EB News/Calendar: Balancing the FY14

budget, Common Core Conversation: ELA and literacy, Career Pathways, Manilow Music Project, Area Board Meetings, new leaders, transfers, Flexible Spending Accounts, scholarship and retirement deadlines, and calendar (pgs. 1–6)

EB Bulletin Board: Items on the side include Career Clusters/Pathways, Communiqué, spread the word for districtwide events, and Spotlight reminder (pgs. 3–6)

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 5 MARCH 2013

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Balancing the budget in FY2014… When it comes to the budgetW, Gwinnett County Public Schools

(GCPS) always has lived within its means, presenting a balanced budget and spending within that budget despite financial chal-lenges. While we face challenges again this year— another drop in the tax digest, higher costs to fund benefits and retirement, and continued student growth— our conservative approach in the past has put the district in a better position to weather today’s concerns as we work to produce a balanced FY2014 budgetW.

Some additional revenue sources will ease the burden, including:• $9 million for additional earnings due to enrollment growth;• $21.8 million in additional earnings from “Equalization Grant” funding for low-wealth districts;• $1.8 million in additional earnings for “Training and Experience” for teachers; and• $7 million more in operating revenue from the collection of the new Title Fee Tax, beginning on March

1, 2013. That said, the district will lose approximately $10 million in sales tax revenue as a result.Cost-saving measures already in place will help balance the FY2014 budget, including:

• $2 million in savings by not filling vacant district-level positions (to the extent possible), with 54 central office positions eliminated in the last year through attrition that have not been restored; and

• $23 million in savings by maintaining the central office budget at current levels (down 20% since 2008).The continued erosion of the county’s tax digest— which represents the value of taxable property that

generates local tax revenue for schools— remains a challenge. In a bad news-good news scenario, the digest is still shrinking, but at a slower rate, raising hopes that we may be nearing the bottom of a long slide.

For 2013, Gwinnett’s tax digest is expected to decline by “just” 2.5%. The digest has lost more than a quarter of its value in five years, costing $143 million in annual local revenue. As the digest shrinks, so does the value of a mill of property tax, affecting our ability to pay off debt. (In 2008, a mill was worth $31 million. Now, it’s worth $22.9 million.) While the district has saved millions of dollars by refinancing existing bonds, the current 1.30 millage rate for debt service will not be

sufficient to fund existing debt in the future, an issue that must be addressed in FY2014. Find more about the budget on the district website. The budget also will be addressed during Area Board Meetings.

Common Core helps build strong reading and writing ‘muscles’The Common Core State Standards InitiativeW is a state-led effort to establish a single set of edu-

cational expectations that will give students across the country the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in college and career. This shared set of standardsW— in mathematics for grades K–9 (with additional HS courses to be added in future years) and in language arts for grades K–12— has been ad-opted by 46 states, including Georgia, and the District of Columbia. The standards were developed by a diverse group of teachers, experts, parents, and school administrators and are supported by prominent education, business, and state leaders’ organizations. The Common Core Georgia Performance Stan-dards (CCGPS)W have been fully adopted as Gwinnett’s Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS)W. Read on for an overview of the language arts and literacy standards. In future issues, watch for an overview of mathematics standards as well as a deeper look at instructional shifts required under Common Core.

Measures that will not be used to balance the budget

•No district-level elimination of instructional programs.

•No additional reduction in employees’ salaries.

•No additional furlough days.

•No reduction in instructional days or instructional time.

•No increases in class sizes.

Common Core Terminology

Informational Text communicates information.

Informational text may include newspaper and

magazine articles, digital information, non-fiction,

reference materials, and more.

Literary Text is primarily fiction, which includes short

stories, fables, folktales, fairy tales, novels, myths, drama,

poetry, and more.

The Common Core English Language Arts and Literacy Standards in GCPSWhen we talk about the Common Core ELA/Literacy StandardsW, we’re focusing on the concepts

that our students must develop in order to read complex text (like the kind they’ll find in college or in the workplace), to make meaning of various texts, and to communicate effectively in speaking and writing. Here are some important elements in this area of the Common Core:• College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards in Language Arts (K–12)— These overarching stan-

dards are consistent at all grade levels and articulate a vision of what it means to be a literate person in the 21st century, ready for postsecondary study, work, and the world. They will serve as a founda-tion on which literacy skills are unified through language arts, science, social studies, and technical education course areas, beginning in the 2013–14 school year.

• Reading and Writing Standards (K–12)— These performance standards outline the specific skills and knowledge that students need for success at each level, building year to year and grade to grade. They are organized into six domains: Reading Standards – Foundational Skills (K–5 only), Reading Standards for Literature, Reading Standards Informational Text, Writing Standards, Speaking and Listening Standards, and Language Standards (which includes grammar skill development).

• Literacy Standards in Science, Social Studies, and Technical Subjects (6–12)— These reading and writ-ing standards are intended to enhance technical literacy skills for our students in the fields of science, social studies, and technical subjects. Beginning in the 2013–14 school year, these standards will be fully incorporated into current science, social studies, and technical education courses.

On Reading and the Common Core…About 80% of required reading in college and the workplace is informational (non-fiction) text.

While we might prefer a novel on the bedside table, at work and in the world of higher ed, we need to be able to read, understand, and analyze the informational text that makes up most of our knowledge base. Because informational text is generally more difficult for students to comprehend, it’s important that they get plenty of opportunities to work with informational text. They need exposure early in their school careers so they can start building their informational text “muscles” for the heavy lifting they’ll do in college and beyond. Complex text and academic vocabulary are critical components in this “bodybuilding” regimen.

Over the course of their K–12 careers, students will be able to “lift” increasingly more complex text because they have been in training, have been practicing at a high level, and are consuming the right balance of reading materials. Under Common Core, that balance of informational text to literary text is about 50:50 at the elementary level and 70:30 for middle and high school. Keep in mind that content-rich non-fiction is available across the curriculum. This “balanced diet” of informational and literary text is achieved with reading in science and social studies as well as in language arts.

On Writing and the Common Core… Think about the writing tasks you were given in college or the writing you do on a day-to-day basis

for your job. Chances are, most of your college and workplace writing has been evidence-based and in-formational, rather than narrative. With Common Core, at a grade-appropriate level— and building in complexity from year to year— we are asking our students to read text more closely, more thoroughly so that they are better able to use what they’ve read to inform and to argue points that they have drawn from their reading, whether in speaking or in more complex writing. In other words, students must be able to cite evidence in responding to text-dependent questions that shows that they comprehended the complex text that they have read. As a result, they will be stronger readers, writers, and speakers, prepared to effectively communicateW.

2 Education Briefs

Common Core (continued)

In the coming months, we will be conducting Common Core Conversations as we look at the “what” and the “why” of the Common Core and what the Common Core looks like in our classrooms in Gwinnett. This is the first in that series of stories.

3 Education Briefs

As state’s Career Pathways take shape for 2013–14, public invited to review foundational courses

Parents, business leaders, community members, students, and school system staff are encouraged to review and give feedback on proposed courses for the state’s new Career Clusters/PathwaysW in Career Technical Education. (See the list to the left.) The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) is collecting public comments on the proposed founda-tional courses via an online surveyW through March 25.

Career Clusters are a grouping of like occupations and industries, under which Pathways prescribe a sequence of courses in preparation for college or career. The state’s program is designed to strengthen and improve the transition between high school and postsecondary options, allowing students to discover their strengths and interests as they prepare for their future.

The proposed curriculum for the technical education courses provides essential, industry-validated knowledge and skills for Georgia’s students. The foundational courses are aligned with industry exams and state-developed end-of-pathway assessments, as well as the aca-demic Georgia Performance Standards curriculum. Business and industry leaders worked with the GaDOE and college and high school instructors to identify employability and technical skills suitable for high school courses.

The move to pathways is part of a wider focus on college- and career-readiness that includes comprehensive, K–12 career development advisement. Under the plan, Georgia students will learn about various careers through grade-level specific activities in elemen-tary school. Career inventories will help middle schoolers explore options as they develop a graduation plan for high school. In grades 9–12, advisement will support completion of the student’s graduation plan and transition to college, technical training, or a career.

Local systems have the flexibility to design some aspects of the program, including avail-able offerings and the sequence of courses for selected pathways. Pathways that fall under the Career Technical Education umbrella require three designated courses and a state-developed assessment. In addition to providing designated technical pathways outlined by the state, Gwinnett also will offer advanced academic pathways in core subjects (English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies), pathways in world languages, and both general and specialized pathways in the fine arts (visual arts, theatre, dance, music, and journalism).

Post-high school readiness is among the areas measured on the state’s new College and Career Readi-ness Performance Index (CCRPI). CCRPI considers the percentage of graduates who complete a pathway, and the percentage who earn a national industry credential or a passing score on a GaDOE end-of-pathway assessment (starting in 2014–15), among other indicators. (Learn more about CCRPI in a future newsletter.)

Manilow Music Project instrument drive to benefit GCPS schoolsFor nearly 40 years, he’s written songs that make the whole

world sing, and now singer-songwriter-showman Barry Manilow wants to help Gwinnett students play music. The Manilow Music ProjectW recently announced a partnership with Gwinnett County Public Schools to collect instruments to benefit music programs in the district’s schools. Mr. Manilow kicked off the drive by donating a new Yamaha piano to GCPS.

Around GCPS

Career Clusters/Pathways •Agriculture, Food, and Natural

Resources

•Architecture and Construction

•Arts, A/V Technology, and Communications

•Business Management and Administration

•Education and Training

•Energy

•Finance

•Government and Public Administration

•Health Science

•Hospitality and Tourism

•Human Services

•Information Technology

•Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security

•Manufacturing

•Marketing

•Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM)

•Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics

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4 Education Briefs

The singer will headline a Broadway-themed concert at the Gwinnett CenterW on April 27. Music lovers who donate new or gently used instruments will receive two tickets to the show, valid for pre-select-

ed seat locations, while supplies last. Drop off instruments at the Gwinnett Center box office during business hours (10 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and after noon on

weekend days with an event at the Gwinnett Center).Music plays an important role in the lives of more than 97,000 Gwinnett students

who are enrolled in various music programsW in grades K–12. Music study helps students develop a lifelong appreciation of music, but also prepares young minds to think creatively, to work collaboratively, and to become disciplined, critical thinkers and problem solvers— skills needed in the 21st century.

“The instruments provided through Barry Manilow’s generosity and philanthropic spirit will help foster a love of learning and a love of music... a successful combination that is sure to benefit students today and in the future,” says GCPS’ CEO/Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks.

Make plans to attend Area Board MeetingEach spring, the Gwinnett County Board of Education goes on the

road, meeting once in each Board member’s district. The meetings are a time for the School Board to share information with the public. They also are an opportunity to hear CEO/Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks’ annual address, focusing on the district’s strategic direction, recent successes and new initiatives, and current budget issues. The 2013 Area Board MeetingsW are organized by the schools in each Board member’s electoral district. However, citizens my attend any one of the five meetings. All meetings begin at 7 p.m. in the host school’s theater, with refreshments served at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are scheduled for the following dates and locations:

March 26: District III, Peachtree Ridge HS March 28: District II, Mill Creek HS April 2: District IV, Parkview HS April 4: District I, Archer HS

April 16: District V, Meadowcreek HS

School Board approves new leaders at February meetingName New Position Previous Position

Daniel W. JardineW

Chief Operations Officer, Facilities and Operations Division

Senior Vice President, Carter and Associates (Atlanta, Ga.)

Troy B. “Barry” Mock

Director of Business Systems, Information Management Division

Manager of Transportation Support, Facilities and Operations Division

DeNelle West Director of Staff Development, Human Resources Division

Coordinator of Teacher Development, Human Resources Division

Mr. Jardine steps into the F&O leadership spot, succeeding long-time COO Jim Steele, who retired Nov. 30.

Instrument drive (continued)

March 26

March 28

April 4

April 2

April 16

Communiqué magazine coming soon

Watch for more about GCPS’ award-winning counseling programs, language arts and the AKS Common Core, and a positive behavior program in the Spring issue of Communiqué, Gwinnett’s digital magazine! (If you missed the last issue in December, find a link on the GCPS website.)

Communiqué Essentials, the twice-yearly print newsletter for parents, will be out later this month. You already have a preview with stories in this issue of Education Briefs, but don’t miss the story about the Bring Your Own Device initiative, plus a wrap-up of recent honors.

Transfer request process for eligible staff begins soonThe Placement Preference Process for the 2013–14 school year will begin March 20. Through this

process, certified teachers and assistant principals may request a transfer to a different location for the next school year. Transfer requests are for lateral moves only in terms of position and hours worked, (for example, teacher to teacher, counselor to counselor, assistant principal to assistant principal). Promotions or changing status between part-time position and full-time position are not a part of the Placement Preference Process. To be eligible for participation, teachers and assistant principals must have completed their third consecutive, complete, contractual year in their current school and current position. A certified teacher or assistant principal who transferred to the current location involuntarily also is eligible for participation. Staff members who are “part year,” on a Professional Development Plan, or retirees are not eligible to participate in the Placement Preference Process. Teachers and as-sistant principals who do not meet participation criteria may not work outside the process to obtain a transfer. The deadline for submitting a transfer request is April 3 at 5 p.m.

Be aware of deadline for submitting 2012 spending account receiptsIf you participated in a healthcare or childcare flexible spending account (FSA)W or had dental or vi-

sion coverage in 2012, time is running out for a claim or reimbursement. If you incurred covered FSA, dental, or vision expenses during the year, you must submit claims no later than March 31. FSA forms as well as 2012 dental and vision claim forms are available in the online Benefits CenterW. You also can find a list of eligible and ineligible expensesW on the website. Funds remaining in your FSA after the deadline cannot be refunded and will be forfeited as required by Internal Revenue Service regulations.

Remember upcoming deadlines for scholarships, retirement• Gwinnett County Retired Educators Association Scholarships: March 15 is the deadline to apply for one

of two $1,500 scholarshipsW for educators pursuing an advanced degree. • Peach State Federal Credit Union Scholarships: Sixteen Career Advancement ScholarshipsW of $2,000

each will be awarded to Credit Union members enrolled in an accredited program toward career advancement. The application deadline is March 22.

• 2013 Retirees: If you plan to receive a retirement check in June, you have just a few weeks to complete and process your retirement paperwork. The deadline for TRS-covered retirees is March 31. PSERS-covered retirees must file applications 30–90 days before their expected retirement date to avoid a delay in their first payment. Contact the Retirement Services DepartmentW to learn more and to schedule an appointment with a retirement specialist (678-301-6267).

Education-related events, celebrations fill Spring calendarThat extra hour of daylight in the evening has us thinking ahead as the days start flying by… March and April have a number of education celebrations and month-long observances. March is

American Red Cross MonthW. Online, learn how your Red Cross donations, volunteer ef-forts, and training can save lives. Meet real people, including a Gwinnett residentW, whose lives have been changed by the Red Cross.

Hats are off to our MS colleagues during national Middle Level Education MonthW, “Cel-ebrating the Magnificent Middle Level and the Power of Collaboration.”

You may have noticed a flurry of music performance events and visual arts displays as we “orchestrate success” during Music in Our Schools MonthW and Youth Art MonthW. Kudos to our teachers in fine arts programs.

5 Education Briefs (continued)

HR & Benefits Briefs

EB Calendar

Spread the Word!Family, friends, and neighbors may be inter-ested in some upcom-ing districtwide events. Point them to the websiteW for details:

•HS Graduations— Find the schedule online on March 15.

•GCPS Transition Fair—Students with disabilities and their families can learn more about commu-nity services, resourc-es, and assistance for transitioning to adult-hood at the March 16 event.

•GCPS Kindergarten Registration— Families with children who will be 5 on or before Sept. 1 are encouraged to par-ticipate in registration at their child’s new school on May 2.

•Greater Gwinnett Championship— Proceeds from the nationally televised golf tourney, set for April 15–21, will benefit the GCPS Foundation.

•Gwinnett County Sports Hall of Fame— The induction ceremony, set for May 4 at a Gwinnett Braves baseball game, serves as a fundraiser. Get details on $12 game tickets, raffles, and sponsorships online.

6 Education Briefs

Education Briefs is produced by the Department of Communication and

Media Relations.education_briefs@gwinnett.k12.ga.us

It is the policy of Gwinnett County Public Schools not to discriminate on the basis of

race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, or

disability in any employment practice, educational program,

or any other program, activity, or service.

Gwinnett County Public Schools

437 Old. Peachtree Road, NWSuwanee, GA 30024-2978

678-301-6000www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us

2013 GWINNETT COUNTYBOARD OF EDUCATIONCarole C. Boyce, chairman;

Daniel D. Seckinger, vice chairman; Dr. Robert McClure,

Dr. Mary Kay Murphy; and Louise Radloff

CEO/SUPERINTENDENTJ. Alvin Wilbanks

The mission of Gwinnett County Public Schools is to

pursue excellence in academic knowledge, skills, and behavior

for each student, resulting in measured improvement against local, national, and

world-class standards.

Something to celebrate?

Share your good news with your colleagues in Spotlight. If you

have earned a state or national award, earned

a degree, made a presentation, or had

work published, send the information to the Spotlight mailbox via

Lotus Notes, or to the Communication and Media Relations

Department through the courier. Submissions for the spring issue are due

March 29. Watch for a roundup of honors in the next Spotlight W, coming in

late April.

National Nutrition MonthW reminds us to “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day.” We thank the folks in our School Nutrition program who serve up such tasty, healthy food in our cafeterias. The first meal of the day was the “star” during National School Break-fast WeekW.

We salute our school social workers during Social Work MonthW, “Weaving Resil-ience and Advocacy” to support our students. “Women Inspiring Innovation through Imagination,” especially those in STEM fields, are the inspiration behind this year’s Women’s History Month. Find resources from the National Women’s History ProjectW and the Library of CongressW. International Women’s DayW on March 8 focused on the “Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum.”

Earlier in the month, we also marked Exceptional Children’s WeekW. We appreciate the dedication of our special education teachers and support staff. Other celebrations that same week included National For-eign Language Week and Newspapers in Education WeekW. Kudos to language and journalism educators.

On March 2, we celebrated the birthday of Dr. Seuss with Read Across America DayW, because “You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read with a child.” The month also includes observances of two more birthdays— the Girl Scouts of AmericaW (March 12) and Camp Fire USAW (March 17). St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 is the centerpiece of Irish American Heritage Month. That same week, March 20 is the first day of spring.

Just peeking into April, know that National Poetry MonthW is on the horizon. (Don’t forget to carry a “Poem in Your Pocket”W on April 18.) We thank our lan-guage arts teachers and media center staff members for bringing us poems and other great things to read. In fact, April is School Library Media MonthW. “Com-munities Matter @ Your Library” is the theme for the month and for National Library WeekW, starting April 14. “Book Joy Around the World” is the focus on April 2, International Children’s Book DayW.

“Developing Skills, Building Lives” is an apt description of the work we celebrate during Occupa-tional Therapy MonthW in April. We recognize that “Early Years are Learning Years” during Week of the Young ChildW, April 14–20. Using technology to explore the environment, “STEM and Our Planet” engages students during National Environmental Education WeekW.

While you have your calendar out… GCPS-specific datesW in March and into April• The School BoardW meets March 21 at 7 p.m. at the Instructional Support Center (ISC), located at

437 Old Peachtree Rd. in Suwanee, with the next meeting set for April 18.• See page 4 for more information on Area Board Meetings in March and April.• Unless we have some unexpected bad weather requiring a snow make-up day, all GCPS schools will

be closed March 29 for a holiday for students and 174-, 175-, 180-, 181-, 185-, 190-, 193-, and 200-day staff. Personal leave is not allowed March 28 and April 1.

• Spring Break runs April 8–12 for students and most staff, with 12-month staff celebrating a Spring Holiday on April 12. Personal leave is not allowed April 5 and April 15.

Important testing dates… • Some students take the Georgia HS Graduation Tests March 18–21 to meet graduation requirements.

The writing evaluation window is open March 18–29 for 3rd graders. The main administration of the HS Gateway Assessment is April 1 and April 3. Students in grades 3–8 take the state’s Criterion-Refer-enced Competency Tests April 22–26.

• Upcoming college admissions tests: April 13 and June 8 for the ACTW, and May 4 and June 1 for the SATW.

WClick Here Connections…•http://secc.sedl.org/ga_pathways/ (GaDOE Career Pathways online survey)

•http://www.manilowmusicproject.org/archives/381 (Manilow Music Project)

Calendar (continued)