Welcome to November!

As I mentioned in the last entry, I walked my way into November by participating in the Reading Rocks walkathon on Saturday, November 1st in Fayetteville. The bad news is that I lost my camera there so there won't be any original pictures for this entry (the good news is - the nice folks in Cumberland County Schools found it and Fed Exed it back to me - yes, I just made "Fed Ex" a verb...)

The walkathon included 15,000 people who walked a mile and a half route through historic downtown Fayetteville. I had the honor of walking with Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Dr. William Harrison and CCS Teacher of the Year Karen Koonce. It was amazing! High school bands were positioned at check points throughout the walk, and they energized us and kept us inspired along the way. Also, local historians stood streetside and pointed out important sites on the walk. I noticed that several of them made reference to buildings that had once stood there before "the Great Fire." Some of those buildings seemed to be located across the main part of town from each other. I couldn't imagine a fire that would burn the entire city, but here's what I found on wikipedia:

"The "Great Fire" of 1831 was believed to be one of the worst in the nation's history, even though, remarkably, no lives were lost. Hundreds of homes and businesses and most of its best-known public buildings were lost, including the old "State House." Fayetteville leaders moved quickly to help the victims and rebuild the town."

Here's a picture of the old State House "borrowed" from the internet.

More from wikipedia - "The Market House, completed in 1832, became the center of commerce and celebration. The structure was built on the ruins of the old State House. It was a town market until 1906. Slaves were sold there before abolition. It served as Fayetteville Town Hall until 1907. The City Council is considering turning the Market House into a local history museum."

The Walkathon experience was amazing! I was even interviewed (live...yikes!) by a local television station. I've never met so many nice people, and this reading teacher was so excited to be part of raising money for resources for reading in Cumberland County.

I spent the beginning of the week in schools, specifically my school, Gravelly Hill Middle School, and the high school we feed, Cedar Ridge High School. I always enjoy being around teachers and "breathing in" students. At CRHS, I worked with the videography class who taped me for a spot on the Western Carolina University School of Education website. I was reading my Expressions for Excellence in Education. The students were very professional, and I enjoyed the process (although I don't like seeing myself on camera!)

On Wednesday, I participated in the World View Program's board meeting. If you don't know about World View, check it out here. These folks do such a good job of educating teachers on global issues and sharing strategies for teaching students about the world around them.

The first Thursday of the month is always special - it's the day of the State Board of Education meeting. It's incredible to realize how many issues are discussed and voted on that affect teachers and students day-to-day. Among other things, we received a full report on our state's AYP status now that the test scores have been released. You can always find minutes of the Board meetings on the Department of Public Instruction website.

I spent the end of the week and part of the weekend working with the Center for Teaching Quality and teachers from all over the country in a discussion of what teaching will look like in the future. We recognize that we have to stop thinking of brick and mortar schools and figure out ways to work smarter, not harder. Technology may be the key, but there are many issues to consider when we think about the future of teaching. At any rate, I think I'm a wee bit more wise (actually a LOT wiser) having had the opportunity to collaborate with some of our country's best teachers.

And last, this is a shout out to our team member and first ever Charter School Teacher of the Year, Freida Baker, who is spending more time than she would like with an oncologist these days and who will be having surgery soon. We love you, Freida, and your team is here for you! Hang in there, and call us if you need us!