Agenda - 11-10-1998 - Attachment #10

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Summary • Each school should clearly articulate expectations for behavior in the schools. Violence, vandalism or disrespect will not be tolerated. Parents should ensure that their students abide by these standards. • Administrators, teachers, staff and parents should model good character for students. 7. Continue the construction of new facilities and maintenance of existing ones Overcrowded schools, large class sizes and inadequate funding for facilities were all identified as major weaknesses of our current system. The most serious threat identified was the concern that the facilities and resources will not keep pace with enrollment increases. Increasing the financial support for education was identified as one of the major strategies to be pursued. Even though the School Board has launched plans for several new building projects, there is concern that recent trends in area growth will continue at rates not currently predicted and the district will continue to face overcrowding. The Board of Education must engage in long -range planning in concert with the County and local municipalities. Summary • All existing school facilities should be maintained and upgraded as necessary in a timely manner. • All facilities should be brought into compliance with ADA requirements. • By the year 2001, the Chapel Hill- Cantoro City Schools should construct an eighth elementary school, a fourth middle school, and an addition to East Chapel Hill High School. • The school district should continue to collaborate with the County and local municipalities in acquiring sites for new schools and sharing facilities. 8. Provide schools with modern computing and communications technologies and the necessary support to enhance school administration and student instruction: There is no question that technology will greatly impact how schools are administered and education is provided to students in the 21st Century. Technology must be integrated into the school community such that it becomes a natural part of daily life for students and staff. Technology must be perceived, not as an add -on, but rather as a tool to enhance the effectiveness of school staff members and the productivity of students. It should be recognized that technology comes with a significant price tag and that it is a recurring, not a one -time, cost for which school districts must budget. Teachers should look to technology as a means by which the delivery of instruction will be significantly transformed. In the not too distant future, it is conceivable that computers linked to the Internet will be readily accessible to staff and students in schools as well as in their homes. We can expect home- school communications to be greatly enhanced, thereby allowing parents to play a more informed role as partners in their children's education. From their homes, students will be able to access files not only in their schools but on the Internet at any time of the day or night. The dated term "schools without walls" will take on new meaning in the technologically rich environment that we envision. Summary Specific steps that the school district should take include the following: • The district should annually update the master strategic plan for the use of technology in the district and provide the necessary funding and training of classroom teachers to implement it. • All schools should be networked and tied together through a wide area network, thereby providing access to the Internet from any work station in any school. 14