Agenda - 11-10-1998 - Attachment #10

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• Students' perception that school is boring and unrelated to their lives. • Lack of businesses in Orange County to support schools resulting in higher taxes • Politically divisive special interest groups • Inappropriate and ineffective communication between parents and teachers • Loss of district level direction and perspective due to site -based management • Community becoming increasingly intolerant, less diverse, and elitist: Cost of living is threatening student diversity and opportunity for educators to live in community • Possible merger of Orange County school districts • Increasing tendency of parents to litigate disputes with the school system • Loss of funds due to suit filed by low wealth school districts challenging state's formula for funding schools • Inadequate resources and support for students and teaching staff to responsibly include special needs students. The Mission, Beliefs, and Core Values of the District Mission Statement The mission of the Chapel Hill- Carrboro City School System is to enable all students to acquire, through programs of excellence and fairness, the knowledge, skills, and insights necessary to live rewarding, productive lives in an ever - changing society. Beliefs About How We Educate Our Students The following beliefs describe the conditions under which learning can most effectively occur. It should be apparent to visitors to our schools that these beliefs are reflected in the instructional program. • High academic and behavioral expectations should be clearly communicated to students and they should be held responsible for attaining them. • The core curriculum in all schools should be consistent across grade levels and be articulated clearly between grade levels • Parents should be active partners in the educational process both at home and at school. • Students deserve to be educated in a safe, clean, inviting, stimulating, and caring school environment where diversity is respected and all stakeholders are valued as contributors to the school community. • Adults should be good role models who are motivating, nurturing, accepting, respectful, committed to children, principled, and understanding of children's needs. • Students should be active participants in the instructional process and learning should be related to their real world experiences through integrated instruction. • Students should be provided with a variety of educational experiences that recognize their individual learning styles and developmental needs. • The curriculum should emphasize essential skills and content that all students should acquire, as well as critical thinking, problem solving, and information acquisition. • Students should be educated in the least restrictive and most heterogeneous setting in which they can be successful learners. • All students are capable of high achievement and intelligence is developed from consistent and effective effort. • Every student should be supported by at least one adult who can advocate for his or her educational needs. Values Values permeate the organization, governance and day - today operations of the school district. These are the values that we believe should guide the district into the next century.