SCHOOLS GET MORE FLEXIBILITY
Revamped Policy Still Ties Teacher
Bonus Pay To Students' Achievement
BY SI SAN USHER
Brunswick County school board members inched
closer last week to realizing a goal established last veai
Ot tying bonus pay for teachers to their students' acade
mic progress
On a 4-1 vote and acknow ledging that it may need to
be changed again, the board approved a revision ot a
student improvement policy it first adopted last May It
will lx- checking with state officials to make sure the
policy is satisfactory
That tirst resolution had specified that differentiated
or extra pay tor teachers should be awarded solely on
the basis ol student achievement, using academic
progress made during the year as a key indicator To
gauge that progress, the board had expected to rely
heavily on tests given near the beginning and end ot the
school year in all academic classes
Previously teachers earned bonus pay for a wide
iange ol "extra duties" that varied troni school to school
.tlld included committee membership, serving .is depart
ment or grade level chairperson, handling school public
relations, taking graduate courses. gi\ ing or attending
workshops outside school hours, reading professional
Itooks and maintaining good school attendance
Each activity was gi\en a point value, which could
vary from school to school depending on the school's
own priorities, and each point vv.is worth .1 certain
amount of bonus pay
Bonus pay ranged last year from approximately $50
to nearly S3.<HM) for teachers u ho chose to participate,
depending on the number ot activ itics and the point \al
ue assigned to each by the school 's performance-based
accountability committee
The school board learned after this school year had
begun that appropriate tests would not bo available foi
all grade levels and core subjects, that faculty and stall
not involved in core subjects had concerns about how
their bonus pay would be determined, and that m some
schools, faculty members weren't satisfied that their
school plan was lair to all teachers or that all teachers
had equal opportunity to participate
With advice from .1 countvwide committee, the poli
cy u as revamped. Schools will have .1 larger degree ot
flexibility in setting up their differentiated pav plans, but
must still tie them to overall student achievement at their
school.
However, il students 111 an achievement group cov
Each activity was given a point
value, which could vary from
school to school depending on
the schools own priorities, and
each point was worth a certain
amount of bonus pay.
crci! by the plan K' " bv grade level or subject?don't
meet school achievement goals, the differentiated pay
w ill be used for staff development for those teachers, not
bonus pay.
The new version gives more flexibility, but still pro
\ iilcs ;t measure of uniformity countyvvidc. according to
board member Bill Fairley. who had drafted the original
policy and opposed further delays in working toward its
goal.
"What we're going to do is end up getting 12 plans
without absolutely no basis for comparison and no
meaningful information on w hich to assess those plans."
he said. "'The only wa> we lose out is by not proceed
ing forward with it."
('lied unanswered questions raised by the N.C.
Association ot I ducators (NCAE) and N.C". Department
of Public Instruction, board member Polly Russ first
pushed tor a delay, then voted against adoption of the
policy.
Brunswick County NCAE President Mary Yates said
there .ire questions about whether the policy would re
quire schools to change three-year plans already on file
w ith the state.
Assistant Superintendent Jan Calhoun said he didn't
see any reason why the county plan could not be amend
ed. since the planning process provides for amending in
di\ idual school plans, lie said the county wide
Performance Based Accountability Committee is on
schedule io consider pscvvntations and amendments of
local school plans within the parameters set by the
school board.
If necessary, said Chairman Donna Baxter, the poli
c> will be amended again later.
Curriculum Changes Eyed
Board members tabled until their February meeting
discussion of proposed course additions and deletions
for county high schools for 1994-95.
The schools had planned to begin registration in e.ir
ly February, but will delay that until after the board has a
chance to look at the proposed changes.
These include:
? doing away with learning lab. world cultures and
general music classes due to lack of interest:
? adding mixed chorus, treble chorus and slum
choir at North and South Brunswick high schools to
equalize music course offerings at the three high
schools;
? adding at a!! three sch'.wls North Carolina Wildlife
Management and peer tutoring for students who need re
medial instruction;
? adding calculus, advanced placement English III.
music theory-history and a tourth year of Army JROTC
at all three schools as a means of upgrading the curricu
lum.
Also several courses would be added to meet the
specific needs tit each school: environmental science
and student management assistant North Brunswick;
advanced chemistry, conversational French/Spanish,
dance and new games at South Brunswick; and ad
vanced chemistry at West Brunswick.
All three high schools are interested in adding ap
prenticeship experiences pending funding and state ap
proval, Supervisor James McAdams noted in a memo
randum to the board.
In other business the board:
? Learned that Emmette Floyd, a professor at Fast
Carolina University, would present a workshop on
"Disaggregating Test Data" on -Selected school system
employees will begin receiving the lirst in a series ot
three immunizations against Hepatitis B starting Jan. 31
Other shots will be given Feb. 28 ami Aug. 2"'
F.niployees with risk of exposure to bloodborne
pathogens must have the shots.
? Carol Midgett, Summer Science Camp coordina
tor. requested continued local matching sup|Riit for the
camp's continuation anu showed a videohighlights "I
the 1993 session at Southport Elementary School, ("he
camp has received S 18.250 in grants for the next two
summers. The program offers a teacher workshop and
day camp for a limited number of students.
? Agreed it would accept a "no-strings-attached"
$10,000 earthquake hazard grant if offered by the N.(
Division of Emergency Management. Assistant
Superintendent Bill Turner said the money would he
used at two schools to secure bookcases! and equipment
that might fall and hurt children and staff if an earth
quake were to occur. A portion of the county, roughly
from Calabash to Southport, lies along an earthquake
fault line associated with the Charleston earthquake of
the late 1800s.
? Set Feb. 4 as the first of several dates for school
visits by the board. The board plans to visit two or three
schools in one area, then meet with teachers from that
area.
? Named Polly Russ and Thurman Cause to ?
staff/board policy update committee that will continue
with a revision of policies begun four years ago.
"We want to get them in line with state and local
laws and Brunswick County demographics, to get them
in line with what our children need." said Chairman
Donna Baxter.
? Took a first Kxik at proposed changes in recruiting
and luring procedures intended to help make procedures
more uniform and consistent, insure more minority rep
resentation on recruiting teams and interview commit
tees. and insure that candidate references are checked
adequately.
BSL Auxiliary Sets
'Jumble Sale' Feb. 12
The Boiling Spring l akes Fire and Rescue Auxiliary
will hold a "jumble sale" Feb. 12 trom 9 a.m. until 3
p.m. a! (he tire station on N.C. 87.
Clothing. Mea market items, a bake sale and lunch
will be offered.
The community is being asked to clean out cupboards
and closets to donate items for the sale. Donations ma\
be brought to the f ire station on Thursday, Feb. 10, trom
1-3 p m and Friday, Feb. 11, from II) a.m. until 3 p.m.
To have items picked up. call Brenda Johnson at 845
8729: Man Ricse at 845-2339; or Doris Faran at 845
8698.
Muffy Thomas was winner of the Christmas Village
raffle.
Gore Named To Task Force Studying
Substance-Abusing Offender Problem
District Attorney Rex Gore has
been named to an inter-agency state
level task force to address the issue
of substance
abusing crimi
nal offenders.
according to a
news release
from Chief
Justice James G.
Hxum Jr. of the
N.C. Supreme
Court.
Hxum formed
the task force in CORK
cooperation with Governor James R.
Hunt Jr. to serve as "the major com
ponent of a grant project funded
through the State Justice Institute, a
private, nonprofit corporation estab
lished by Congress to provide finan
cial support to projects designed to
i prove the administration of justice
in state courts."
The project's goal is to improve
the way courts deal with substance
abusing offenders through "increas
ing communication anil coordination
between the courts and executive
branch and private agencies that
have substance abuse expertise."
it \s iii also in in forming commu
nity coalitions to work with (he
courts and local drug abuse groups
and will make suggestions for new
programs as well as for improving
the way drug-abusing offenders are
currently handled by the courts.
Exum said. "The basic idea be
hind this project is to link those with
authority over the substance-abusing
offender, the courts, to those who
through training and study of the
problem have developed and are de
veloping new and better ways of
dealing with these people.
"A hiah percentage of the crime
being committed today is related, di
rectly or indirectly, with substance
abuse. II we tan Mintchow rcducc
the incidence of this problem in so
ciety In using the best techniques
and approaches now available, we
will reduce the incidence of crime in
general."
Appointed to chair the task force
was Senior Resident Superior Court
Judge Coy E. Brewer Jr. of
layetteville. who Mid. "The greatest
challenge and the greatest potential
tor positive change in the criminal
justice system reside in dealing with
the substance-abusing criminal.
Because the vast majority of crime
is committed by addicted substance
abusers, the courts simply must be
IN SOUTHPORT
BRING HOME
THE6BEAC0N
On Sale At
E-Z WA< GROCERY
FOOD LION
GENERAL STORE
NEW YORK DELI
POST OFFICE
come more effective in manage
ment. punishment and treatment of
these individuals. If we do. positive
results, which translate to the bottom
line of reducing the crime rate, are
possible."
Other task force members include
superior and district court judges,
prosecutors, private attorneys, court
clerks and representatives of govern
ment agencies and the medical pro
fession.
Its first meeting will be Feb. 4 in
Raleigh.
Treatment For Back Pain
For 86 million Americans, chronic pain is a way of
life. But now, thanks to the COASTAL CAROLINAS
PAIN CENTER, there's a place to go for pain that
won't go away.
^ *Back pain is second
i< JKf >
^ only childbirth as
art
a reason for hospi
talization.
Back pain is the sec
ond leading cause of
absenteeism from
work in the U.S.
?Early intervention
can prevent chronic
pain
CALL KENNETH L. WILLEFORD. M.D.
Anesthesiologist / Vain Management Sfjecialist
COASTAL CAROLINAS PAIN CENTER
FOR INFORMATION / APPOINTMENTS CALL
754-3099
LUNCH BUFFET
MONDAY-FRIDAY 11-2:30
An in-depth look at Brunswick County's re
tirement scene will be included in a special sup
plement in the Feb. i7 issue of the Beacon.
To advertise in this timely special section,
call an advertising representative today.
THE BRUNSWICK&BEACON
754-6890