Superintendent’s Report

September 11, 2023

Blueprint Goal 1: Preparing FCS Students for College, Career and Life Beyond the Classroom

UStrive Kickoff Meeting

On September 18th, a group of juniors from each of our high schools will participate in a UStrive kickoff session to learn more about virtual mentoring and support in preparation for college and career. After this session, students will be connecting with mentors and setting goals for their work.Through the superintendent’s Strive team, I look forward to lunch meetings on site at each school throughout the year to learn more about these students, their goals, and the work that is taking place in FCS to support their journey so that we can continue to improve on what we offer.

Career Development Continuum

The FCS Career Development Continuum was launched to all staff in grades 5-12 in the month of August.  The CTE Staff presented a Sizzlin’ Summer session introducing the continuum and an email was sent to staff that provided information and professional development on the topic.  The team has developed a timeline of events that will occur throughout the school year.  The months of August and September are focused on the introduction of the continuum, Xello training and usage, the CACRAO College Fair, and planning industry tours.  There are many activities to come but one that we’re excited about is the 5th Grade “Career on Wheels” Career Fair that will be held in November.  Throughout the year, students and parents will receive information about career options, financial aid, job training, secondary and postsecondary options, Career and College Promise, work-based learning opportunities, early college high school, financial literacy, and support services as appropriate.

Blueprint Goal 2: Achieving Student Success in Academic Areas

Goal Setting Meetings

Principals are meeting with curriculum and instruction leadership to develop student proficiency goals for the 2023-2024 school year.  Using historical proficiency data, principals set goals that consider the previous performance of the student cohort while working to improve both overall school proficiency and school performance grades. These data targets are used in the school improvement planning process and will be shared with the Board of Education during the November meeting.

Blueprint Goal 3: Creating a Safe, Orderly and Caring Environment for Students

Character Education

This year we will launch our districtwide emphasis on character education.  Included below are the traits that will be emphasized each month.

• August - What is “good character”?  Why does it matter?

• September - Respect, Citizenship, & Teamwork

• October - Self-Discipline & Self-Control

• November - Gratitude

• December - Kindness

• January - Responsibility & Good Judgment

• February - Acceptance & Tolerance

• March - Perseverance

• April - Honesty & Integrity

• May/June - Courage & Determination

Blueprint Goal 4: Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Staff

The Human Resources Department will be holding another alternative licensure information session on September 27, 2023 for individuals that have a four year degree and are interested in pursuing a career in teaching. The current vacancies are below what we experienced starting the 2022-2023 school year. We are also enjoying a high substitute teacher fill rate, often being at 100% for the start of the year. 

August 14, 2023

Blueprint Goal 1: Preparing FCS Students for College, Career and Life Beyond the Classroom

This year we will be working with  UStrive, a nonprofit organization that supports helping high school students achieve their goals after high school graduation. Through this program, students select mentors who help guide them through their journey to college. These mentors are successful in their respective careers and can assist students in exploring career interests, navigating the college application process, and applying for scholarships, internships, and jobs.

This program has been successful nationally and we are looking forward to seeing our students benefit from this new opportunity. I would like to start small, and to be a part of this journey as well. With that in mind, I am creating a “Superintendent’s Strive Team” made up of 8-10 juniors from each of our high schools who have demonstrated drive and potential to be a part of our first UStrive team. In addition to mentoring through the program, I will be visiting with them several times this year to check on progress and get feedback from them as we work to grow the program.

Blueprint Goal 2: Achieving Student Success in Academic Areas

Last week, we brought leaders from across our district together for our annual Leadership Retreat. As part of our time, teams from each school reviewed our new “Success FCS” framework and planned for how this will be implemented this year in their buildings. This work included review of achievement data, discipline data, and climate survey feedback.

Blueprint Goal 3: Creating a Safe, Orderly and Caring Environment for Students

Character Education - This year we will launch our districtwide emphasis on character education.  Included below are the traits that will be emphasized each month.

• August - What is “good character”?  Why does it matter?

• September - Respect, Citizenship, & Teamwork

• October - Self-Discipline & Self-Control

• November - Gratitude

• December - Kindness

• January - Responsibility & Good Judgment

• February - Acceptance & Tolerance

• March - Perseverance

• April - Honesty & Integrity

• May/June - Courage & Determination

Beginning in October, we will honor a student from each school who has demonstrated the previous month’s character trait(s).  At our October Board Meeting, we will honor students who have demonstrated respect, citizenship, and teamwork.

Blueprint Goal 4: Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Staff

Franklin County Schools is currently working with Vance Granville Community College to create a Grow Our Own Future Educators Program. The course requirements and details are being finalized. The program will include mentors, internship opportunities and employment opportunities. More information will be coming at the next Board of Education meeting.

June 12, 2023

Blueprint Goal 1: Preparing FCS Students for College, Career and Life Beyond the Classroom

The Career Development Continuum Committee has met 10 times throughout the school year to develop the Career Development Continuum.  This framework was reviewed by a group of stakeholders and feedback was collected for revisions to be made.  The continuum has been revised and shared with the initial stakeholder group.  The committee responded to various questions that were asked by stakeholders and provided written clarification about the Career Development Continuum.  Their  next meeting is scheduled for June 15 where they will begin developing a plan for creating the final document as well as determine how to communicate with parents, staff, and all stakeholders about the implementation of the activities within the Career Development Continuum.  Implementation will begin in August. 

Blueprint Goal 2: Achieving Student Success in Academic Areas

FCS 2023 summer learning camps and activities officially kickoff on June 19th. Summer learning 2023 activities beginning the 19th include our K-5 Literacy and Math camp, EL Newcomers camp, and High School Credit Recovery labs. In July, our Middle School Reading and Math camp, Career Accelerator: District C Teamship, as well as CTE Career Camps are scheduled to begin. 

In all, we are excited for another comprehensive summer of activities, direct student support, and enrichment opportunities for the students of FCS. By the end of summer, we hope to engage with hundreds of students, addressing many areas of student needs and interests. We would like to specifically thank the staff and facility of our Franklin County Schools for their willingness to serve and make all these opportunities possible!

Blueprint Goal 3: Creating a Safe, Orderly and Caring Environment for Students

Franklin County Schools has partnered with the Franklin County Health Department to provide two vaping prevention and cessation programs for our students. The “Catch My Breath” program will be offered in 6th and 8th grade to deter students from starting this unhealthy habit. “In Depth” will be provided to 9th grade students to continue the message of “Don’t start” and expand to cessation techniques to encourage students to quit if they have started. Both courses will teach students the dangers of E-Cigarettes. The courses will be offered through the Health and PE classes and will be taught by Health Educators. We are hopeful that this partnership will help with the health of our students and the reduction of exclusionary consequences for violating the code of conduct. 

Blueprint Goal 4: Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Staff

On Wednesday, May 31st, we held our 2023 Beginning Teacher (BT) Graduation.  This year, twenty-two (22) teachers completed the requirements of our beginning teacher support program.  These teachers have completed three years of induction, including working with a mentor teacher and a master teacher.  Non-traditionally trained teachers have also received support from a NC New Teacher Support Coach.  In addition, teachers have completed professional development at both the school and district level designed to help them continue to improve in their professional practice.  Providing a comprehensive induction program for our beginning teachers is part of our effort to decrease teacher turnover by providing targeted support and professional development.

On Friday, June 9th, we celebrated the accomplishments of outstanding staff during the 2023 Frankies.  During this celebration, we honored our Beginning Teacher of the Year, NCCAT CTE Teacher of the Year, Assistant Principal of the Year, Principal of the Year, retirees, Auxiliary Services Award Recipient, Outstanding Math Teacher of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, SRO of the Year, Classified Employee of the Year, Teacher of the Year, and Superintendent's Award Recipient.  Acknowledging and showcasing dynamic employees within our district is part of our effort to highlight the dedication of key employees and express our sincere appreciation for all they do to support our students and schools.

May 8, 2023

Celebrating our Teachers

Teacher Appreciation Week is officially this week- May 8-12th. We are so grateful for our teachers and for all of our staff who make sure that our schools are safe, nurturing environments for our students to learn and grow. We are very fortunate to have staff who are committed to the children in our district and although this is the week designated to honor them, every week they deserve our respect and appreciation for making Franklin County Schools a great place to be.

 Budget Process

Since the last BOE meeting, district leadership has met with the Franklin County Manager on several occasions, as well as with each of the County Commissioners to review our request for local funding for the upcoming year and to answer any questions that they may have. We have appreciated this opportunity to advocate for our schools and to have open lines of communication with county leadership. The County Manager will share the “Manager’s Budget Presentation'' at the May 15th meeting of the Franklin County Board of Commissioners. From there, we will have a better sense of the direction that the county may be going in terms of funding. We will keep you posted. 

A few reminders regarding our local budget request for 2023-24:

• A per pupil allocation of funds for current expenses is provided by the county for every Franklin County resident enrolled in either Franklin County Schools or a charter school. According to state law, the funds follow the student. Franklin County Schools advocates for funding for all students served, and we operate as a “pass through” for charter school funding.

• Approximately 25% of local current expense funds designated to Franklin County Schools go directly to charter schools. This means that for every dollar needed for Franklin County Schools to operate, we must request $.75 so that $.25 can go directly to charter schools serving Franklin County residents.

• The number of Franklin County students served is projected to increase by more than 985 students over a two year period of time. With this level of population growth, if the per pupil allotment amount was to stay the same the county would be spending over $2.1 million more to maintain the same level of funding per student. 

• Inflation is also impacting the district. National inflation rates have increased 15% over a two year time period. Franklin County Schools is requesting an inflationary adjustment of 9% for both Franklin County Schools and charter schools for the 2023-24 school year. 

• The increased request of $3,417,214 to the local budget for Franklin County Schools is based upon two factors: significant growth in Franklin County student enrollment and increased costs of goods and services (inflation). 

• Franklin County Schools’ request is intended to cover operational costs, including supplies and materials, AIG, CTE and STEM support, teacher supplements, employee salaries and benefits, maintenance services, utility costs, and insurance for our facilities, district owned vehicles, and employee dental and life insurance.

• Our request for capital projects is $3 million. Capital outlay funds provide for building construction and upkeep, supporting safety and security measures, and addressing recurring expenses related to maintaining school programming.

Strategic Plan Committee Review

Last week, the Franklin County Schools Strategic Planning Committee convened virtually to review progress towards our Blueprint Goals. The meeting was well-attended. For Fall, we will be filling several additional slots on our committee and we will be meeting to revisit existing strategies to make any recommended adjustments as we move into year four of our five year strategic plan.

Blueprint Goal 1: Preparing FCS Students for College, Career and Life Beyond the Classroom

As we approach the end of the 2022-2023 school year, planning and preparation for all of our FCS Summer Learning Camps is in full swing. Our FCS 2023 summer learning opportunities include more than 75 hrs of reading and math support for identified K-1 & 4-5 grade students, with eligible 2-3 grade students being offered more than 75 hours of targeted reading support from mid-June through mid-July.

Identified middle school students in grades 6-8 will be invited to receive both reading and math support during a 6 day summer learning camp in July. Additionally, middle school students have the opportunity to attend CTE career camps in late June. Finally, for a 2nd consecutive year, rising 8th grade students will have the opportunity to participate in our District C Teamship camp in July.

High School students will have opportunities to participate in credit recovery offered in each of our traditional high school campuses from June to early August. Rising 9th-11th grade high school students will also have the opportunity to participate in the District C Teamship.     

Blueprint Goal 2: Achieving Student Success in Academic Areas

Schools will kick off end-of-year assessments beginning May 26. Elementary and middle schools will complete regular EOG test administration  by June 2. High schools will test students on End-of-Course exams during the last five days of school. Students who are not proficient on EOGs and EOCs will have the opportunity to remediate and retest June 12-14.

Blueprint Goal 3: Creating a Safe, Orderly and Caring Environment for Students

The Board of Education and FCS staff have held four work sessions to assess and prioritize our Long Range study. There are more sessions planned as the work continues. Board members and staff are evaluating facility needs school-by-school to condense the information into a workable plan. The result of these efforts is a 10 year plan that will sustain and improve our facilities far into the future.

Blueprint Goal 4: Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Staff

The second annual "Frankies" is just around the corner. The pre-ceremony festivities start at 5:45 pm. There will be a red carpet with on-camera interviews, pictures, and heavy hors d'oeuvre in the lobby area. Then we will transition into the auditorium for the ceremony to start promptly at 6:30. We are excited about another opportunity to recognize some of the best employees in the state. Our presenter list includes Congressman Don Davis, Senator Lisa Stone-Barnes, Representative Matthew Winslow, and more. "The Frankies" will occur on June 9th at Franklinton High School.

April 17, 2023

Blueprint Goal 1: Preparing FCS Students for College, Career and Life Beyond the Classroom

District C Summer Teamship

Franklin Summer Teamship is off to a great start.  As you may recall from the February Superintendent’s Report, we have 120 slots available for rising 8th-12th grade students to participate in the Franklin Summer Teamship that will take place at Louisburg College on July 10-13 from 9 am-5 pm.  Registration opened on March 7 and of those 120 slots, 65 slots have been filled by students who have registered to attend. The District C team has commended Franklin County for our high number of registered students as compared to other districts across the state.  The priority student registration deadline is April 14.  Our goal is to recruit as many students as possible by the priority deadline. The final student registration deadline is May 26.  We will explore additional recruitment options if we have not met our target number before the final deadline.

College and Career Ready Labs in Middle Schools

Paxton/Patterson College & Career Ready Labs have been ordered for three of our middle schools with future plans to purchase a lab for the fourth middle school next school year.  We are using a CTE Modernization grant provided by the state as well as remaining CTE funds to support this initiative.  Students will have the opportunity to explore careers by engaging in authentic problem-based learning experiences.  The following document has a list of the modules that were purchased and it includes a link to the Paxton/Patterson College & Career Ready Labs website (Paxton/Patterson Labs).

Blueprint Goal 2: Achieving Student Success in Academic Areas

Parent Summit

On March 28th 2023, Franklin County Schools hosted our first Parent Summit Event! It was a success, with groups of parents from each school in attendance to learn more about the work of the district and, most importantly, to have dedicated time to share ideas, to network, and to plan concrete next steps towards increasing parental involvement and family engagement in our schools.

Blueprint Goal 3: Creating a Safe, Orderly and Caring Environment for Students

School Safety

On Monday April 3, Dr. Schuhler, Sheriff White, and members of district and Sheriff’s Office leadership to continue efforts to review and strengthen safety protocols in our schools. We have met several times over the past month and appreciate the strong partnership that we have in place.

Blueprint Goal 4: Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Staff

The Human Resources Department has continued its recruitment efforts. Currently, recruiters have spoken to 260 teaching candidates directly. FCS is also planning a local job fair on April 29, 2023, and leading the effort to organize a regional job fair on a date to be determined. FCS is also planning the second annual "Frankies" celebration to honor nominated staff members for the 2022-2023 school year.

March 13, 2023

Blueprint Goal 1: Preparing FCS Students for College, Career and Life Beyond the Classroom

MyFutureNC

MyFutureNC is a statewide nonprofit organization focused on educational attainment. It represents a collaboration between North Carolina leaders in education, business and government. They recently released an updated report that includes multiple indicators of community health by county, including prioritized areas for growth based upon local data. For Franklin County, our areas of focus are increasing the number of eligible four-year olds enrolled in pre-K, increasing the percentage of students enrolling in post secondary education to earn a degree or credential, and increasing the graduation rate.

We have met on several occasions with Kim Denton, our county manager,  assistant county managers, Dr. Nichols, Richie Duncan from Economic Development, and Dr. Rachel Desmarais, President of VGCC to begin to develop coordinated plans to address areas for continued growth. Fortunately our strategic plan goals and strategies are in alignment with those efforts.

PreK Enrollment

As of March 10th, FCS has received more than 150 Pre-K applications. In an effort to support these Pre-K needs, the Franklin County Schools Pre-K department developed and held our first ever “Pre-K Roundup” events on February 13th and 17th. During these events FCS district and school Pre-K staff collaborated to meet and screen more than 50 prospective Pre-K students and their families. These Roundup events have been quite successful and represent positive steps toward achieving greater engagement with our community, as outlined in our strategic plan strategies. Moving forward, additional events are scheduled in March with a goal of screening more that 130 families by the end of the month.    

Blueprint Goal 2: Achieving Student Success in Academic Areas

Franklin CARES

Franklin CARES launched the week of March 6.  Three orientation sessions were offered to prospective volunteers in the weeks preceding.  During the orientation sessions, district staff shared the vision of Franklin CARES, human resources guidance and board policies related to volunteers, logistical information, and even modeled what a session with a student might look like.  Those in attendance appreciated the information and commended district staff on their thoroughness.  In total, we have 33 volunteers working at Bunn, Royal, and Franklinton Elementary Schools.  More than 110 students are impacted by these efforts.

Parent Summit

On March 28th 2023, Franklin County Schools will host an inaugural Parent Summit Event! FCS is seeking to expand and strengthen support for parental engagement, as well as providing targeted resources and guidance to established parent organizations and parent advocates. The upcoming event will include parent representation from each of our 16 schools, and will begin with an address from the FCS Superintendent, Dr. Rhonda Schuhler. In addition, time will be provided for collaboration, team planning, networking, and an address from the state president of the NC PTA. The event will take place at Faith Baptist Church in Youngsville.    

Blueprint Goal 3: Creating a Safe, Orderly and Caring Environment for Students

School Safety

This afternoon we met with Sheriff White to discuss existing safety measures and how we can continue to strengthen our efforts. Metal detectors are a hot topic right now, and we are exploring the pros and cons of implementation of these types of devices in our schools. Further, we are investigating the new artificial intelligence technology for weapons detection. Other school systems are installing such devices and we are trying to learn more from them. We are sending a small team of district and law enforcement officers to visit school sites outside of Franklin County that are utilizing metal detectors daily so that we can gather more information and learn more from them to inform our decisions on this issue.

We are installing additional access control devices in several schools. We have received several school safety grants (access control, cameras, SROs) and are awaiting a decision on one more. We will continue to seek grant funds for safety and security as we budget for physical security and improved technological/mechanical security in our Capital Outlay plans.

Each school has a Crisis Plan, a North Carolina Risk Management Plan (SRMP,) a State Emergency Response Application (SERA,) and an SRO.

Blueprint Goal 4: Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Staff

The main recruitment push has begun. Franklin County Schools has attended educator job fairs at Western Carolina, Winthrop, Clemson, University of Virginia, Eastern NC Career Alliance, University of South Carolina, Southern Charleston, and UNC Wilmington. In addition, the recruitment team has upcoming job fairs at UNC Pembroke, East Carolina, Buffalo, and Pennsylvania. At this time, we have made contact with 140 possible teaching candidates. 

“Stay” interviews continue with staff. The Human Resources team plans on finishing the Bunn area stay interviews this month. 

Legislation to Watch

The legislature is back in session, and there are several bills with potentially significant implications for public education. One of particular interest is House Bill 219, the “Charter School Omnibus.” This bill would increase charter school access to program-specific  funds, the majority of which charter schools currently can already apply to receive on their own. This bill has the potential to upset the balance of funding between public and charter schools. This legislation is still in committee. I have spoken to Representative Winslow on several occasions to discuss this proposed legislation and the challenges that implementation as written would pose for Franklin County and other school districts across the state.

Superintendent’s Report

February 13, 2023

Blueprint Goal 1: Preparing FCS Students for College, Career and Life Beyond the Classroom

District C Update

Franklin Summer Teamship Kick-Off meeting was held virtually with the District C and Franklin County CTE Staff on January 24, 2023.  During the meeting, we discussed the summer program including upcoming monthly meetings that will become bi-monthly meetings and the recruitment of business partners.  We also discussed the development of the student registration form, the reservation of facilities, and we confirmed that lunch/snacks will be provided for students by Franklin County Schools.  District C has mapped out a calendar of events to guide our future discussions and activities.  Student registration will begin late February or early March.  The teamship is scheduled to occur July 10-July13 from 9 am-5 pm at Louisburg College.  The target number of participants is 120 students in grades 8-12.  More information about the District C Teamship can be found on their website at https://www.districtc.co/teamship

Blueprint Goal 2: Achieving Student Success in Academic Areas

Franklin CARES Volunteer Tutoring Initiative

We continue to prepare for the launch of Franklin CARES tentatively scheduled for the end of February.  Our application period yielded over 50 applicants who are interested in volunteering at least one hour per week to work with kindergarten and first grade students at Bunn Elementary, Franklinton Elementary and Royal Elementary.  Materials to support the program have recently arrived and will soon be distributed to the participating schools.  An orientation session is required for all volunteers and will take place on either February 21 or February 22 (volunteers select one two-hour session). During the orientation, volunteers will receive training on the vision and goals of Franklin CARES, school safety procedures, and strategies for working with students. 

Blueprint Goal 3: Creating a Safe, Orderly and Caring Environment for Students

Mental Health Services

North Carolina State Board of Education policy requires that districts provide an annual update to the Board of Education on staffing levels for student services support for students.  During the 2021-2022 school year, this information was provided in the operational update.  The information below provides details on the supports available during the 2022-2023 school year.

Student Support Services, 2022-2023

• School Psychologist - 2 Full time, 1 Part-time (60%)
• School Counselors: 8 Elementary, 4 Middle, 11 High School
• School Nurses: 11
• School Social Workers: 5 Full time, 1 Part-time (10 hrs per week)

Additional Supports include:

• 14 Contracted Mental Health Therapists to support student mental health needs while at school
• 7 MOAs with Mental Health Providers to provide Mental Health Services in school
• FCS Received a Safe Schools Grant to help fund the contracted positions

Parent Summit

On March 28th 2023, Franklin County Schools will host an inaugural Parent Summit Event! FCS is seeking to expand and strengthen support for parental engagement, as well as providing targeted resources and guidance to established parent organizations and parent advocates. The upcoming event will include parent representation from each of our 16 schools, and will begin with an address from the FCS Superintendent, Dr. Rhonda Schuhler. In addition, time will be provided for collaboration, team planning, networking, and an address from the state president of the NC PTA. The event will take place at Faith Baptist Church in Youngsville.    

Online Enrollment & Kindergarten Kickoff

March 1st begins a new year of online enrollment for kindergarten students and those who will be new to FCS in 2023-24. Building off the online portion of the enrollment process, FCS elementary schools will be hosting a Kindergarten Kickoff event at their schools in the last two weeks of March. The focus of the Kickoff events is to provide next step customer service to new kindergarten families and to ensure their enrollment is complete and responsive to their specific family needs.

Parent Message on Notification of Threats

We are working as a district to keep our parents informed of student threats as they arise. This often involves a verbal threat from one student to another. Each time a student makes a threat, we are notifying the parents of that school. Disciplinary action is taken based upon our student code of conduct. Law enforcement is involved. I will be sending out a message this week to our parents to update them on our processes and to make sure that they understand the seriousness of making threatening comments, even in jest. We need everyone’s help in keeping our schools safe, and our parents are an important part of this equation.

Franklin County Schools Communications Wins Multiple Awards at NCSPRA

The North Carolina School Public Relations Association (NCSPRA) has honored Franklin County Schools (FCS) for excellence in communications.  NCSPRA recognizes outstanding communications through its Blue Ribbon Awards program each year. FCS was one of 38 school districts statewide to receive a Blue Ribbon Award. This year’s submission categories included: Marketing, Digital Media Engagement, Electronic Media, Excellence in Writing, Publications, Image/Graphic Design, Photography, and Special Projects and Events. The Georgia School Public Relations Association judged NCSPRA’s 2022 Blue Ribbon entries. FCS earned a total of 8 Blue Ribbon Awards for outstanding and effective communication. NCSPRA presented the awards during a special ceremony held in High Point, NC on February 10, 2023. Overall FCS has won 34 Blue Ribbon Awards over the past 3 years.

• The Good News Franklin County Schools Podcast - Gold Award
• Fast Facts Graphics - Gold Award
• The New FCS Logo - Gold Award
• The Frankies Video Recap & Special Event - Gold Award
• Candid Graduation Moments - Silver Award
• Lester Wilder Video Tribute - Silver Award
• Enrollment Graphics - Silver Award
• National Principal Month - Silver Award

Blueprint Goal 4: Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Staff 

Teacher Recruitment

Recruitment season has begun with the Human Resources team attending education job fairs at Winthrop University, Clemson University and University of Virginia. Stay interviews also continue with planned visits to the Bunn area schools. Local longevity bonuses will be paid at the end of this month. 

National Board Certification

Recently, five of our National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) have successfully completed the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) process, currently known as renewal, to extend their certificate for five years from their current certificate’s expiration date.  Maintenance of Certification measures how NBCTs have continued to grow professionally and positively impact student learning. 

The founding mission of the National Board is to advance the quality of teaching and learning.  FCS currently has 28 NBCTs: teachers, counselors, digital learning coaches, and instructional coaches.  Support sessions are being offered in the district to share information and support teachers and others during their National Board Certification journey

Blueprint Goal 1: Preparing FCS Students for College, Career and Life Beyond the Classroom

Digital Learning Summit

In Spring 2022, Franklin County Schools was awarded a Digital Learning Grant in the amount of $29,160 to enhance our resources and teacher capacity with digital-age teaching and learning.  FCS is offering 4 Digital Learning Summits on Saturdays throughout the course of the year using these funds.  Each Saturday is focused on an element of the Digital Learning Competencies for Teachers and Administrators.  Presenters, to include both teachers and district staff, share best practices related to the digital learning competencies: Digital Citizenship, Digital Content and Instruction, Data and Assessment, and Leadership in Digital Learning.  

Blueprint Goal 2: Achieving Student Success in Academic Areas

Franklin CARES Volunteer Tutoring Initiative

We are excited to introduce the Franklin CARES initiative this spring. Franklin CARES- Community Advancing Reading in Elementary Schools- will be a volunteer tutoring opportunity in which community members engage in providing reading support at our elementary schools. Interested volunteers will submit a basic application, complete the volunteer approval process, and receive training before being deployed to one of three locations: Bunn Elementary, Franklinton Elementary, and Royal Elementary this spring. Our goal is to scale this initiative to all elementary schools for the 2023-24 school year.

ESSER II Funds in Action

Additional tutoring efforts are being operationalized at every level K-12. More than $150,000 is being allocated from ESSER II this school year to provide additional instruction to our students needing it the most from elementary to high school. Schools have submitted plans and are putting plans into action this Fall, Winter, and Spring to address needs both broad and targeted. 

Blueprint Goal 3: Creating a Safe, Orderly and Caring Environment for Students

Parent Summit

A critical component of creating a positive school climate is effectively engaging our families in the work of the school. During last month’s DPAC meeting, I received feedback from our parents around the concept of a planning session for parent leaders from our PTO/PTAs, boosters, and other organizations to come together, learn more about the work of the district, share ideas, and determine next steps to continue to strengthen parental involvement and family engagement in our schools. We are in the planning process for this event and will be sharing more details soon.

Blueprint Goal 4: Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Staff

The Human Resources team has continued completing stay interviews with key employees. The new health insurance benefit year begins January 1, 2023 with payroll deductions for any benefit changes coming out of the December payroll. The Human Resources team and payroll will be working to pay the FCS longevity bonus in February.

Franklin County Board of Education Meeting Highlights

On Monday November 21st, the Franklin County Board of Education (FCBOE) met and discussed the following items:

Recognitions:

We recognized staff work anniversaries. 

The Franklin County Board of Education was recognized with the Silver Bell Award from the NCSBA for training excellence and commitment during the 2021-22 school year.

Mr. Bernard Hall, long standing board member, was honored on Monday night (his last meeting as a member of the Franklin County Board of Education) for his commitment and contribution to the district and to the students of Franklin County. He has served on the board since 1998. He was presented with a plaque from the district. He was also awarded the prestigious “The Order of the Long Leaf Pine,” an honor bestowed by the Governor’s office for public service and contribution.

Policies Approved

A slate of policies were approved by the FCBOE after being out for public consideration for the past month. These were existing policies and the changes were primarily technical. They can be viewed by visiting our board meeting calendar on the website, clicking on the meeting calendar and selecting the meeting date, and then viewing the agenda and attachments. The policies were approved by the FCBOE.

School Improvement Plans

Principals at our low-performing schools discussed current school improvement progress and specific strategies that are in place. The FCBOE approved our three low performing schools’ plans.

School Visits

The FCBOE has expressed interest in resuming school visits, and a schedule was developed and approved beginning this spring and running through the 2023-24 school year.

In addition, the Superintendent’s Report to the BOE included the following items:

On Thursday November 17, 2022, the Strategic Planning Committee convened to review progress towards Strategic Plan Goals.

Blueprint Goal 1: Preparing FCS Students for College, Career and Life Beyond the Classroom

ACT/WorkKeys Preparedness

We are using ESSER funds to provide all high schools up to $10,000 to use towards ACT tutoring provided by Sylvan Learning.  Schools have an option to provide the ACT Package which is a 4 hour seminar or the Advanced Reading Skills Workshop which is a 12 hour workshop.

ApprenticeshipNC Partnership

We met with ApprenticeshipNC and a local business to discuss starting a registered apprenticeship program. Registered Apprenticeship is a training program that consists of a system of work-based learning designed to meet the training needs of the employer by providing the employee with structured on-the-job learning, related instruction, and a progressive wage scale. Final decisions have not been made by the local business yet but we are hopeful that this company will partner with us in this endeavor.  

Blueprint Goal 2: Achieving Student Success in Academic Areas

Strengthening the Birth-Kindergarten Pipeline

In an effort to continually strengthen outreach and support to families of children Birth to 5, we are creating additional opportunities to connect and build relationships in 2022-2023. Beginning this winter we are planning “Early Action Childhood Connection” and “Pre-Kindergarten Round-Up” events. These events will be held in locations throughout the district and offered on a variety of dates to maximize accessibility. These opportunities are designed to increase our connections with and support for families toward Kindergarten Readiness and Pre-K placement. 
 

Blueprint Goal 3: Creating a Safe, Orderly and Caring Environment for Students

DPAC Provides Meaningful Feedback on Family Engagement

An area of focus for this year is to increase opportunities for family and parent engagement. In discussion with DPAC this week, I heard directly from parents who are looking at how to strengthen parental involvement through their parent-teacher organizations. We discussed the idea of a workshop or summit to bring core groups of parents from each school together to share strategies, garner feedback, network and plan. We are planning for this during the spring.

School Safety Grant Funding Awarded to FCS

We received word this past month that we have received three new safety grants: One focusing on funding Student Resource Officers, another for Safety Equipment (access controls) and a third for Students in Crisis. The initial award is $1,120,626. The SRO grant is renewable for a second year which increases the total award to $1,648,626.

Blueprint Goal 4: Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Staff

Recruitment and Retention Efforts Continue

This past week the Human Resources team was out recruiting at Western Carolina University. In support of our retention efforts,we have continued with “Stay” interviews at Laurel Mill Elementary and Edward Best Elementary. These “Stay” interviews allow us to gather feedback from staff on what makes them stay in Franklin County Schools so that we can build on those positives and also accept feedback on areas for improvement to strengthen what we offer that would make employees want to remain with our district. 

“Making the Grade” Banners

It is important to recognize and celebrate our successes as a district and the hard work that takes place to move our students forward in a positive direction. Schools that “exceeded” growth- or saw more than a year’s worth of progress for a year’s worth of instruction- based on the latest NC school report card are being presented with banner(s) to honor the progress regarding student achievement.

Building Community Partnerships in Support of Career and College Readiness

Blueprint Goal 1: Preparing FCS Students for College, Career and Life Beyond the Classroom

Eaton Corporation Partnership with Louisburg High School

Louisburg High School has partnered with Eaton Corporation in Youngsville, NC and held a professional development session for their teachers to develop Hummingbird Robotics Project Based Activities for the classroom on September 29, 2022. The LHS instructional staff and the Executive Director of Secondary Ed. and CTE participated in a company tour. This allowed the FCS team to determine how to best align classroom instructional activities as well as work based learning such as potential internship and pre-apprenticeship opportunities with Eaton Corporation careers.  The team met a former FCS student who was observed working at Eaton and has now been invited to be a guest speaker at LHS.  Plans are underway that will establish future staff and student opportunities such as those mentioned above.

Workforce Development and Partnerships within Franklin County 

In September, Novozymes hosted two meetings with representatives from business and industry, education, and local government. These groups came together to discuss the opportunities available in the biotechnology field within Franklin County.  The group brainstormed ways to strengthen the partnerships so that the county will have a competitive workforce ready to assume available jobs within this industry. The group realized that robust K-12 programs, working in collaboration with Vance-Granville Community College, can provide local businesses with a well-trained workforce.  Exposing high school students to biotechnology by providing opportunities for field trips, apprenticeships, and internships will likely heighten interest in the field and create conditions for success beyond graduation.

Upcoming School Visits for Board of Education

Blueprint Goal 2: Achieving Student Success in Academic Areas

At the November meeting, I will be providing the BOE with a tentative schedule for school visits for consideration and approval. These visits will begin during Spring 2023 and will continue through Spring 2024. Each visit will begin with an overview of school programs by the Principal, and will be followed by classroom visits. More detailed information will be offered during the November BOE meeting.

ESSER Funding Audit

Blueprint Goal 2: Achieving Student Success in Academic Areas

During the week of November 14th, the Office of Federal Programs will be completing a monitoring/audit visit to review FCS Covid Relief funds received over the past two years. These funds have been used to support varied areas of need. Notable areas of support over the past two years include PPE, remote learning efforts, HVAC needs, instructional technology resources, learning loss strategies, child nutrition, mental health services and summer learning activities. 

The Office of Federal Programs has shared that a response to the visit with specific feedback should be expected in the weeks following the monitoring visit. This visit does not conclude the use of Covid Relief funding. Funds will be available for use until September 30, 2024. Future monitoring visits are anticipated, but have not been announced to date.

Continued Progress on Key Projects, and a Traffic Update

Blueprint Goal 3: Creating a Safe, Orderly and Caring Environment for Students

As of October 3, 2022, we have completed 17/19 Capital Outlay Improvement Projects. We are awaiting the next track out for roof repairs at YES and materials for new shingles at LHS.

We received word that we did not receive the NBPSCF grant for a replacement Franklinton Elementary School. We will continue to work on this and be prepared for the next grant cycle. We are awaiting the outcome of the SRO Grant, Safety Equipment, and Students in Crisis grant applications.

We anticipate that our Long Range Plan will be ready in a few weeks. This document will aid us in our facilities decisions for years to come. Davis-Kane and Kilian will present their findings in November.

In conjunction with law enforcement, DOT and Bunn High School staff, a new on-campus traffic pattern was implemented on October 6, 2022. We will continue to monitor and adjust to assist with traffic concerns.

“Stay” Interviews as a Key to Retention

Blueprint Goal 4: Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Staff

The Human Resources Department has begun conducting stay interviews. These interviews will be conducted on-site at all our school and department locations. A diverse group of staff (i.e., certified/non-certified, various years of experience) identified as key personnel by their supervisor are interviewed. The interviews consist of questions to help us better understand what we as a district are doing well to retain employees, what we can improve, and what motivates our employees. The information gathered will assist in recruitment, retention efforts, and our decision-making process. So far, "stay" interviews have been conducted at Louisburg High School and Louisburg Elementary. Additional "stay" interviews will be conducted at various sites each month.
 

The Good News Podcast

Blueprint Goal 4: Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Staff

The Good News Franklin County Schools podcast has published six episodes thus far and was created to share the fantastic work taking place within our district. We will continuously highlight all things inspirational, uplifting, and all-together, good. So far, we've learned how Louisburg High School built a culture of success, the importance of building solid roots in the Bunn community, the impact "The Power of One" person can have on students' trajectory, and much more. You can listen to the Good News Franklin County Schools podcast on your favorite podcasting app.

Pre-K Programming Going Strong

Blueprint Goal 1: Preparing FCS Students for College, Career and Life Beyond the Classroom

With the opening of the 2022-23 school year Pre-K programming has taken new steps toward strategic planning goals. We have successfully opened a new site for families at Youngsville Elementary and as a result, now have the capacity to support up to 144 students in Pre-K classrooms across our 8 elementary schools. Additionally, we have added a new layer of support to Pre-K classrooms through a Pre-K specialist. This newly added position is supporting instructional rigor, compliance, and program alignment with Kindergarten. 

Goal-Setting with all Principals

Blueprint Goal 2: Achieving Student Success in Academic Areas

During the week of September 6, all principals met with district instructional leadership to create student proficiency goals for the 2022-2023 school year.  These goals are determined after a review of the previous year’s data and student cohort profiles. There is an expectation that we will always strive for an improvement in student performance over the previous year and that all schools will strive to improve overall proficiency composites and school performance grades.

New Communication Tool Enhances School-Family Connection

Blueprint Goal 3: Creating a Safe, Orderly and Caring Environment for Students

As of 9.8.22 we have 2500+ downloads. Parents have acces

s to student schedules, grades, bus information, lunch menus, news from each school, calendars, and more.

Scan the QR code to download the app.

Recruitment and Retention Efforts Have Paid Off

Blueprint Goal 4: Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Staff

As of September 6, 2022, FCS has eight certified vacancies in core classrooms, eight certified vacancies in enhancement areas such as CTE, foreign languages, and band, and eight certified vacancies in resource areas such as EC and intervention. Most of these vacancies have long-term substitutes, and many have individuals working towards licensure and full-time employment for the vacant position. FCS is still conducting teacher information sessions and actively recruiting for these vacancies.

General Updates on Start of School

● Youngsville Elementary School successfully returned for students on Wednesday July 20th.

● Franklin County Early College High School began Fall classes on Friday August 5th.

● New Teacher Institute will be held at Franklinton High School during the week of August 15th.

● Convocation will take place via virtual video on the afternoon of August 23rd. The video message will include a focus on this year’s theme- “The Power of One,” and will provide important logistical information for Sizzlin’ Summer.

● Sizzlin’ Summer, the annual district wide professional development day, will take place on Wednesday August 24th at Franklinton High School. Staff will participate in job-alikes and select professional development sessions at locations across the school campus.

● Open Houses: ○ High School: August 23rd 5:00-7:00 pm ○ Elementary School: August 25th 4:00-6:00 pm ○ Middle School: August 25th 5:00-7:00 pm

● Traditional Schools in Franklin County begin for students on Monday August 29th.

LETRS Cohort 1

Blueprint Goal 2: Achieving Student Success in Academic Areas Our first group of 42 teachers and staff began their LETRS journey during the first week of July. While most of the cohort is composed of teachers from Youngsville Elementary, we had several other teachers and staff (EC resource, instructional coaches, and EL) voluntarily join this first cohort. Teachers and staff participated in a 6-hour virtual professional development session on July 15 where they were introduced to the tenets of the Science of Reading. The cohort will now work independently on the content using a district-created pacing guide to ensure that they stay on track with the content.

Student Resource Officer Memorandum of Understanding

Blueprint Goal 3: Creating a Safe, Orderly and Caring Environment for Students Our facility reviews with Law Enforcement took place on August 1-3, 2022. At our earlier meeting it was decided that each agency would meet with our team at each school and do a walkthrough safety assessment, with ongoing follow ups and increased coverage of our facilities. We will do a follow up session in October. Our law enforcement partners have conducted Rapid Response training on our campuses. This is an excellent example of our ongoing relationship, in which law enforcement professionals train in the facilities that they are charged to protect. Training is done when students (and usually staff) are not in the building. The Franklin County Sheriff's office SWAT team has recently done more advanced training specific to school response. We are very fortunate to have such an open and cooperative relationship with our law enforcement community. Our schools are refreshing their individual local crisis plans (contacts, numbers etc). The schools are also completing their drafts of the School Risk Management Plan (SRMP) for the state. These will be uploaded along with school schematics for emergency responders.

Needs-Based Grant Application Window Opens for 2022-23

Blueprint Goal 3: Creating a Safe, Orderly and Caring Environment for Students The 2022-23 Needs-Based Public School Building Capital Fund grant application timeline is from August 1, 2022-September 1, 2022. Franklin County Schools is again eligible for this grant at 5% local match requirement. It is our intent to resubmit/continue our application for $30,000,000 to build a replacement school building for Franklinton Elementary School. Our request and details of the grant application have not changed, so we will resubmit without needing any additional approval from the Franklin County Schools Board of Education and our County Commissioners.

Recruitment

Blueprint Goal 4: Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Staff FCS is utilizing university career center online job boards to advertise current vacancies. We are using social media, including paid advertisements targeting our surrounding area to promote our financial incentives for teachers in Franklin County. These financial incentives equate to a 16% or greater supplement (factoring in retention bonus, longevity, and 8% supplement), in addition to life insurance and dental insurance. We have conducted several in-house job fairs this summer to recruit for various positions, and we have found these efforts to be a very effective tool for us.

Updated Classified Salary Schedules Based on New State Budget

Blueprint Goal 4: Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Staff The recently passed state budget places classified employees at either a $15.00 minimum or 4% raise, whichever is greatest. We are in the process of updating our salary schedules to reflect these changes while also adjusting our steps to keep the tables moving forward based upon years of experience. We will be bringing these updated tables for approval at the September Board of Education meeting. In the meantime, we will be making a temporary adjustment to ensure that the minimum of $15.00 or 4% raise is reflected during the month of August. Any retroactive adjustments made once the Board approves updated schedules will be reflected in September payroll.

Digital Learning Grant

Blueprint Goal 1: Preparing FCS Students for College, Career and Life Beyond the Classroom The FCS Technology Department was awarded one of 13 statewide grants to implement a digital learning model with teachers for the 2022-2023 school year. In the amount of $29,160, this grant will provide professional development opportunities to teachers through three Saturday convenings during the school year. These sessions will focus on the digital learning competencies, effective digital integration, and the role effective digital resources can play in positively impacting teaching and learning. Sondra Ayscue, Director of Technology, and her team developed the grant proposal and are to be commended for their efforts to secure these funds for the district.

Academic Progress

Blueprint Goal 2: Achieving Student Success in Academic Areas As you are aware, our students complete End of Grade (EOG) testing in grades 3-8 and End of Course (EOC) testing in our high schools at the end of each academic year. Although our test data is embargoed until the State Board approves it in early September, we would like to share that we saw significant overall academic gains this school year. Our school staff are to be commended for their hard work and accomplishments in helping students achieve these gains despite staffing shortages and challenges associated with management of COVID-19 in the school setting.

Student Resource Officer Memorandum of Understanding

Blueprint Goal 3: Creating a Safe, Orderly and Caring Environment for Students We are pleased to share that we have renewed our memorandum of understanding with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, Louisburg Police Department, and the Franklinton Police Department. The agreement provides Student Resource Officers (SROs) in our schools. We have learned that the next round of SRO grant applications will be released this summer and we will be applying. Dr. Schuler and Dr. Webb met with the Sheriff and Law Enforcement Chiefs of all municipalities regarding school safety. Our Law Enforcement partners shared their prevention and response information, and we had a productive conversation about school safety. During the meeting, it was decided that each agency would meet with our team at each school and do a walkthrough safety assessment, with ongoing follow ups and increased coverage of our facilities. We are very fortunate to have such an open and cooperative relationship with our Law Enforcement community. Many of our summer projects are addressing safety concerns. In addition to our normal door/lock maintenance and upfits, we are in the process of adding access control to several of our multi-building facilities.

Expanded Lighting Grant

Blueprint Goal 3: Creating a Safe, Orderly and Caring Environment for Students You’ll recall that we received a lighting grant from Duke Progress to upfit the gyms to LED lighting at Franklinton Elementary School and Bunn Elementary School. We received news that Duke Progress has additional funds and will be adding Laurel Mill Elementary School to the program as well. We are grateful for the support from Duke Progress.

Recruitment

Blueprint Goal 4: Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Staff FCS is utilizing university career center online job boards to advertise current vacancies. In addition, we are using social media, including paid advertisements targeting our surrounding area, to promote our financial incentives for teachers in Franklin County, which are the equivalent of a 16% or greater supplement (factoring in retention bonus, longevity, and 8% supplement), in addition to life insurance and dental insurance. We are also planning for this year’s New Teacher Institute, which will be held in August.

Superintendent’s Report - May 9, 2022

Strategic Plan Update

The Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) convened on April 28th to review progress towards goals in each area of our Blueprint. This discussion included revisiting  each strategy related to our strategic plan goals, providing updates, and gathering feedback to continue to refine strategies to promote success.

Graduation Preparation

Blueprint Goal 1: Preparing FCS Students for College, Career and Life Beyond the Classroom

On Friday April 29th, our high school principals met to discuss details for graduation. This year, our three traditional high schools are slated to hold graduation outside in their stadiums (weather permitting).  We are also reviewing data on students who are not on track for graduation and providing feedback and support from the district to assist.

Summer Learning 

Blueprint Goal 2: Achieving Student Success in Academic Areas

District staff are preparing for our summer learning offerings for students in grades K-12.  In addition to the required Read to Achieve camp for students in grades 2 and 3, FCS will provide summer learning opportunities to selected students beginning in late June.  Elementary and middle school students will receive targeted instruction in reading, math, and science.  High school students who need to recover course credit due to a failing grade will be offered an opportunity to earn back the course credit if they participate in the summer learning program.

Recruitment 

Blueprint Goal 3: Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Staff

FCS will sponsor our local  teacher fair on  May 14, 2022. In preparation for this event, we have worked to advertise our financial incentives for teachers in Franklin County, which in addition to the equivalent of a 16% or greater supplement (factoring in retention bonus, longevity, and 8% supplement) include life insurance and dental insurance. We are advertising heavily on social media outlets and are promoting the teacher fair on a digital billboard on Capital Blvd.

Honors Program 

Blueprint Goal 3: Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Staff

We are excited about our 2022 Honors Celebration, taking place on June 7th at 6 pm at Franklinton High School. We were able to get Representative Winslow and Senator Crawford to attend. This will be a full “Oscar’” style plus-one event. Please get your “dress to impress” outfits ready.

Student Resource Officer Memorandum of Understanding

Goal 3: Creating a Safe, Orderly and Caring Environment for Students

We are pleased to share that we have renewed our memorandum of understanding with the Franklin County Sheriff's department, Louisburg Police Department, and the Franklinton Police Department. The agreement provides Student Resource Officers (SROs) in our schools. We have learned that the next round of SRO grant applications will be released this summer and we will be applying.

Alternative Learning Program

Goal 3: Creating a Safe, Orderly and Caring Environment for Students

Transition meetings will begin soon as many of our Alternative Learning Program students prepare to return to their base school next year. Counselors and school staff will be working with families to assist students in transitioning to a traditional school environment.  Work continues as we refine plans for the logistics and format of our Alternative Learning Programs for the 2022-2023 school year and beyond.

Superintendent’s Report - April 11, 2022

Portrait of a Graduate 

Blueprint Goal 1: Preparing FCS Students for College, Career and Life Beyond the Classroom

The Department of Public Instruction has embarked on a statewide effort to identify the skills and traits high school graduates will need to compete in a global economy. The Portrait of a Graduate committee for Franklin County Schools contains various district stakeholders to include Board of Education members (Dr. Elizabeth Keith and Meghan Jordan), classroom teachers (Jodi Hearn-BHS, Dave Jennings-FHS, Shelbi Wheeler-LHS), principals (Heidi Boardman and Erica Shoulders-Royster), community member (Andrea Wright-United Way), parents (Anna Scoggins and Tish Hitchcock) and district leadership (Dr. Lela Nichols).  This team will meet with other districts in our region three times over the course of the next three months to provide feedback to the state on how the state can ensure that graduates are prepared to meet growing workforce demands.

Partnering with Graduation Alliance 

Blueprint Goal 1: Preparing FCS Students for College, Career and Life Beyond the Classroom

Through a new federal grant, FCS will partner with the Graduation Alliance ENGAGE program which is designed to help stabilize and improve student attendance and  academic achievement.  Graduation Alliance will work to re-engage and support students who struggle with school attendance and/or those students who are no longer on track for graduation.  The district will identify the students and Graduation Alliance will deploy their staff to make contact with families and students to create a plan for school re-entry and/or credit recovery.

Data Meetings

Blueprint Goal 2: Achieving Student Success in Academic Areas

This past week, our elementary and middle school principals convened to review the latest data from our NC Checkins. These assessments are administered quarterly and are our way of determining progress towards mastery of grade level standards. Through collaboration across schools, we are able to share valuable strategies for success.

Instructional Walkthroughs

Blueprint Goal 2: Achieving Student Success in Academic Areas

In the fall and spring, district learning walks were conducted at our four middle schools by a team of central office instructional staff.  The central office instructional staff networked with each school’s administration, instructional coach, teachers, etc. and together they formed multiple teams that conducted learning walks focused on reviewing lesson plans and observing instructional delivery.  This intensive process allowed the learning walk teams to observe and gather data, discuss their observations, and identify school wide opportunities for celebration and growth.  Written feedback is provided to each principal that can then be analyzed and shared with the faculty and staff.  The central office instructional staff also use this process to determine additional support that needs to be provided from the district.

Recruitment 

Blueprint Goal 3: Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Staff

We are well into our recruitment season and Franklin County Schools has attended over 19 educational job fairs so far with direct contact with over 150 teacher candidates. Paid Facebook ads are being run to support our recruitment efforts. FCS will sponsor our local job fair on  May 14, 2022. 

Honors Program

Blueprint Goal 3: Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Staff

The 2022 Honors Celebration will take place on June 7th at 6 pm at Franklinton High School. This unique red carpet event will spotlight and recognize our district employees and retirees. 

Table Top Exercises

Goal 3: Creating a Safe, Orderly and Caring Environment for Students

Last month our principals joined forces with district leadership and local law enforcement officials to conduct table top safety exercises focused on a variety of scenarios around school safety and security. These exercises provide an invaluable, practical opportunity to consider real world scenarios, sharing best practices and ideas to strengthen response plans.

Discipline Calibration Work

Goal 3: Creating a Safe, Orderly and Caring Environment for Students

Last week  our principals met with Dr. Webb to review and calibrate responses to discipline issues. The principals were given actual discipline scenarios and discussed them by grade level. They are working together to improve consistency in disciplinary actions on similar infractions.