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This month is full of meetings. If you are following the search for a new Guilford County Schools superintendent, you may want to tune in to Thursday's meeting. Board of Education members will spend most of the evening laying out the search process and the platform for public input. Today, I asked Nancy Routh about the board releasing Terry Grier from his contract, which ends in 2010, and she replied that the board has discussed it but not made a decision. That decision could be made clear this week, she said.

Grier was hired in January to work in San Diego Unified Schools, starting July 1.

The school board will also hold a special meeting on Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. at central office to receive and discuss the report/recommendations from the school climate task force appointed last year. The board has a regular meeting on Feb. 19, but I don't know what is on the agenda yet.

Another conversation will take place among community leaders regarding the state of public education in Guilford County. (Last year, I covered a panel discussion sponsored by the Guilford Education Alliance.)

The third "One Guilford: A Leadership Symposium", sponsored by the News & Record will take place 4-6 p.m. on March 12 at UNCG in the Elliot University Center.

“The subject of education prompted passionate discussion at our last One Guilford symposium,” explained News & Record Editorial Writer Doug Clark, who is also coordinator of the program. “It’s clear that hopes for our county’s future depend on how well we prepare our young people. We’re responding to these concerns by making them the focus of our One Guilford event at UNCG.”

Questions for discussion will include:

1. How well does Guilford County prepare high school graduates for college? For employment?
2. How can our colleges, universities and business community work together to improve student readiness?
3. How can we guarantee students are developing the critical thinking and problem solving skills necessary to contribute to our county’s economic vitality?

(My own questions: How can we guarantee that students will have the creative and innovative thinking skills needed to contribute to the social, civic, cultural and spiritual vitality of their families and neighborhoods? And what should be the focus of education? To create citizens who prioritize the expansion and buttressing of America's and the county's role in globalization, or the building of local economies and communities resilient to the fallout of globalization?)

Panelists include:

* Dr. Margaret Arbuckle, president, Guilford Educational Alliance
* Jerry Camp, business owner and board chairman, High Point Chamber of Commerce
* Alan Duncan, chairman, Guilford County Board of Education
* Dr. Joe Graves, dean of University Studies, A&T
* Megan Michaux Metzger, small business owner
* Jasmine Renee Mitchell, Morehead Scholar, UNC-Chapel Hill
* Dr. Noah Rogers, principal, Smith High School
* Dr. Kathryn Baker Smith, vice president, GTCC
* Dr. Rosemary Wander, associate provost, UNCG
* Malishai Woodbury, teacher, Dudley High School

Guests will have the opportunity to share ideas and feedback. Ample parking is available.

Apparently, the Guilford County Board of Education agreed with Superintendent Terry Grier that it was in his best interest to start work in San Diego before the school year ended. Once I get the contract information for his temporary replacements, Sharon Ozment and Eric Becoats, I will post it.

Seniors at Eastern Guilford High School will be presenting their senior projects on May 30 and the staff needs volunteer judges. Those interested should contact Charlie Abourjilie, the school's curriculum facilitator, at 449-6311or abourjc@gcsnc.com.

Parents, students and community leaders from the Hampton Homes/Warnersville community will be meeting Thursday at St. Philip AME Zion Church to build support for helping students involved in a Dec. 14 fight return to Grimsley High School (21 students have been arrested). Some of them addressed the Board of Education at last week's meeting. Check out a fuller story about this on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, you can read a letter concerned citizens sent to the board this month.

I checked in with school board attorney Jill Wilson today about the status of the contracts for Sharon Ozment and Eric Becoats, who will serve as co-interim superintendents starting March 15. Wilson said she expects to have the contracts complete this month.

I don't expect anything juicy out of those contracts, but Wilson said they will include a pay raise for the two. Also, the contracts will prohibit Ozment and Becoats from applying for the new position to prevent conflicts of interest.

Update: The two each earn $151,700.28, not including benefits.

Two people have filed so far for the six open seats on the Guilford County Board of Education. District 7 incumbent Kris Cooke said she filed today at 2 p.m. David Crawford filed for the at-large seat currently occupied by Dot Kearns.

Cooke, 61, has served on the board since 1997 and wants to help the board pass $457 million worth of school bonds this year.

"I just feel like there's a lot of work that I still want to accomplish," Cooke told me today.

Anita Sharpe, who has represented district 5 for the past 17 years, said she will retire from the board to spend more time with her job and grandchildren.

I've also spoken to Dot Kearns, 76, and Walter Childs, 60, (district 1). They told me they had not yet made a decision about whether to run. Childs told me on Feb. 5 that he was surveying constituents to see if he has done an effective job representing the district.

"If I have not (served effectively) I'll help them find someone," Childs said. "I don't believe in staying in something if you don't have the support of the district."

I have not yet spoken to Darlene Garrett (district 3) or Amos Quick (district 9), whose seats are also up for re-election.

Update: Check out the College Board's national AP report. Toward the end, you can find out information about the audit that was conducted last year.

I noticed that many of you Chalkboard fans are concerned about the performance of Guilford County students on AP exams. I'm on it, but it may take a while before I have the information I need to report back.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Terry Grier is supposed to serve as a panelist on a conference call tomorrow about the College Board's 4th annual "Report to the Nation." I'll be listening to that call.

The College Board's press release says the report will spotlight:

1. AP participation and performance for the public school class of 2007 in each U.S. state and the District of Columbia;

2. Racial and ethnic demographics for AP participation and performance;

3. Examples of statewide efforts designed to help a wider proportion of students achieve greater success in AP’s college-level course work and exams; and

4. College Board initiatives to support traditionally underserved students' preparation for AP

Panelists include:

* Terry Grier, Superintendent, Guilford County Schools, Greensboro, N.C.

* Mayra Irizarry, AP Calculus Teacher, Cypress Bay High School, Weston, Fla.

* Jean Robinson, Professor of Political Science, Indiana University

* Ted Spencer, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, University of Michigan

What other questions do you have about GCS and its Advanced Placement initiatives?

Update from Guilford County Schools:
"Guilford County Schools (GCS) has been in contact with the manufacturer's representative for the modular units that are owned by the district. Per the manufacturer, federal and state standards for the construction of modular classrooms are more stringent than those required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. GCS will work with the state of North Carolina as they review the quality of units across the state."

According to the Raleigh Chronicle, Gov. Mike Easley has asked the N.C. Board of Education to direct school systems around the state to check mobile classrooms to make sure they are safe from toxic fumes. This follows a report issued this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about high concentrations of formaldehyde in FEMA trailers issued to Hurricane Katrina victims.

I'm checking with the district....

Sound familiar?

Many of you readers have mentioned the Channel 2 report coming on tonight about an apparent cover up of violent incidents occurring in Guilford County Schools. I take it that Channel 2 is referring to the Eastern High fire in November 2006 as the incident still making headlines but not included in the state's 2006-07 crime and violence report that was released in December.

So I called Anthony Scales, the district's school safety coordinator, today to ask how could both the district and state miss reporting the biggest incident of 2006? Scales explained that the Eastern administrators were awaiting the conclusion of the investigation and in the turnover of principals the reporting was overlooked. Scales said he notified the Department of Public Instruction at the beginning of the 2007-08 school year but was told he missed the deadline (Sept. 7) and to include the fire on this year's report.

"How do you hide a fire that the media reported nationally?" Scales said. "It was obviously a mistake."

I also asked Scales about the perception in the public that school administrators are downplaying violent incidents on their campuses. Scales said that the state only requires principals to report 17 offenses out of the multitude of charges at the police departments' disposal. Also check out a district response on Friday Notes.

"I think we are being very consistent in reporting those things," Scales said. "We have 120 principals reporting them and they may make mistakes."

The Guilford County Board of Education plans to discuss the findings and report of the school climate task force at 6 p.m. on Monday. I checked in with the task force's co-chair Terrina Picarello and she said committee members are still finalizing the report and hope to have the packet ready for the board by the end of the week. I will try to get something out to the public in advance of the meeting if I am able to get a copy of that report. If not, you will be able to read about the board meeting on Tuesday.

Walter Childs told me last night that he will not be seeking his second term as representative of District 1 this year. Instead, he will actively support J. Carlvena Foster, director of the Carl Chavis Memorial Branch YMCA in High Point, who filed on Monday.

"I just feel very comfortable that she'll do a bang-up job and I support her wholeheartedly," Childs said.

Childs, a retired educator, said he decided not to run because he wants to pursue ministry (train to become a pastor) and spend time with his 5-year-old granddaughter.

So far, the following have filed since Feb. 11: Incumbents Kris Cooke and Darlene Garrett and newcomers David Crawford and Mike Stone.

For any of you curious about the safety of mobile classrooms in Guilford County Schools, below is the text of a memo sent to North Carolina superintendents this week:

To: LEA Superintendents
From: Deputy State Superintendent J.B. Buxton

Last week, Gov. Mike Easley sent a letter to the NC Manufacturing Housing Institute's Executive Director concerning the issue of formaldehyde fumes and manufactured homes and travel trailers. This issue has come to light concerning the Hurricane Katrina victims who have been living in manufactured homes provided by Federal Emergency Management.

As part of that letter, he asked that local school districts check temporary classroom buildings to ensure that they are safe from toxic fumes. The NCDPI School Support division is currently gathering information and a vendor list to help LEAs respond appropriately to this direction. We recommend that you contact the vendors who supplied your modular/temporary classrooms to see if they have safety certification available. We have heard from some LEAS that this is available and has been provided to them by their vendors. We will provide you with additional information as soon as possible.

The News & Observer had a story last week on the audit that was done on the use of state Advanced Learner funds. I was aware of the audit and am including it in reporting I am doing on GCS's Advanced Learner program.

Guilford County Schools Superintendent Terry Grier, who heads for San Diego schools in March, will have to face a challenge he hasn't had to face here: cutting a sizable chunk from the district's existing budget.

Last I read, California was facing a $16 billion shortfall so Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is scrambling to balance the budget. San Diego has to cut $80 million, or 7 percent of its budget.

Check out what other California cities, universities and school districts are dealing with. Guess you can take nothing for granted.

It's serious business when teachers don't want to be honest about what is going on in there schools because of fear of reprisal from their bosses. That was one of the challenges to improving student behavior in schools that was brought out again during the school climate task force's report to the Board of Education on Monday.

Yet, I found it somewhat amusing that co-chairman vice-chairman Martin Green had to issue a disclaimer that several members of the committee were afraid to publicize their dissenting opinions with others. So Green, alone, presented a separate report to the board after Terrina Picarello and Yamille Walker presented theirs. The reports were very similar, but Green's report downplayed the other group's emphasis on racial disparities regarding suspensions and diversity training for school employees. Instead, Green focused on student accountability.

So is the climate within the district so bad that even members of the task force have to hide? And what hope is there for making some progress on this issue if school officials and community stakeholders can't agree on best practices?

I'm still piecing my way through the roughly 150-page report (I received a copy of it shortly before the meeting). Whether these initiatives recommended will see the light of day remains to be seen.

Below, a Tuesday invite to June Atkinson and Joe Johnson from Eddie Davis, president of the N.C. Association of Educators:

"To: June Atkinson and Joe Johnson
Fellow Candidates for State Superintendent

From: Eddie Davis, Candidate for State Superintendent

Congratulations on your recent filing for the position of State Superintendent. Although the final filing opportunity is still a few days away, it appears that all three of the speculated candidates for State Superintendent are officially in the contest.

With that in mind, I think that it is appropriate for me to invite you to join me in organizing a series of at least six open and public debates on the important issues facing public education in North Carolina. If others file for State Superintendent by Friday, February 29th, they, too, should be invited to join us in this public series of debates.

I propose that these debates should be held in March and April. I propose that these debates should be open to the public and they should be held in various geographic areas around the state. I propose that these debates should be individually or collaboratively sponsored by non-partisan and non-endorsing groups such as:

The NC Association of County Commissioners, The NC Chamber, El Pueblo, Inc., The NC League of Women Voters, NC 4-H Youth Development, The NC NAACP, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, NC Sheriff’s Association, NC Police Executives Association.

I know you will agree that these debates are important. The most recent Elon Poll indicated that, behind concerns about the economy, K-12 public education is the second most vital concern on the minds of voters in North Carolina. Also, recent reports indicate we are losing as many as 20,000 of our youth to dropouts each year. In addition, the largest segment of our state budget is devoted to public education.

I know you are interested in discussing these and various other education issues with the people of North Carolina. Please contact me by the end of this week so that we can begin the planning process for these public debates as quickly as possible.

Thanks in advance for your participation in these proposed debates. Again, congratulations on your official entry in the contest for State Superintendent."

Candidates for years have been promising to bring accountability to the Guilford County Board of Education. Will the sworn-in members in December have a chance of making this a reality next year?

Paul Daniels is one of the candidates who filed this week, promising to help make the board more transparent and honest to the public and county commissioners. Daniels, a Greensboro attorney, is the only person to file in District 5. He said he has been mulling the decision for a couple of years.

“The biggest problem facing the school board is public confidence,” said Daniels, 43. “There’s a reason people are cynical of public officials.”

Daniels has two children who attend Alamance Elementary and Southeast Guilford High School. Priorities for Daniels include proper management of construction funds and closing the "riff" that exists between the school board and commissioners, he said.

By the way it looks like only three of six incumbents will run again this year. Out are Anita Sharpe, Walter Childs and Dot Kearns. Darlene Garrett and Kris Cooke have filed; Amos Quick said he intends to file.

The Guilford County Schools' advanced learning department has updated its Web pages to better communicate with the public about services for the district’s academically-gifted students.

The information includes the 2007-10 Advanced Learning plan, workshop presentations and a template of the program review the district will start using this year to evaluate schools.

"One of the reasons we did that is it seemed parents needed more information and most of them are computer saavy," said Jane Fleming, executive director of the department.

Who's willing to bet we would find similar results in Guilford County?

It looks like the Board of Education races to watch this year will be in District 3 and the at-large seat Dot Kearns is vacating.

Mike Stone has returned to once again face Darlene Garrett in a bid for representation in the northwest part of the district. Stone, an Oak Ridge resident and unit manager for Pactiv Corp. in Greensboro, said he is dissatisfied with Garrett's leadership and the fact that some of the issues that they both campaigned about in 2000 (lack of school safety, transparency and financial accountability) still exist.

"It's eight years later and we have the same issues," Stone told me today. "And why is that? We have some of the same board members."

It looks like four people will be running for the at-large seat, including Sandra Alexandra, who filed today. I haven't spoken to her yet.

Who has the edge? Erik Huey so far has the publicity, having announced his intentions to run back in November 2006. He also has a blog that covers local educational issues.

But Michael McKinney, a commercial banker for Southern Community Bank & Trust, might have more business and community connections. He serves on the Guilford County planning board and executive board of TRIBEC (Triad Real Estate & Building Industry Coalition). He was also a former board member with the United Way of Greensboro and fundraiser for Bennett College.

David Crawford has some exposure from running against Mike Barber for Greensboro city council last year. So the at-large race should be particularly interesting.

Who do you think has the best chance of winning?

The Guilford County Board of Education plans to decide at its Tuesday meeting whether to hire a search firm, and if so, which one, after listening to presentations by four firms and the N.C. School Boards Association on Thursday. A low-profile story ran in today's paper, but was not posted online.

One of the firms to present was Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates out of Chicago, the same group that recruited Superintendent Terry Grier into GCS in 2000 and into San Diego Unified School District in January. Now they want another shot. They were one of the most experienced and expensive firms represented at the meeting, charging $40,000 plus expenses.

The board could also go with a local search firm such as The HR Group in Greensboro (does not specialize in superintendents though), go budget with the School Boards Association at $7,500 plus expenses or conduct the search all on its own.

My guess is members won't. Why? The school board has a lot on its hands right now with the bond referenda and budget season and I doubt members have the time to spend vetting their own candidates. The board has had four night meetings this month, instead of the typical two.

And William Attea of Hazard, Young et al. said his firm could have a new leader in place by July 1; Allison Schafer of the School Boards Association gave an Aug. 18 date. How long would it take for the board to find its own candidate, given they have to reach consensus on a new hire?

Said Attea: "School boards spend far more money doing it on their own because nine times out of 10 they have to fire the person."

What do you think? How should the board conduct its search? And what is a reasonable amount to spend?