News
WakeEd Wednesdays
WakeEd Wednesdays is a video series produced to simplify many of the complexities of North Carolina’s largest school district, the Wake County Public School System. With more than 180 schools, 160,000 students, and 11,000 teachers, WCPSS has a major impact on all Wake County residents regardless of whether they have children enrolled in the schools.
WAKE Up and Read Kicks off Book Drive
When 67% of children from low income families do not have books at home, they are at risk for significant summer learning loss, which can negatively affect the rest of their school experiences. Children need access to books, so every year the Wake County community...
Developing the Agency of Teachers
Beginning teachers receive hours of on-the-job support and professional development from mentors and other experienced teachers, but one subject that doesn’t always get formal attention is known as “teacher agency.”
Meet the Investors: MMI Public Relations
By Rob Buhler | Chairman, MMI Public Relations In 2016, numerous significant incidents occurred in North Carolina that vied for media’s attention. Perhaps one of the most important issues that should be on the mind of North Carolinians, which isn’t receiving...
NC Needs to Adopt a Unified, Comprehensive School Accountability Standard
The North Carolina School Report Cards program was broken from the start, and now the state has a chance to change it for the better. The question is: Who’s going to do it? The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is drafting a plan to measure student outcomes under...
WakeEd’s Public Policy Agenda Focus: Teachers, Standards, Students
As the North Carolina General Assembly opens its long session on January 25, WakeEd Partnership has released its Public Policy Agenda (PDF) with an emphasis on teacher talent management, improving school accountability measures, and ensuring student equity for all....
PISA Results: NC Schools Perform Well, But Show Plenty of Room to Grow
The results from an international test of 15-year-olds show that North Carolina students are competitive with worldwide peers in reading and science, but lag significantly in mathematics. Administered every three years, the Programme for International Student...
Fewer WCPSS Teachers Leaving Profession
The latest report on teachers leaving WCPSS had good news for the school system, but there is still work to do. Overall, 11.29 percent of WCPSS teachers either left the profession, left to teach in another state, or left to teach elsewhere in North Carolina. This...
WCPSS School Board Welcomes New Members, Chooses New Leadership
A new chapter began tonight for the Wake County School Board with the swearing in of 8 members. The bittersweet ceremony saw the congratulations of outgoing and incoming members as well as the solemn remembrance of the late Zora Felton who died unexpectedly last month...
WCPSS Seeking to Add More ‘Charter-Like’ Schools
The “restart” model for high-needs schools will expand to 10 more WCPSS schools next year. Last week, the state Board of Education approved the application submitted by WCPSS to restart five more elementary schools and five middle schools. All of which are schools...
State School Funding Changes Could Be on the Horizon
Big changes could be coming to North Carolina’s educational funding system. A recent study presented to the Joint Legislative Program Evaluation and Oversight Committee revealed inequities in the current funding formulas and made suggestions for entirely new ways to...
Principal and AP Compensation Committee Hears from Experts Who Urge Paying for Professionalism
The path to a new formula for paying school-based administrators is proving to be hard to find. At its first meeting in October, the Joint Legislative Study Committee on School-Based Administrator Pay reviewed a proposal to eliminate the current complicated salary...
WCPSS School Board Approves Pay Raises for Non-Certified Staff
Salary bonuses may be coming for thousands of essential Wake County Public Schools employees who haven’t had a raise in years. The school board recently reviewed a plan to pay a one-time $500 bonus to hourly employees such as teacher assistants, custodians, child...
Parent Input Aids Student Assignment Planning
The last phase of the latest student assignment will be the result of parent input and student data. Wake County Public School System plans to open one middle school, two elementary schools, and one application-only high school for the 2017-18 school year. The parents...
Principal Pay Plan Calls for End to Pay Scale
The initial plan to restructure the way school principals are paid in North Carolina calls for an end of the complicated pay scale. In its place, lawmakers propose giving superintendents the power to negotiate salaries with principals, and to provide performance...
WakeEd Insight – Giving Thanks
Living in Wake County offers many reasons to be thankful. November presents an opportunity to reflect on specific blessings we enjoy. I’m thankful to serve as a President of WakeEd Partnership, leading an outstanding staff all of whom share the same passion for the...
WakeEd Adds Support of Beginning Teachers
WakeEd has expanded its professional learning programs to beginning teachers thanks to a new collaboration with the Public School Forum of North Carolina.
World Cafe Builds Strong Communities and Educator Experiences in Wake County
Written by Rachel Fleming (Gilbane Building Company) Gilbane Building Company is proud to be a WakeEd partner in fostering educational opportunities for both students and educators. This year was our first year participating in World Cafe, which was a very inspiring...
WakeEd Nationally Recognized for Leadership in STEM Mentoring Movement
In addition to creating exciting and innovative learning experiences for students in Wake County, WakeEd Partnership’s STEMpact programs are being recognized as unique, inspiring, and effective educational practices on a national stage. This summer, WakeEd President...
WCPSS Staff, Board Revising Policy Manual
Some of the most important work going on within Wake County Public School System isn’t happening the classroom. The WCPSS School Board and school system staff are working on a major project to update the system’s policy manual - a document which formalizes the...
Vision 2020 Strategic Plan Enters New Phase
Wake County Public School System is undergoing a systemic change. That was the message from Vision 2020 Strategic Plan Co-Chairs Karen Hamilton and Beth Hodge to the WCPSS School Board at a recent work session. That change is coming in every area of operation and...
WakeEd Endorses Transit Bond Referendum Nov. 8
It may seem a bit unusual that a non-profit focused solely on educational issues has an interest in regional transportation needs, but transit is, in fact, an education issue. That’s why WakeEd supports the transit referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot and urges our...
Take a Look Back at Stars of Education
The 2016 Stars of Education, presented by PNC Bank, was held on Oct. 12 at the Raleigh Marriott City Center. The gala and dinner honored eight people most influential to education in Wake County. Take a look back at the evening with our Storify stream. Also, take a...
Our Future’s So Bright, We’ve Got to Wear Shades!
During the 2016 Stars of Education Gala and Dinner, guests too a moment to pose for and post selfies with their sunglasses from presenting sponsor PNC Bank. Take a look through the stream to see how much fun everyone had. The next Stars of Education will be Wednesday,...
Stars of Education Gala Dinner 2016 Was a Huge Success!
The third annual Stars of Education Gala Dinner, presented by PNC Bank, was a tremendous success! The Wake County community came together on Wednesday, Oct. 12 to fete some of the brightest lights in the local education community. WakeEd Partnership hosted the event...
Teacher Innovation Grants Award Winners 2016-2017
WakeEd Partnership, in collaboration with Wake County Public School System, has awarded just over $50,000 in Teacher Innovation Grants to WCPSS teachers for the 2016-17 school year. Teachers could apply for up to $1,000 individually or $3,000 for a team to spend or...
WCPSS Student Assignment Affecting Fewer Families
Gone are the days of sweeping student assignment plans in Wake County Public Schools, but that doesn’t mean families are still concerned about where their kids go to school. The Wake County School Board heard from WCPSS staff on Sept. 6 about changes coming to...
There’s More to School Performance Than Grades for WCPSS
Most of the news of the past few weeks about school performance focused on the NC School Report Card grades, but a great story about Wake County Public School System’s school performance might have been easily overlooked. Data was presented to the Wake County School...
ESSA Driving Changes to State School Report Card Law
The North Carolina school grading formula will be changing again because the new federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires more detailed information. ESSA was enacted by Congress at the end of 2015, and many of its regulations are being developed now. NC...
Time To Put Read to Achieve Tests to The Test
With year-round school under way and traditional calendar school about to start in a couple of weeks, so begins another year of the Read to Achieve program. The 2012 law enacted by the NC General Assembly requires that all public school students in North Carolina must...
WakeEd Advocates For Budget
Lately, WakeEd Partnership has worked to advocate for Wake County Public School System around the latest budget. In June, President Steve Parrott and I attended a meeting of the Wake County Commissioners to advocate for fully funding the budget for WCPSS (Video...
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Raleigh, NC 27609 | (919) 821-7609
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WakeEd Partnership
3101 Industrial Drive, Suite 100
Raleigh, NC 27609 | (919) 821-7609