ballgame

I was part of something really special yesterday when thousands of sixth-graders from Guilford County Schools were able to enjoy a Greensboro Grasshoppers baseball game. After I threw out the first pitch, I had a chance to speak with some of our teachers and students.

After learning about averages and the rules of the game, students were excited to see what they’ve learned in action. Several teachers expressed their gratitude for the opportunity. “This is the first baseball game for one of my students,” said one teacher.

No matter the school experience, whether it’s a class project, an after-school activity or a field trip such as this one, our students are always learning and growing as individuals.

Thank you to Donald Moore and the Hoppers. Their advocacy for education grows stronger each year, and we are so thankful for their support.

April 9, 2009 – Moving Forward with the Budget

At Tuesday night’s board meeting, my proposed district budget of $651,840,823 for next school year was presented to the Board of Education, and I want to take a few moments to explain some of the details.
 
In working toward an operating budget for next year, this is the first step of many that will take place over the next few months. 

When developing the recommended budget, we wanted the budget to reflect the Board’s mission, core values and the Strategic Plan—Achieving Education Excellence, as well as current and projected economic conditions. We wanted to provide flexibility to incorporate federal stimulus funds when those funds and the guidelines regarding their use are available to GCS, and of course, limit the impact of budget reductions on existing personnel as much as possible. We also wanted to honor the County Commissioners’ request for a flat budget.

The Governor’s budget was used as a baseline for developing my recommended budget and it includes approximately $21.8 million in cuts and redirections. The changes will help GCS meet an anticipated $10.3 million reduction in state funding and pay for $2.3 million in increased personnel costs driven by the Governor’s proposed budget.

The remaining $9.2 million in cuts and redirections are being used to align the district’s resources with the strategic plan launched in January and support major initiatives that are either currently underway or are scheduled to begin next school year.

While we know we will receive federal stimulus dollars, we do not yet know the rules and regulations of using these funds. Therefore, the federal stimulus dollars are not reflected in the recommended budget.

About 80 percent of the operating budget is directed to schools and the remaining 20 percent goes to central administration. Even with that large difference, more money is being cut from central administration.  About $11.8 million of the $21.8 million in reductions and redirections in the proposed GCS budget come from central office; the remaining $10 million are school-based.

The proposed budget calls for eliminating about 153 positions, including 63 from central office, primarily in the Academic Services division. The other 90 positions are school-based positions, primarily media assistants. The positions represent a savings of about $8.7 million that can be used as cuts or redirections. As part of the reorganization of Academic Services, GCS is adding 45 positions, including the regional office positions. The changes in Academic Services, including reductions in personnel and some expenses for contracted services, supplies and materials and mileage reimbursement, among others, yield a net savings of approximately $1.2 million.

Due to the economy and the impact of a new state law going into effect this fall that changes the cut-off date for new kindergarten students, the proposed budget does not anticipate any increase in student enrollment. (Click here for the new kindergarten law).

Student enrollment projections drive how many positions are allocated to schools. Schools may gain or lose staff positions depending on how much variance there is in student enrollment. GCS uses allotment formulas, such as student-teacher ratios, to determine staffing for schools.

By taking a larger percentage of cuts from central administration, we were able to address the anticipated revenue shortfalls without making any changes to student-teacher ratios, which impact class size. We are also using the same formulas as last year to allot staffing for counselors, social workers, assistant principals and teacher assistants.

As mentioned before, we proposed withholding about 50 percent or $5.8 million of the schools’ Weighted Student Formula (WSF) dollars as a potential budget cut. The discretionary WSF dollars are used by principals to purchase a variety of items, including classroom materials, software, professional development and some positions. GCS typically withholds about 25 percent of these funds each spring, releasing additional dollars later in the school year as state funding levels are finalized and student enrollments stabilize.

I can’t say that these reductions won’t be felt at the schoolhouse level. We’ll certainly be calling on people to do more with less, but I know our employees do a tremendous job of this already. 

The economy is driving us to make tough decisions, but know that if the district’s financial outlook improves; money will go back to our schools first.

As I said before, this is the first step of the budget process. The school board will review and discuss the recommendations during a work session on April 21. The public hearing for the budget is scheduled during the school board’s regularly scheduled meeting on April 23.

There is additional information regarding the budget on our Web site, and I encourage you to check it often. 

I hope that you – the community – will work with us during these tough times. We need your support, but the students Guilford County need it even more. I have no doubt that we will continue to do an excellent job for our children.

Aoril 9, 2009 – Regional Superintendents Named

At Tuesday’s board meeting, the Board of Education approved the appointment of five regional superintendents who will lead the district’s new regions. This regional model is a large initiative of the strategic plan, and I’m excited to see it moving forward.

Three of the regional superintendents – Lewis Ferebee, Phyllis Martin and Angelo Kidd – are current GCS employees. Mr. Ferebee, who has been the main architect in building the regions, and Dr. Martin serve as instructional improvement officers. Mr. Kidd is currently the principal of Northwest High.

Terry Worrell and John Modest, Jr. complete the group, and join us from other North Carolina school districts. Many people should recognize Dr. Worrell as she worked in GCS for many years. She currently serves as Rockingham County Schools’ assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. Modest serves as principal of West Charlotte High School.

I couldn’t be happier to have these five accomplished individuals leading our regions. I hope you will visit our regionalization Web site to learn more about our new leaders and the regions they will serve.

On my “Listening and Learning Tour”, I heard many times that the district seemed to be losing focus at the schoolhouse level, and that people wanted to be aware of what was happening in their own community. I feel this regional model will satisfy this need because we are making the big small, putting district resources closer to the school and communities we serve. This will give parents and employees easier access to those resources.

On Tuesday, the Board also approved John Eldridge, Steve Oates, Darcy Kemp, Tony Watlington and Sandra Culmer as executive directors for the regions. Mr. Eldridge, Mr. Oates and Ms. Culmer are currently GCS instructional improvement officers, while Mr. Watlington serves as the GCS executive director for the school support office. Ms. Kemp is currently the principal of Morehead Elementary.

Along with the regional superintendent and executive director, additional academic and support personnel will serve each of the regions. Central office departments will also appoint liaisons to support the regions with specific areas of expertise, including communications, transportation, human resources, finance, etc

Barbara Zwadyk was named the chief curriculum and organizational development officer. Zwadyk has served in the interim role since January 2009.

Under the new structure, the department will have a K-8 and 9-12 curriculum officer rather than an elementary, middle and high school curriculum officer. Jocelyn Becoats, who is currently the middle school curriculum officer, will serve as the K-8 curriculum officer. Wanda Legrand will join GCS as the 9-12 curriculum officer, a position that was previously vacant. Legrand works for American Express as a senior instruction manager, but previously worked for GCS as a middle and high school principal. Lee Ann Segalla, who is currently the elementary school curriculum officer, will serve as executive director of advanced learning for the district. All positions will be in effect starting July 1, 2009.

In addition to these assignments, the board approved the renewal of contracts for senior staff members Eric Becoats, chief administrative officer; Betty Anne Chandler, executive director – exceptional children; Andrew LaRowe, executive director – facilities and construction; Peggy Thompson, chief human resources officer; Terrence Young, chief technology officer; and Gongshu Zhang, chief accountability and research officer.