Terry Holliday: Resume and Review

Terry Holliday
282 Whippoorwill Road
Mooresville, NC 28117

Education

Ph. D. Educational Administration University of South Carolina 1994
Ed. S. Educational Administration Winthrop University 1989
M. Ed. Educational Administration Winthrop University 1987
B. M. Music Education Furman University 1972

Work Experience

Superintendent of Schools Iredell-Statesville Schools 2002-present
Superintendent of Schools Transylvania County Schools 1998-2002
Associate Superintendent Rock Hill School District 3 1996-1998
Director of Accountability Rock Hill School District 3 1994-1996
Principal Fort Mill High School 1991-1994
Assistant Principal Fort Mill High School 1987-1991
Director of Instrumental Music Fort Mill High School 1981-1987
Band Director Northside Junior High School 1978-1981
Band Director Parker High School 1975-1978
Band Director Gaffney High School 1972-1975

Recent Presentations

Quality New Mexico Conference – keynote 2008 and 2009
ASQ Leadership Summit - keynote 2008 and 2009
National Quality in Education Conference – keynote 2008
American Productivity Quality Council Conference on Data Driven Decision Making – keynote 2008
Florida Sterling Conference – keynote 2009 and concurrent sessions 2007 and 2009
Florida Education and Technology Conference – concurrent session 2008
Quest for Excellence National Conference – keynote 2009
North Carolina School Boards Association – keynote 2009 and concurrent session 2008
Memphis City Schools Principal Academy – keynote 2009 and concurrent sessions 2009
North Carolina Association of School Administrators – concurrent sessions 2007 and 2008
Pearson Software User Group – keynote 2009
American Productivity Quality Council – keynote 2008
District Administrator National Webinar Series – keynote 2009
Teachscape National Leadership Summit – keynote 2007
Georgia Oglethorpe Conference
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Winter Conference - 2007
National Association of Secondary School Principals National Conference
Council of Chief State School Officers Large Scale Assessment Conference
National Tech Prep Conference

Recent Publications

School Administrator – 2008 and 2009
Quality Progress – 2009
Scholastic Administrator – 2009
NC Administrator – 2008
Business Enterprise – 2009
E-School News – 2008
American Society for Quality Case Study – 2008
Follett Software White Paper – 2008
Teachscape Case Study – 2008
School Wires Case Study – 2009
Energy Education Case Study - 2009

Recognitions

2009 NC Superintendent of the Year
2009 Grayson Medal for Innovation in Quality – American Productivity Quality Council
2008 Southwestern Region NC Superintendent of the Year
2008 NC Music Educators Association Superintendent of the Year
2008 Friend of NCAAHPERD (physical education and health award)
2001 Western Region N.C. Superintendent of the Year
Alumni Examiner for Baldrige National Quality Award
South Carolina Band Directors Association Hall of Fame
Superintendency Institute of America
North Carolina Public School Forum Jay Robinson Finalist Award
Principal of the Year - SC Tech Prep and SC Arts Association
Teacher of the Year - Gaffney High School and Northside Junior High School

Recent State and Local Level Committees/ Involvement

NC School Superintendent Association President
Ex-Officio Member of NC School Board
NC Race to the Top Committee
NC Blue Ribbon Commission on Testing and Accountability (facilitator)
NC Principal Evaluation Rubric Development Committee
NC E-Learning Commission/NC Virtual High School Advisory Committee
Governor’s Teacher Working Conditions Advisory Committee
NC State Superintendent’s Advisory Board
Governor’s Appointee to NC Public School Forum Board
United Way Board of Directors
Statesville and Mooresville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
Statesville and Mooresville Economic Development Board of Directors
Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors
Boy Scouts of America Gemstone Region Board of Directors
State Employees Credit Union Board of Directors

Major accomplishments during tenure as Superintendent of Iredell-Statesville Schools

High Student Performance

Highest performance on state testing in history of school system (overall Top 10)
Academically gifted performance in top 20 of NC districts
Alternative Learning Program in top 20 of NC districts
Top Ten in ABC growth among NC districts
Top 20 in AYP among NC districts
SAT Scores highest in history of school system – Top 10 in NC
Achievement gap for African-Americans closed by over 40%
Exceptional Children’s performance in Top 20 among NC districts
Lowest dropout rate in history of school system (first time below state average)
Graduation rate improved from 58% to over 80%
Grants – largest mentoring grant in nation, grants to provide extended day and year programs to at-risk students
Innovations – Early college, Freshmen Academy, Virtual High School, Alternative Programs

Healthy, Safe, Orderly, Caring Schools:

Class sizes below state average while spending per pupil is 9th lowest in NC
Attendance percentages in Top 5 NC districts
100MB bandwidth from every school – largest school system in nation to utilize microwave technology
Standardized technology systems improved “up time”
Lowest rate of crime in history of school system (well below state average)
Stakeholder satisfaction ratings above 80%
Innovations – partnership with Barium Springs Home for Children, Positive Behavior Program for EC students, out of school suspension reporting centers

Quality Teachers, Administrators and Staff:

All training aligned to strategic plan
Percentage of highly qualified staff above state and region averages
Over 150 National Board Certified Teachers (over 10% of workforce)
Raised local supplement for teachers each year for three years (currently 7.5%)
Lowest teacher turnover rate in history of school system (below state and region)
First school system in NC to host a Teacher Working Conditions conference
Classified staff incentive bonus plan tied to results
Innovations – Teacher of Year Forum, Staff Development Tracking Software, on-line staff development customized for new employees

Strong Family, Community & Business Support:

Significantly improved parent satisfaction with school/district communication (over 90%)
Implemented a program to develop business partners (over 150 partners)
Over 100,000 hours of volunteer time donated per year

Effective & Efficient Operations:

Baldrige National Quality Program 2007 site visit (only education institution in nation)
North Carolina Awards for Excellence Recipient (3 times)
Baldrige National Quality Program 2007 top 6% of applicants
9th lowest per pupil operating expenditure in NC
Transportation efficiency rating above state average
Four consecutive years of “clean” audits with zero findings
Improved fund balance from negative reserve to 8% of local current expense
Passed bond referendum by 2:1 margin (first passed since 1947 that required tax increase)
All Enterprise funds operate with a profit margin and pay overhead costs
Implemented national Baldrige Criteria and received state level award
Every dollar spent includes over 67% for instruction (above state and national comparisons)
Implemented Energy Education Programs leading to over 20% energy reductions – rank 2nd in nation
Implemented three phase building program to meet 8-10% annual growth projections

Major accomplishments during tenure as Superintendent of Transylvania County Schools

High Student Performance

• Student achievement as measured by state testing was among highest in NC districts
• SAT scores above state and national averages and among top 10 districts in NC
• Implemented an occupational course of study for special needs students
• Secured 1 of 8 state reading grants for special needs students
• Implemented alternative school that was the highest performing alternative school in the state
• Implemented comprehensive virtual curriculum to expand course offerings
• Implemented enriched program for middle years academically and intellectually gifted students
• Implemented program of inclusion for Title One
• Implemented Cisco and network engineering programs for workforce development
• Established process for development and monitoring of student 4 year career plans

Safe and Orderly Schools

• Completed $28,000,000 capital outlay project
• Maintained ratio of student incidents of crime below state average
• Implemented technology plan that provided internet access to all administrative and instructional spaces
• Improved pupil to computer ratio to 3:1
• Developed district crisis response plan
• Secured grant funding for School Resource Officer in every school (K-12)
• Implemented alternative programs to remove disruptive students from classrooms
• Implemented alternative program to eliminate short-term out-of-school suspensions
• Implemented recommendations for improvement of student experience in transition grades (5th to 6th and 8th to 9th )
• Implemented programs to recover dropouts

Quality Professional Staff

• Implemented system for Performance Excellence (Baldrige criteria) on all levels
• Increased local supplement for teachers to 5%
• Increased salaries of office professionals and teacher assistants
• Developed goals based evaluation instrument for all staff
• Implemented team process (parents, staff, students, community) for selection of administrative positions
• Implemented New Teacher Orientation program that led to 100% of initially licensed teachers achieving performance based license
• Implemented cohort process for Nationally Board Certified Teachers

Strong Community, Parent, Business Support

• Increased parent and volunteer hours by over 200%
• Implemented model for School Improvement process that involves parents and community
• Improved relationships and implemented articulation agreements with Brevard College, Blue Ridge Community College, Schenck Job Corps, and Brevard Academy
• Established quarterly reports to the community on education progress
• Wrote bi-weekly columns on education issues for the local newspaper
• Published marketing brochures for recruitment of teachers and students
• Implemented advisory groups for students, staff, parents, and community
• Served on board of Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development, United Way and 8 other community based organizations
• Served on committee that received Community Block Development Grant of $1.75 million
• Implemented stakeholder surveys to inform school improvement process
• Implemented process to enroll home schooled students

Efficient and Effective Operation

• Developed and implemented district strategic plan
• Developed measures and indicators for evaluation of school system performance
• Developed goals based evaluation instrument for board and superintendent annual review
• Streamlined budget process and implemented zero-based budgeting
• Implemented quality tools at all levels to improve efficiency and effectiveness
• Implemented 5 year capital improvement plan for all facilities
• Implemented distance learning lab
• Reduced paperwork through electronic communication and data gathering
• Obtained interest free Qualified Zone Academy bonds for school renovation
• Maintained top academic performance of districts in NC while holding operational cost at or below state average
• Implemented tools for data driven decision making in all departments and schools
• Completed Baldrige criteria self-evaluation

Notable Accomplishments as high school principal

• Highest performing high school in South Carolina (AP exams and BSAP)
• Reduced dropout rate over 200%
• Increased percentage of students going to postsecondary to over 80%
• Obtained over $2,000,000 in grant funding (annual)

Notable Accomplishments as associate superintendent

• Implemented comprehensive program evaluation model
• Implemented model to measure customer and stakeholder satisfaction
• Developed K-12 school and district level report card system
• Developed and implemented K-5 developmentally appropriate student assessment system

Terry Holliday

Selected from 281 articles reviewed

In reverse chronological order

CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST EX-ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Thursday, April 23, 2009
Author: Joe Marusak, jmarusak@charlotteobserver.com
STATESVILLE Lamar Lewis is finally getting his name back. A year after the Charlotte man was charged with two sex offenses involving a 16-year-old student, the Iredell County District Attorney's office has dropped its case against the former South Iredell High School assistant principal. "The physical evidence was inconsistent with the victim's statement," said assistant district attorney Carrie Garvey, who was assigned the case after the original prosecutor left to join another district attorney's office. Lewis, 40, was suspended with pay after his arrest in March 2008 on charges of sex offense with a student and indecent liberties with a student at the school in Troutman. Several weeks later, Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Terry Holliday wrote Lewis that he was being suspended without pay and would be fired on grounds that included "immorality," "insubordination" and "neglect of duty."
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I-SS WINS NATIONAL AWARD - SCHOOL SYSTEM 1 OF 3 U.S. ORGANIZATIONS TO EARN A 2008 MALCOLM BALDRIGE AWARD FOR INNOVATION AND EXCELLENCE
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, December 14, 2008
Author: Joe Marusak, jmarusak@charlotteobserver.com
Score another A-plus for the Iredell-Statesville Schools. Fresh off its superintendent's winning top state honors, the system has been named one of three U.S. organizations to earn a 2008 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Announced recently by President Bush and the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology, the award is the nation's highest presidential honor for organizational innovation and performance excellence. Other winners were Cargill Corn Milling North America of Minnesota in the manufacturing category and Poudre Valley Health System of Fort Collins, Colo., in the health care category. Iredell-Statesville, whose schools span from Lake Norman in south Iredell to Union Grove in north Iredell, won in the educational category. In announcing winners, Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez said Iredell-Statesville is a role model "embodying the values of excellence, principled leadership and commitment to employees, customers, partners and community." The system was selected from among 85 applicants. An independent board of examiners studied applicants in the areas of leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, measurement, analysis and knowledge management, workforce focus, process management and results. Each recipient's evaluation included about 1,000 hours of review and an on-site visit by a team of examiners. Since its inception in 1988, 75 organizations have received the award. In mid-November, Terry Holliday , Iredell-Statesville Schools superintendent, was named superintendent of the year by the N.C. Association of School Administrators and the N.C. School Boards Association. Holliday, who has led the district for six years, served on a state panel charged with revamping the state's testing system. He won a $5,000 prize and will compete for the 2009 national honor in February.
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SCHOOL NOTES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, November 23, 2008
…Terry Holliday , superintendent of Iredell-Statesville Schools, was named the 2009 A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year. The award was given jointly by the N.C. Association of School Administrators and the N.C. School Boards Association. Since 2002, Holliday has been superintendent of Iredell-Statesville Schools.
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673 citizens protest redistricting plan:
We The Residents Of The Iredell Statesville School District
Target:
Dr. Holliday, Iredell-Statesville School District,PO Box 911,549 N. Race St.,Statesville, N.C.28677
Sponsored by:
Residents of the ISS School District
We, the residents as being homeowners and parents of children attending Lake Norman School District adamently oppose the redrawing of school boundry lines that would move our children to Troutman or Statesville schools. We are looking out for the best interest of our children and their education. The schools that our children would be moved to are not near the same quality as the schools that they currently attend. Evidence of this fact is proven on the school report cards. Lakeshore Elementary is a School of Distinction with 80-90% of students at grade level compared to Troutman Elementary which is a school of No Recognition. Lakeshore Middle is an Honor School of Excellence with at least 90% of students performing at grade level compared to Troutman Middle School which is a School of Progress with only 60-80% at grade level.
... Therefore, the redistricting proposed will negatively impact the value of our property and create an inability to sell our homes. We support the purchase of modular classrooms to be placed at Lakeshore Elementary, Lakeshore Middle, Brawley Middle, Woodland Heights, Lake Norman Elementary, and/or Lake Norman High School to supply seats for future growth. We do not want to be redistricted.Title, Target, and schools ammended Oct. 28th, 2008
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IREDELL GROWTH: 3% A YEAR UNTIL 2015 - BUT FORECAST PREDICTS SLOWDOWN IN NEW-HOME CONSTRUCTION FOR 3 YEARS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, March 9, 2008
Author: KATHRYN THIER, KTHIER@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM
…Superintendent Terry Holliday said he expects the district and the county to reconvene its joint facilities task force this summer to plan the county's next school construction projects. Building a new high school could cost $50 million to $60 million and require a bond referendum, he said.
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$8 MILLION MORE FOR SCHOOLS? - 2 DISTRICTS, COMMUNITY COLLEGE MAY GET COUNTY FUNDS TO DEAL WITH GROWTH
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, February 24, 2008
Author: LENA WARMACK, LWARMACK@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM
…Superintendent Terry Holliday said the charter school is set to open with 1,400 students, which could mean that I-SS would lose about 578 students and $3.5 million in state funding. The state allocates funds based on the student population in each district, so a drop in students means less funding. Holliday said the school district could probably save money if it considers renovating an existing building to house several programs, including automotive technology.
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OFFICIALS SAY SEWER DELAY WILL MEAN A SMALLER SCHOOL - DISTRICT WILL BUILD ITS OWN PLANT AT NEW ELEMENTARY
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Thursday, December 6, 2007
Author: KATHRYN THIER, Staff Writer
Iredell-Statesville Schools officials this week said Mooresville's delay in pursuing sewer capacity expansion will mean a smaller school at the future Coddle Creek Elementary in fast-growing south Iredell. …Town officials blame problems with the state permitting process for the delay. "If it'd been handled properly it could have saved taxpayers money," said I-SS Superintendent Terry Holliday . Instead of 950 students, the school will house about 800 to 820, he said. Because of the change in sewer design, the district will likely not be able to partner with the town on expanding the school fields and gym for school and town use.
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NEW SCHOOL `FAD' NEEDED - LET'S MAKE SUCCESS FOR ALL STUDENTS A PRIORITY, REGARDLESS OF INCOMES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, December 2, 2007
Author: TERRY HOLLIDAY
In education we are always going through the latest reform fad. The '70s were all about self-esteem. The '80s were about a Nation at Risk. The '90s were about accountability and back to basics. The latest reform is 21st Century readiness. All of these reforms had a valid purpose and were well intended. The real reform agenda, however, is societal development. Education systems that are not producing high levels of student learning usually mirror the society within which they operate. The major societal issue that affects education is the economic gap between the "haves" and "have-nots" in our nation. Our nation currently faces the largest economic and income gap since the 1920s. The job promises and Golden Age of the 1950s are gone due to outsourcing of jobs to Asia and the automation of many labor intensive jobs. The concern for our nation is that once an individual or family is in poverty, it is extremely difficult to work one's way out of poverty due to losses of jobs to Asia and automation. The jobs that used to pay good wages to workers without a high school diploma are long gone. This fact is borne out in figures recently published by the Southern Education Foundation. This organization reports that since the late '80s children in poverty in Southern states have increased from 37 percent to the current 54 percent. In the last 10 years, the percentage of children in poverty in North Carolina has moved from 40 percent to 49 percent. Our nation has the highest percentage of children in poverty among 26 developed nations (except Mexico). The income gap in our nation is among the largest of all nations. The income or economic gap in society appears as an achievement gap in education. The normal development of intelligence in children in poverty is suppressed. There is a significant amount of research that shows the impact of poverty on children's vocabulary development. This lack of vocabulary development often appears in school readiness measures. Children in poverty often come to school one or two years behind their peers. Societal issues like the economic and income gaps are mirrored in schools across this country. Schools with large numbers of children in poverty are looked down on by other schools. These schools have difficulty in attracting and retaining high-quality staff. These schools have higher levels of crime and discipline problems. These schools have lower academic achievement. Our society does the worst thing that we can do to these schools - we label them and send external forces in to correct the problems. As an educator, my moral purpose is to help society close these economic and income gaps by preparing all children for a successful future. We must work to eliminate high dropout rates among our economically disadvantaged children. These dropouts, some 7,000 every day in our nation, have an over-representation of African American and Hispanic children. The economic reality for these dropouts is that they will help increase the economic and income gaps for our nation. The good news is that this situation does not have to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Education can make a difference. Over the last five years, we have worked with the community to implement programs like Weed and Seed community development and crime prevention. Our 21st century grant programs have given birth to the Boys and Girls Club. The largest mentoring grant in the nation has helped increase our faith-based partnerships and number of mentors working with children in the community. In collaboration with county commissioners, city of Statesville, and staff, the board of education has shown a commitment to revitalize schools within the Statesville city limits. As with any school system, schools are often labeled by the federal and state No Child Left Behind guidelines. ISS works quickly to provide support for schools and help them improve and remove the labels. My encouragement to the community is to avoid labeling schools and to avoid labeling certain segments and populations within our community. Let's all dream for a bright future for all children that is filled with hope and prosperity rather than a self-fulfilling prophecy of despair. Terry Holliday is superintendent of Iredell-Statesville Schools.
Edition: THREESection: LKNPage: 23NColumn: TERRY HOLLIDAY - GUEST COLUMN
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SCHOOLS GET GRANT WORTH $2.9 MILLION - MONEY TO HELP RISING FRESHMEN, PREPARATION FOR LIFE IN WORK FORCE
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Thursday, October 11, 2007
Author: LENA WARMACK, LWARMACK@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM
Iredell-Statesville Schools received a $2.9 million federal grant to help rising freshmen's transition into high school and to better prepare students for college and the work force. …"The jobs that exist today require higher-skilled labor," said Superintendent Terry Holliday . That means students need training as early as high school to prepare for technical career fields where many jobs are outsourced in foreign countries.
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EDUCATION COMPLEX MUST FIND NEW SITE - SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS TO DROP PLAN TO CONVERT DANA CORP. BUILDING
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, September 2, 2007
Author: LENA WARMACK, LWARMACK@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM
Plans to purchase and convert the vacant Dana Corp. building into an educational complex for Iredell-Statesville Schools were dropped last month. I-SS Superintendent Terry Holliday said the owners of the Statesville building and county commissioners want to use the facility for a future manufacturing business that could generate tax money for Iredell County. The school district will find another location to house its 21 Century Skills Academy, … "We couldn't wait any longer," Holliday said. "We have to start looking at other sites." He said school officials have been scouting other buildings and land for the academy. Holliday said they've looked at three existing facilities and four parcels of land around the Mooresville, Statesville and Troutman areas. Holliday said the district hopes to have a plan ready by November, when the joint facilities task force is expected to start planning for phase three construction projects for I-SS.
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TOO MANY KIDS, TOO FEW BUILDINGS - OFFICIALS ADD MOBILE CLASSROOMS, JUGGLE CAFETERIA SCHEDULES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, August 19, 2007
Author: LENA WARMACK, Staff Writer
High schools around the Lake Norman area are expected to squeeze more students onto already full campuses this school year. To make room for them, some schools will use extra mobile classrooms or add more lunch periods and bus routes. But the temporary adjustments to the older, existing schools won't replace the need for newer facilities to keep pace with growth, some school officials say. "We've done a great job planning for the growth," said Terry Holliday , superintendent for Iredell-Statesville Schools. "We just have not had adequate funds to build the schools. We can't build schools fast enough."
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ARE GRADUATES REALLY READY FOR THE FUTURE? - WHAT HIGH SCHOOLS TEACH MAY NOT BE ENOUGH FOR COLLEGE OR WORK WORLDS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, July 8, 2007
Author: TERRY HOLLIDAY
Recently, Iredell-Statesville Schools (ISS) celebrated a milestone in the lives of students and families. More than 1,200 students graduated from high school. During the 20th century, a high school graduate could count on a decent job and a decent quality of life. The question posed by this article: Is a high school graduation enough to ensure a decent wage and decent quality of life now? Just like in the 20th century, a high school diploma will ensure a higher average yearly wage than a worker without one. The current average yearly salary for a high school graduate is $27,500 and a non-high school graduate can expect to make $19,400 annually, which is below the U.S. poverty level, defined in 2005 at $19,971 annually for a family of four. The reality of the annual salary is that in real dollars, high school wages have declined 24 percent since 1979, and non-high school wages have declined 39 percent since 1979. While the 1,200 students who graduated from ISS can expect to make an average of $27,500 per year, the concern that we have is that more than 300 students who started ninth grade in 2003 did not finish high school, and their average earnings will be below the poverty line. ISS is not alone in this number. Our numbers of 70 percent graduates and 30 percent non-completers is equal to national averages and is overall better than state and Southeast averages. While high school graduates will make more than non-high school graduates, the reality is that more education will be needed, and more education will mean higher wages. The Department of Labor classifies jobs into five zones. In zones 1-2, most workers have a high school diploma or less. In zones 3-5, most workers have a college degree. A zone 1 worker will average $12,638 per year, while a zone 5 worker will average $59,113 per year. While the belief that it pays to be more educated continues to be a reality, many economists, business leaders and educators are beginning to realize that not only do we need to help more students graduate from high school and college, but we must also change what we are teaching and expecting students to learn. In study after study, it is apparent that business leaders and educators are recognizing that what we teach in high school may not be adequately preparing students for work or college. Many studies cite the mismatch between high school English courses that focus on literature and work and college reading that focuses on technical information. High schools focus on recall of information in many science and math courses; however, businesses and colleges want students who are able to apply concepts, solve problems, analyze data, and think creatively. While high schools focus on narrative writing, the worlds of work and college wants writers who can research and write persuasively. Colleges and businesses also want students and workers with study skills, time-management skills and persistence. North Carolina is working with 29 other states in developing the America Diploma project. This project will help define skills and attitudes high school graduates need to be successful at the work or college level. The N.C. State Board of Education has recently defined the minimum courses that will be required for graduation, and the Class of 2010 will be expected to apply skills and knowledge by completing a high school graduation project. North Carolina is also looking carefully at the state testing and accountability program to see if the current testing program is inhibiting student development of creativity and problem solving due to a focus on recall of information. In ISS, we continue to restructure our high schools to focus more on rigor, relevance and relationships. All of our high schools have Freshmen Academy programs to help entering freshmen with the transition to high school. All of our high school courses are undergoing work to revise curriculum, instruction and assessment techniques. Many of our high school teachers and administrators are attending training to help them reform high schools. Also, ISS continues to look for a centralized location for the development of a 21st Century Skills program that will help better prepare graduates for the world that awaits them. ISS teachers and students are also using a continuous improvement model (Plan, Do, Study, Act) that is helping more students learn how to set goals and become responsible for their own learning. While we are making good progress, our goal remains for 100 percent of students to graduate from high school ready to continue their education in college or the world of work. * Terry Holliday is superintendent of Iredell-Statesville Schools.
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MY CASE AGAINST CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN THE SCHOOLS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, June 3, 2007
Author: JEANNETTE ASTOURIAN, Special Correspondent
When it comes to discipline in schools, time has been standing still in our neck of the woods. Did you know that paddling is legal in Iredell-Statesville schools? A bill in the N.C. House to ban corporal punishment in public schools was defeated on the House floor last week. House Bill 853 would have banned paddling as a form of discipline, but instead the decision continues to be left up to school boards. You may have the opportunity to add your two cents worth at the next school board meeting June 11. Despite Superintendent Terry Holliday 's reported request that corporal punishment not be administered, more than 100 children were paddled in Iredell-Statesville schools in the 2005-06 school year. Oddly, the county's policy requires that the instrument used to paddle must be approved by the superintendent prior to use. Did that little detail go unnoticed?
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THE SOURCE - CARTER MET NIXON, GRAHAM AT SAME TIME
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Saturday, June 2, 2007
Author: MARK WASHBURN, PETER SMOLOWITZ, ANN DOSS HELMS, DAVID INGRAM And MARK JOHNSON, Staff Writers And (RALEIGH) NEWS & OBSERVER
…School rating system under review Iredell-Statesville Superintendent Terry Holliday and Independence High Principal Nancy Bartles will spend their summer reviewing North Carolina's testing program. They're members of a new commission that met for the first time this week to review the ABC school rating system.
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2-DISTRICT PARTNERSHIP PITCHED FOR HIGH SCHOOL - NEW CAMPUS WOULD SERVE SOUTHERN PART OF COUNTY
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Thursday, May 31, 2007
Author: LENA WARMACK, LWARMACK@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM
Iredell-Statesville Schools' superintendent wants to consider partnering with the Mooresville Graded School District on a high school that could serve students in southern Iredell County. Rather than build a sixth I-SS high school, I-SS Superintendent Terry Holliday said at a budget workshop Tuesday, a partnership could save the county money. It would cost roughly $45 million to construct a new high school. But renovating an existing building would cost about $23 million while putting off the need for a new high school to 2013, I-SS school officials said. "A regional high school would make more sense," Holliday said.
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QUALITY PRINCIPLES STILL MAKING SCHOOLS BETTER
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, April 29, 2007
Author: TERRY HOLLIDAY
Not too many years ago, the Iredell-Statesville School system was seen as a unique entity. But why? The reason is that the school system was implementing quality principles that had long been used by business. To begin the implementation, the system worked with consultants to develop our own local education version of the Baldrige National Quality Program criteria. Although the deployment was successful, it was met with skepticism by many people in the county. Despite this, the district has continue to move forward using the Baldrige criteria. However, each year we work to continue to tailor the model to our specific needs and the needs our students. We revise it and improve it every year. The question on everyone's mind is, "Has it worked?" The answer is, "Absolutely." In fact, according to state reports, ISS student learning outcomes are at the highest level in the history of the school system. Given the heated debate this subject brought over a year ago in our community, I was intrigued to read the April 2007 issue of Quality Progress, the publication of the American Society for Quality. In this issue, there were three articles that highlighted the depths that quality principles are being used in various organizations. The first article was titled "Building a Better Fantasy Baseball Team." The article showed how fantasy baseball team owners rely on statistical analysis (quality principle) to draft and trade players. The second article was titled "NFL Teams Huddle Up Around Quality." With the parity in professional sports, teams are looking for any advantage, and several have found this advantage by using quality principles. The article made three major points. 1) Every team in the NFL is searching for ways to make smarter decisions and control the quality of player selection, play selection, and coaching decisions, 2) Tom Landry was one of the first coaches in the NFL to use statistics and analysis, and 3) Football software and digital video are essential elements for quality control coaches in the NFL. The final article was "Quality Goes to College." The article showed how colleges are using quality principles to improve processes related to admissions, finance, student housing, financial aid, procurement and student learning. Colleges mentioned who have established continuous quality improvement initiatives include Alabama, Rutgers, Cornell, Washington, Miami, Wisconsin and Penn State. What does quality improvement mean in ISS? It means that teachers and staff are empowered in making decisions that affect curriculum, instruction and assessment. It means that staff members are heavily involved in looking at data to make decisions, not only about student learning, but also about finance, maintenance, personnel and building decisions. It means that the board of education completes a self-assessment and creates an improvement plan just like every school, department and classroom teacher. It means that eventually all students will have individual improvement plans that ensure student accountability for learning. For more information on what ISS does with the quality principles, go to www.iss.k12.nc.us/ quality/index.htm. * Terry Holliday is superintendent of Iredell-Statesville Schools.
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ISS SCHOOLS CONSIDER BAN ON PADDLING - SUPERINTENDENT HAS TOLD PRINCIPALS NOT TO USE CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, April 15, 2007
Author: LENA WARMACK, LWARMACK@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM -OBSERVER ARCHIVES CONTRIBUTED.
This June, the Iredell-Statesville school board will consider eliminating its corporal punishment policy, which allows principals to paddle elementary students for improper behavior. …Four years ago, Superintendent Terry Holliday discouraged principals from using corporal punishment, Johnson said. In a March 15 e-mail to principals, Holliday ordered that they stop using the practice entirely, he said.
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NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND NEEDS DETAILED REFORM, NOT IDEOLOGY - GAINS HAVE BEEN MADE AND MORE ARE POSSIBLE WITH RIGHT APPROACH
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, April 1, 2007
Author: TERRY HOLLIDAY
Over the past few weeks, I have been carefully reviewing the Department of Education recommendations for the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind and the recommendations of the Commission on NCLB. All of these documents have been prepared as a strong lobbying effort on the part of the current administration in Washington to reauthorize NCLB with little change. My opinion of the documents is that very few of the recommendations found within the document will bring about significant changes to the NCLB legislation. It seems that most of the recommendations are based on statistical analysis conclusions that NCLB is working. I have always been, and will continue to be, a NCLB supporter. It is truly amazing that our country has spent the last few years focused on the "soft bigotry of low expectations." I truly believe that many children are receiving a better education as a result of our national focus on closing the achievement gap. I also truly believe that children will need an education that is grounded in reading comprehension, math, science, technology, and understanding world cultures in order to be competitive in the global economy. The problems with NCLB are lodged in the details. Unfortunately, the recommended changes to NCLB are based more on what conservative ideology supports than what educational research supports. The current reform efforts of NCLB are accountability and punitive actions toward the adults that work in schools. There is very little research to support the idea that these reforms will close the achievement gaps in students. Rather, educational research shows that a greater emphasis on programs like preschool education to close learning gaps could help achieve the goal of NCLB. NCLB has tons of problems in terms of validity. NCLB says all children will learn at high levels and at the same rate. Given the wide differences in abilities that children bring to school every year, this assumption by NCLB cannot be supported by research or even common sense. Teachers in ISS will tell you that children who have English as a Second Language, as well as many of our children who have exceptionalities, cannot possibly learn at the same rate and level as a child who comes from a higher socioeconomic background. Our teachers will tell you that all the children can learn at high levels, however, the rate of learning is quite different for every child. I have two major concerns about what I believe to be the over-emphasis on high-stakes testing required by NCLB. First, is the proven track record that over-emphasis on any indicator that can cause a person to be fired will eventually lead to unethical practices. Our society is well-known for these types of unethical behaviors. Look at Enron and the indicator of stock prices. Look at coaches and over-reliance on athletic titles. What would dentists do if they were judged solely on the number of cavities per year? How about doctors who are judged by overweight and obesity levels of patients? The second concern I have is NCLB's belief that we can judge a student's learning, a teacher's teaching, and a school's support system by the use of a one-day, one-time test. What would I recommend? I would recommend a new assessment system that is a value-add system. Teachers and schools do not fear accountability if they are held accountable for helping students grow. I would also recommend schools and districts be held accountable based on a variety of results similar to the ISS Strategic Plan that has 31 measures of school district performance. (If you're interested in seeing this, give us a call.) Finally, I would recommend an assessment system that uses assessments (written and performance based) that are formative rather than summative. In other words, I would recommend testing that serves the purpose of a physical exam (formative) rather than testing that serves the purpose of an autopsy (summative). For those of you who agree or disagree, now is the time to contact your representatives in Washington about the reauthorization of NCLB. * Terry Holliday is superintendent of Iredell-Statesville Schools.
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COMMUNITY ROUNDUP
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, March 25, 2007
Author: JOE DEPRIEST, Staff Writer
For the moment, though, it stands hollow and dusty, filled with rows of scaffolding where wooden folding seats once lined the floor. Crews are working to revamp the 65-year-old auditorium as part of phase one of the school's renovation project. The project includes a new science wing above the auditorium, backstage area with dressing rooms, set construction area, computer lab, dance studio, and rooms for band, chorus, orchestra and art classes. The auditorium will get a "new inside" with seats, carpeting, lighting, ceiling and a stage expansion, said Rob Jackson, director of school construction for Iredell-Statesville Schools. But, ISS superintendent Terry Holliday said, "we're trying to keep the interior to honor the 1920s look." Statesville High will be a full-fledged magnet school for visual and performing arts by the 2008-09 fall semester, Holliday said.
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IF PARENTS TALK, KIDS WILL LEARN - CONVERSATIONS AT HOME SPUR SUCCESS IN SCHOOL
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, February 11, 2007
Author: TERRY HOLLIDAY
In the recent State of the Union address, President Bush asked Congress to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind legislation that was signed into law in January 2001. This legislation has been seen by many to be the most important federal legislation concerning public schools in the history of our nation. For the first time in history, the goal of public education has been clearly stated - "all children will reach grade level in reading, math, and science in grades 3-8 and high school." While all educators agree with the goal, the details of how we reach the goal have caused much controversy throughout the nation. This article focuses on one factor that should be addressed if indeed schools are to make this lofty goal by 2014. The issue concerns the inequality children already have when they enter school. Researchers have well documented the achievement gap exists between advantaged (average and above income) and disadvantaged (poverty level income) children by as early as age 3. Researchers have documented that advantaged children have a vocabulary of more than 1,100 words by age 3 while disadvantaged children have a vocabulary of 525 words. Parent utterances to their children in advantage homes average 487 per hour. Parent utterances to children in disadvantaged homes average 178 per hour. Not only do advantaged children's parents talk to them more and read to them more, they also provide more encouragement than parents of disadvantaged children. Children in advantaged homes average 500,000 words of encouragement and 75,000 words of encouragement from their parents by age 3. Children in disadvantaged homes receive 80,000 words of encouragement and 200,000 words of discouragement by age 3. Researchers documented that disadvantaged children not only hear fewer words from their parents, the words they do hear are mostly discouraging words. Researchers further documented that this vocabulary and encouragement difference impacts the children's IQ. Children from advantaged homes had an average IQ of 117 and children in disadvantaged homes have an average IQ of 79. All of this research points to one thing - disadvantaged children enter kindergarten at least two grade levels below their advantaged peers. These numbers are based on extensive research and represent averages. Individual parents do make a difference and can certainly create conditions better than or worse than the research averages. However, schools have to deal with the achievement gap that already exists for children when they enter school. The option of slowing all children down until the disadvantaged students catch up is not one that schools should or will consider. The key to addressing this achievement gap comes from addressing preschool programs and addressing the vocabulary and encouragement gap. In North Carolina, Gov. Hunt and now Gov. Easley have led the way in addressing preschool programs. Smart Start and More at Four are national examples of how to address the achievement gap and parenting skills. In Iredell County, we have found that children who are served in Smart Start and More at Four centers come to kindergarten ready to learn. As a result, we would like to expand our partnership with the Iredell County Partnership for Young Children and assist with the expansion of slots for preschool children. The details of this partnership will be worked out in the coming year. Many questions will arise as to location and funding for expansion of slots. The N.C. Education Lottery has a certain amount dedicated to expansion of preschool programs and could be a source for this program. Readers who would like additional information on sources for this research are welcome to e-mail me at isssuperintendent@iss.k12.nc.us. * Terry Holliday is superintendent of Iredell-Statesville Schools.
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GLOBAL ECONOMY RAISES NEW HURDLES FOR SCHOOLS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, January 7, 2007
Author: TERRY HOLLIDAY
Over the holiday season I had some time to catch up on professional reading. One of the interesting books that I read was "Tough Times or Tough Choices." This book was published as a report of the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce. The book was supported by the National Center on Education and the Economy. The premise of the book is the challenge the United States faces with the global economy. Our parents always told us that our earning power as an adult was directly related to our learning power. In other words - more education means more earning power. In recent years, we are seeing these concepts erode. While the average non-high school graduate makes less than $20,000 per year and the average college graduate makes $45,000 per year, there are some interesting trends according to data from the Department of Labor. From 2000 to 2004 the average earnings of college graduates actually declined by 5.2 percent. In 1982 dollars, the average weekly earnings for the American worker declined from a high of $315 in 1969 to $275 in 2005. An interesting phenomenon related to declining earnings is the globalization of the workforce. In America, we always thought high skills equaled high wages. That principle is being turned around with the globalization of the work force. In the U.S., a starting engineer salary would be around $45,000. In India, the same engineer (one probably trained in the U.S.) makes $7,500. This leads to our biggest challenge in America. Our high-skill and high-wage workers are now competing with high-skill and low-wage workers in India and China. The value we have to add is that of creativity and innovation. The question for American education is this - do our curricula, instruction, and assessment systems drive creativity and innovation? The answer is probably not. That is why ISS is working hard on development of programs like the 21st Century Skills Academy, Statesville High School Visual and Performing Arts Magnet, and the Ebenezer/Northview magnet program for elementary math, science and technology. I hope readers will stay tuned to future articles where I will describe some of our challenges and solutions in more detail. * Terry Holliday is superintendent of Iredell-Statesville Schools.
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SCHOOLS TO INTENSIFY CHAPERONE SELECTION - POLICY IN WORKS WOULD REQUIRE CHECKS OF ADULTS WHO JOIN FIELD TRIPS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, December 24, 2006
Author: LENA WARMACK, LWARMACK@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM
Iredell-Statesville Schools is considering adding an extra measure to screen volunteer chaperones who want to escort students on school field trips. …"If anyone is going on an overnight field trip with children, we will require background checks just to be safe," said Superintendent Terry Holliday .
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RAMP UP - NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW ON INTERSTATE 77.
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Thursday, December 14, 2006
Author: Observer Staff
…The Iredell-Statesville School Board has approved a three percent bonus for Superintendent Terry Holliday . Holliday earns an annual salary of $134,566.68.
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A CLOSER LOOK AT NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND - LEGISLATION HAS RAISED STANDARDS AND NUMBER OF TESTS STUDENTS TAKE
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, December 3, 2006
Author: TERRY HOLLIDAY
Now that the election is over and Democrats have gained control of the House and Senate at the national level, there has been much speculation among educators about the No Child Left Behind legislation. The legislation is due for reauthorization during the 2007 year. Recently, I received information from the Center on Education Policy in Washington, concerning the "Ten Big Effects of No Child Left Behind." The following summary of these points could serve as a prediction of what our congressional delegation will look at during the review of No Child Left Behind. Student achievement on state tests is rising. Certainly we have seen this mirrored in Iredell-Statesville. Something that will confuse the issue is the "raising of the bar." For example, the N.C. State Board of Education recently raised the bar for passing math tests and will raise the bar for reading next year. What this means is that the state average passing rate for math dropped from a high of 90 percent to the current 60 percent. Schools are spending more time on math and reading at the expense of other subjects. When you have only 180 days and 1,000 hours to help students achieve at high levels in reading, math and writing, teachers are going to naturally focus on what gets measured. In I-SS, we have worked hard to ensure physical education, science and the arts are not neglected in elementary and middle school. At the high school level, students are able to take more courses related to their interests. Students are taking a lot more tests. I-SS is certainly a reflection of this trend. In North Carolina, we are inundated with pilot tests, field tests and state tests. These tests are only for accountability and do little to improve instruction. What teachers prefer is testing to inform instruction and improve student learning. The percentage of schools and districts listed as needing improvement is growing. In North Carolina currently, 66 school systems out of 115 are listed as needing improvement. Given the all-pass or all-fail provisions of No Child Left Behind, all 115 school systems will be listed as needing improvement within three years. Federal government is playing a bigger role in education. This is due to two major pieces of legislation - No Child Left Behind and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Neither of these legislative mandates has received the funding and support that were promised. My prediction concerning No Child Left Behind reauthorization is that the legislation will be reauthorized with very few changes. I predict the changes will focus on the "all pass or fail standard" and additional financial support for implementing the standards of the legislation. If readers want to be part of the process, now is the time to contact members of our congressional delegation. * Terry Holliday is superintendent for Iredell-Statesville Schools.
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STATESVILLE PAIR FACE SEX CHARGES INVOLVING TEEN - IREDELL OFFICIALS SAY MAN HAD CONTACT WITH BOY, BROUGHT HIM TO WOMAN
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Thursday, November 23, 2006
Author: DAN TIERNEY, DTIERNEY@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM
Two Statesville residents, including a former teacher's aide at Statesville High, are accused of statutory sex and statutory rape involving a 15-year-old. … Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Terry Holliday said Williams started at Statesville High in August after working at South Iredell High and Troutman Middle School for around four years. His background check conducted by the district found nothing to prevent his hiring, Holliday said. Williams had no personnel issues during his tenure with the district. The Observer also checked his record.
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LOCAL SCHOOLS PASS ABCS - MOST IN LAKE NORMAN AREA MEET OR EXCEED NEW, TOUGHER STANDARDS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, November 12, 2006
Author: LENA WARMACK, LWARMACK@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM, OBSERVER ARCHIVES CONTRIBUTED
The majority of Lake Norman area public schools met or exceeded ABCs growth goals under a harder academic rating system for the 2005-06 school year. …Terry Holliday , superintendent for I-SS, said he was proud of his district's efforts to help close the achievement gap s, with 80 percent of schools meeting growth goals. "All of our schools can make growth," Holliday said. "It doesn't matter which kids you're working with (or) which end of the county. We've got great teachers everywhere, and they're figuring out how to help kids meet these standards."
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IREDELL SEES NEW WAY TO FUND SCHOOLS - LEASE-PURCHASE PLAN COULD HELP DISTRICT PAY FOR CONSTRUCTION
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, October 29, 2006
Author: LENA WARMACK, LWARMACK@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM
Finding creative ways to help fund school construction and expansion projects in Iredell County was the focus of Thursday's community task force meeting. To build more schools, Terry Holliday , superintendent of Iredell-Statesville Schools, said his district would consider using existing buildings and a new form of financing called the capital lease.
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7 OF 10 AREA HIGH SCHOOLS MEET GOALS - WEST IREDELL, NORTH LINCOLN COMMENDED FOR `HIGH GROWTH'
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, October 8, 2006
Author: DAN TIERNEY, DTIERNEY@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM, STAFF WRITER ANN DOSS HELMS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS STORY.
Despite changes to the criteria that define "growth," seven of 10 Lake Norman-area high schools met state ABCs goals in 2005. … Scores for K-8 schools won't be released until Nov. 1. This year, the growth standards were changed by the state. I-SS Superintendent Terry Holliday , for one, questioned the new growth model. He said the model was produced so close to the beginning of the school year that most of the teachers didn't know what the exact goals were. "It's like playing a baseball game without any rules then announcing a winner at the end," Holliday said. "It doesn't have much face validity. It doesn't make sense." Although Holliday commended North Iredell, South Iredell, Statesville and West Iredell for meeting the new standards, he struggled to understand why Lake Norman, with more than 85 percent of students scoring on grade level, still didn't meet expected growth. Because of that, teachers at the school will not receive any bonus pay from the state. "It's kind of a slap in the face (to the teachers)," Holliday said.
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NEW CHARTER SCHOOL TO OPEN IN MOORESVILLE
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Thursday, August 10, 2006
Author: LENA WARMACK, LWARMACK@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM
Mooresville will be home to a charter school expected to open in 2007 after Pine Lake Preparatory won approval from the State Board of Education this week. …"We think parents should always have options with regard to their child's education," said Terry Holliday , superintendent for Iredell-Statesville Schools. "This school is somewhat of a bonus to our district, though. We are hoping the addition of this school will alleviate some serious overcrowding occurring in our southern-end schools."
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Hail the hands-on students
News & Observer, The (Raleigh, NC) - Wednesday, May 3, 2006
Author: Rick Martinez, Correspondent
…In Iredell, students who head for the shop don't take a back seat academically to those aiming for a corner office. "I keep reading only 18 percent of jobs in the future will require a four-year degree," superintendent Terry Holliday said. "People would be amazed at the level of technology career-education kids have to understand. The comprehension skills required to understand most technical manuals is above that required for the SATs."
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3 SEEK TO REPLACE CASHION ON BOARD - RACE FOR DISTRICT 7 SEAT
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, April 23, 2006
Author: BERNIE PETIT, BPETIT@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM
…One issue in the race is the Baldridge program instituted in county schools by Superintendent Terry Holliday . Parents, students and teachers have mixed opinions on the program, which requires teachers to follow a new form of data collection to drive classroom instruction.
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BOARD REVIEWING ALLEGATIONS MADE ABOUT GIFTED PROGRAM - PARENTS SAY SYSTEM HAS CUT BACK UNLAWFULLY OFFICIALS DENY THAT'S CASE
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Thursday, April 13, 2006
Author: CASEY JACOBUS, SPECIAL TO THE OBSERVER
The Iredell-Statesville School System's Board of Education continued to review allegations concerning the Academically and Intellectually Gifted program during a closed session Monday night. …ISS Superintendent Terry Holliday has categorically denied the charges brought by the Marrs, saying, "ISS is in full compliance with state law."
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NEW SUBDIVISION COULD FILL 3 SCHOOLS - IREDELL-STATESVILLE SCHOOLS CHIEF WELCOMES DEVELOPER'S HEADS-UP
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, March 26, 2006
Author: KATHRYN THIER, KTHIER@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM
A massive 875-acre project proposed for the east side of Interstate 77 at Exit 45 could generate enough schoolchildren to fill three new schools, said Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Terry Holliday . Planning for the as-yet unnamed project got under way in Statesville last week, with developer GS Carolina pledging land for schools, although the details haven't been ironed out. That GS Carolina is even consulting the district on its project before it's been approved is a welcome change, Holliday said. The district usually learns about new subdivisions after plans are finalized, making the school system the "last to know," he said. "These folks are a class act and good planners," he said. Still, even with the developer's land gifts, building three schools could still cost $60 million, Holliday said. That could mean a four-cent tax hike to the county's current tax rate, he said.
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GYMS, FIELDS MAY BE SHARED - SCHOOL DISTRICT TALKING TO TOWN OF MOORESVILLE
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, January 22, 2006
Author: KATHRYN THIER, KTHIER@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM
For the first time, officials from the town of Mooresville and Iredell-Statesville Schools are talking about sharing playing fields, gymnasiums and other recreation facilities. …Especially at Lake Norman Elementary and Lakeshore elementary and middle schools, many students are town residents, said Iredell-Statesville Superintendent Terry Holliday. "Mooresville is starting to look at their whole city limits, not just the town-proper itself," he said. Holliday said he is eager to work with the town Recreation and Parks Department on future projects. For example, the district doesn't build elementary school gyms with bleachers or scoreboards, but the town could contribute money toward those items and then use the gym after school hours, he said.
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Bands bring out judge in superintendent
News & Observer, The (Raleigh, NC) - Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Author: Roger van der Horst, Staff Writer
As any band parent knows, this is the season for changing colors and dropping off kids for long Saturdays at school band competitions. A state championship is being held Saturday at Southern Nash. Green Hope High School's band is headed to Baltimore the following weekend, and Cary, Clayton and West Johnston are scheduled to compete Nov. 9-12 in Indianapolis.All that marching and music requires judges, and Dr. Terry Holliday is one. Holliday, the superintendent of the Iredell-Statesville school district in North Carolina, will work this weekend at an event in Annapolis, Md. He talked about a judge's role. Q: How many weekends do you spend judging band competitions? A: During the fall, I'll do about 10 weekends; during the spring, maybe four or five. Q: How did you get involved in it? A: Well, I was a band director for about 15 years, and during that time, my high school band was very competitive. I began judging ... and have just continued it. It gives me a little outlet to keep my hand in it ... I just enjoy seeing band students in that setting. Q: Has band gotten more competitive over the years? A: I think nationally, yes, there are more avenues for competition now. Q: Is that good thing or a bad thing? A: That depends on the band director. Kids need to be put into competitive situations and learn how to handle the progress toward achievement, and if the band director makes it a goal to be the best they can be and to get better every week, then it's a great thing. If the band director says, "We've gotta beat this band," then it's a bad thing. Q: What's your responsibility as a judge? A: We used to judge everything a band did. Nowadays, it's a little bit more [segmented] ... like, you'll have a judge on music; you'll have a judge looking at their marching; and you'll have a judge look at effect -- the band's presentation and how the audience is reacting to it. Q: What are you asked to judge? A: It varies. I've done it all. I tend to enjoy the effect part of it. Q: What do you look for? A: I'm looking for showmanship. I'm looking for confidence in their performance, the same things you look for when you go to a Broadway show -- showmanship, confidence, the aura of "this is really good, and I'm going to let you enjoy this show." Q: How about if you're judging the music? A: Are they playing the right notes? Are they in tune? Is there a good balance between the winds and the percussion? Q: And the marching? A: Are they in step? Do they have good body posture? Do the forms stay together as they're moving? Q: What do you like to listen to in your leisure time? A: Country music, classical. I'm a very eclectic guy. I listen to everything.
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TALKING WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT - RATINGS DON'T TELL FULL STORY
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, August 3, 2005
Author: TERRY HOLLIDAY
As a baseball player, you want to get a hit every time you bat. What if you got a hit nine out of 10 times you went to bat and were still called a failure? What if you took a 100-item test and answered 99 items correctly - but you received a failing grade? Ridiculous? Yes it is. However, this is exactly what the No Child Left Behind measure called Adequate Yearly Progress does to schools. The purpose of No Child Left Behind is laudable. Everyone wants every child to be successful. The measure of adequate yearly progress was never intended to label schools as failures. However, the media all across the country have recently printed front-page articles that are usually titled, "Schools fail federal requirements." N.C. schools were recently highlighted in such articles. In Iredell-Statesville Schools, six schools were listed on the front page as failures. The real story is that these schools are very successful. In our elementary schools, the schools met 253 of 254 goals for adequate yearly progress. This is a 99.6 percent passing rate. However, one school missed one goal, and it was labeled a failure. In our middle schools, the schools met 146 of 152 goals. This is a 94.2 percent passing rate. However, three middle schools were labeled as failures. In our high schools, the schools met 60 of 67 goals. This is an 89.6 percent passing rate. However, two high schools were labeled as failures. Overall, our school system met 459 of 476 goals. This is an overall passing rate of 96.4 percent, which represents the highest performance in the region and one of the highest in the state. However, citizens perceive that the schools failed. Iredell-Statesville Schools had 86 percent of all students meet or exceed grade level standards for the 2004-05 school year - the highest performance in the history of the school system. When the state testing started in 1996-97, the school system was 66 percent proficient. This year, 100 percent of our elementary schools reached School of Distinction or School of Excellence status. More than 90 percent of our schools reached or exceeded state growth requirements. The school year 2004-05 represented the best overall academic performance in the history of the system. Teachers, administrators and parents are working very hard to help all children achieve grade-level standards or better. Students who did not meet standards were provided additional help in summer school this year and will receive additional help during the school year. Community programs have been implemented to help children reach success. As superintendent, I am extremely proud of the dedication and hard work of teachers and administrators. I am extremely proud of the community partners helping our schools reach higher levels of performance. Teachers and staff members deserve a pat on the back and encouragement from the community - not headlines calling them failures. I hope community members will join me in thanking teachers and staff for a job well done! * Terry Holliday is superintendent of the Iredell-Statesville Schools.
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EDUCATION BOARD PRESENTS TOUGH RULES ON BULLYING
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
The Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education held a first reading Monday night on a new district bullying policy that clarifies the behavior and its consequences for parents, students and staff. Currently, bullying falls under the general district student discipline policy and is not tracked as a separate discipline issue. That would change if the new policy passes after a second reading at the August board meeting, as expected. "It's got a little bit more meat on the bones, so to speak," Iredell-Statesville Superintendent Terry Holliday said in an interview. The move follows a push by the state Board of Education to eliminate school bullying. In the spring,
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SCHOOL DISTRICTS TOP TESTS - I-SS BEST ON 4TH-GRADE LEVEL MOORESVILLE IS TOPS IN 7TH AND 10TH GRADES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
Iredell County's two public school systems led districts in the Charlotte region on the state writing tests, even as debate lingers among educators about the test's merits. …Iredell-Statesville Superintendent Terry Holliday is away on vacation this week. Before he knew the comparative district results last week, Holliday said he was pleased with the progress fourth-graders made since last year. Holliday said, however, that there is a disconnect between how the state Department of Public Instruction tells districts to prepare students for the test and how they are graded. "I think the biggest issue is it's not real clear across this state how these things are evaluated," he said. "We're still lacking complete and full understanding what the rubric is and what's expected." Because of that, Holliday said he thinks the new SAT with essay questions and AP exams are better indicators of students' writing ability. Despite the good news for Iredell's districts overall, African American, Hispanic and, sometimes, Asian students did significantly poorer than white students.
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SCHOOLS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, June 12, 2005
Author: Observer Staff
Superintendent Holliday appointed to national board Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Terry Holliday was recently appointed to the 2005 Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. As an examiner, Holliday is responsible for reviewing and evaluating applications submitted for the award. The board is composed of approximately 500 leading experts selected from industry, professional and trade organizations, education and health care organizations, and government. All members of the board must take part in a preparation course based on the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence and the scoring and evaluation processes for the award.
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MEDIATION SMOOTHS THE WAY FOR COUNTY, SCHOOLS - LAST YEAR'S PROCESS PAYS OFF AS COMMISSIONERS HIKE PER-PUPIL SPENDING
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, June 1, 2005
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
Iredell County commissioners' discussions with Iredell-Statesville Schools officials about next year's budget were upbeat and cordial last week, in marked contrast to last summer, when the school board compelled the commissioners to legal mediation. Both sides agreed Thursday that the process, while painful, had led to better cooperation between the boards. As proof, commissioners plan to raise the amount the county spends per pupil by 6.73 percent, based on a formula developed in talks between the county and the district following mediation. "I do think this budget reflects the fact that if the commissioners have the resources, we're going to give it," said commissioner Steve Johnson, who was board chairman during mediation. Last year, commissioners did not raise per-pupil spending 5 percent, as the county often did as part of an informal agreement with the district. Commissioners said then the county had only enough money to give a 2 percent per-pupil increase, which the school board doubted. On that basis, the school board invoked a statute allowing them to compel commissioners into mediation, which did not change county funding. Yet in talks this year, the county developed a formula with the district for per-pupil increases, depending on revenues, to decrease future misunderstandings between the boards. Next year's increases will help the district raise the local supplement to teachers' state salaries to 7.5 percent, a move necessary to attract highly qualified teachers, Superintendent Terry Holliday said.
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FYI
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, April 17, 2005
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, ERICA BESHEARS - STAFF WRITERS
…LAST WEEK The Iredell-Statesville school board voted Monday night against running Lake Norman High School on two or three shifts a day next year to relieve overcrowding. Instead, the board decided to lease-purchase two "mega" mobile units with seven classrooms each. If the district had chosen to operate Lake Norman on shifts, it would have been the first district in the state to do so, Superintendent Terry Holliday said.
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VOTERS MAY GET TO DECIDE ON SCHOOLS - COMMISSIONERS WILL CONSIDER REFERENDUM ON CONSTRUCTION PLAN
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, April 17, 2005
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
For the first time in six years, Iredell County commissioners will formally consider allowing residents to vote on a bond referendum for schools construction. …Yet bond referendums historically have not had a high success rate in Iredell. Many residents pride themselves on the county's 43.5 cents per $100 valuation property tax rate, the state's fifth-lowest. To pay the debt on $49.9 million in bonds would likely require a three-cent tax rate increase, Iredell-Statesville Superintendent Terry Holliday said. The owner of a $100,000 home would see their yearly tax bill rise $30; the owner of a $200,000 home, $60. Iredell residents last approved a bond referendum in 1997 and, prior to that, 1947. In that 50-year interim, two others failed, in 1954 and 1993.
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SCHOOLS STAY CALM AT NEWS OF SHOOTING - THEY SAY SAFETY PLANS ARE IN PLACE, PUT FOCUS ON WORKING WITH KIDS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Author: PETER SMOLOWITZ, STAFF WRITER - STAFF WRITERS EMILY S. ACHENBAUM, DAN DUFFEY, DEBORAH HIRSCH, APRIL BETHEA AND KATHRYN WELLIN CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ARTICLE.
Reaction to the Minnesota high school shooting Tuesday differed greatly from the fear that gripped students and educators nearly five years ago after Columbine. The Colorado shootings sparked rumors of copycat violence, prompted wary students to stay home, and forced educators to bolster security. But Minnesota's Red Lake High School had a metal detector and a guard. And that didn't stop a teen from launching a shooting spree. "We all have safe school plans in place," said Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Terry Holliday . "I don't know that a safe school plan would have prevented that."
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COMMUNITY RESPONDS TO SCHOOL NEEDS - ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IS UP, WITH SUPPORT FROM VOLUNTEERS, BUSINESSES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Author: TERRY HOLLIDAY
Academic performance of students in the Iredell-Statesville Schools is at the highest level in the history of the school system, thanks to the efforts of educators, students, parents and the community. I want to let the community know the wonderful level of response the system has received in support of success for every student. ISS asked for help from the community during a "Closing the Gap Day" in 2003. ISS asked the community for more volunteers in the schools. The community responded. During the 2003-04 school year, more than 36,000 volunteer hours were logged in our schools. This represents a value of more than $1.2 million, according to the Points of Light Foundation. As of December 2004, the rate of volunteer hours in schools exceeded the hours donated in 2003-04. ISS asked for help with Adopt-A-School from churches. The community responded. Twenty-six of our 32 schools have formal adopt-a-school partnerships with churches. In addition, numerous churches are providing after-school and evening programs. ISS estimates at least 60 churches help schools at some level. ISS asked for more help from the business community, and it responded. The school system has more than 50 formal business partnerships with schools, developed under the Golden Opportunities program sponsored by ISS and the Chamber of Commerce. Hundreds of businesses also support school programs and activities. ISS asked for help to obtain state and federal grants. The community responded. In partnership with Mitchell Community College, South Statesville Skills Center, Fifth Street Ministries, Molly McKay Center and Statesville Housing Authority, a $1.2 million federal grant was received. It provides after-school and summer programs for more than 250 students. In collaboration with Mitchell Community College, a grant to implement an early college high school was obtained from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Also, ISS and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Southern Piedmont received the largest grant in the nation for mentoring programs. More than 500 students will be provided mentors/tutors over the next three years. Piedmont Bank recently became our first business to sponsor mentors for this grant. Many churches and civic groups are also working with Big Brothers/Big Sisters to recruit mentors. The Record and Landmark has provided a weekly "Focus on Education" section. Recently, we asked the business community to help us obtain $2 million in capital funding for renovations at Statesville High School. The business community responded. While funding is at no interest, the business community had to provide a 10-percent match ($200,000). These businesses responded with commitments totaling more than $460,000 in cash or in-kind contributions: Iredell Memorial, Davis Regional, Piedmont Health Care, Zimmer, Thorlo, Neader Management (McDonald's), Black GMC, Bell & Howard Chevrolet, Nissan of Statesville, Dixie Jeep Chrysler, Toyota West, Finish Line Dodge, Finish Line Lincoln and Mitchell Community College. With this kind of support from the community, the ISS Board of Education is certain we will achieve our mission of success for every child. I am proud to work in a community that supports children and education. For details about how you, your church or business can get involved, please call Maureen Moore at (704) 924-2032. * Terry Holliday is the superintendent of the Iredell-Statesville Schools.
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HOW OTHER DISTRICTS HANDLED IT
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, March 6, 2005
Author: EMILY S. ACHENBAUM
Iredell-Statesville Schools: Superintendent Terry Holliday , an external candidate, was hired two years ago after an external and internal search.
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SCHOOL BOND REFERENDUM LIKELY - COUNTY SAYS IT DOESN'T HAVE ALL THE MONEY FOR PHASE I CONSTRUCTION
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, March 2, 2005
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
A school construction bond referendum is likely at election time this fall, after Iredell County commissioners said last weekend they will not raise taxes for schools construction without voter consent. …After commissioners offered the $35 million, they looked to school board Chairman Dr. David Cash and Superintendent Terry Holliday to propose a solution for the remainder. Stunned, the school officials said they thought commissioners had agreed to make sure Phase 1 got funded.
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STATE'S FUNDING INEQUITIES LEAVE ISS WITH A RESOURCE GAP
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, February 6, 2005
Author: TERRY HOLLIDAY
Recently, Iredell-Statesville Schools became one of the first school systems in North Carolina to host a work session on teacher working conditions. The Southeast Center for Teaching Quality worked with the teachers of the year from each school in our system. These two paragraphs come from the center's report on Gov. Mike Easley's efforts to improve working conditions for teachers and serve as background for this column: "For virtually any business or organization, the conditions in which employees work drive their satisfaction and productivity. Yet, while business often focuses on employee satisfaction, many schools often struggle to address critical working conditions - isolating teachers in classrooms with closed doors, denying them basic materials to do their job, inundating them with non-essential duties, providing them with little input into the design and organization of schools, and offering little opportunity for career advancement and professional growth. Such conditions are closely related to teacher turnover and difficulties in recruiting and retaining teachers. Rarely has the academic and policy community taken teacher working conditions seriously, although research evidence has proven the link between the conditions under which teachers work and their effectiveness." "Under the leadership of Gov. Mike Easley, North Carolina became the first state in the nation to study teacher working conditions by surveying those whose opinion matters most on these issues - teachers themselves. First in 2002, and again in 2004, teachers were asked questions about time, facilities and resources, empowerment, leadership and professional development; all shown to have an impact on whether teachers stay and students learn." The Working Conditions Survey results for Iredell-Statesville Schools show the school system is at or above the state average in time, empowerment, leadership and professional development. The only area in which ISS was significantly below the state average was in responses to survey questions about facilities and resources. Certainly, frequent readers of the newspaper know the issues related to school facilities. For the past two years, the Board of Education has involved the community in creating a long-range plan to address the inequity in school facilities and the continued need for additional space in schools due to the growth in the county. The Board of Education and Board of Commissioners are working together to solve the funding issues related to school facilities. The second part of this issue is resources. For the last two years, ISS teachers have been telling the Board of Education that additional resources are needed in classrooms if they are expected to help every child be successful. For the 2002-03 budget, an additional $20 per student was added for classroom resources. Classroom resources take on many different forms. They include technology to provide students with high-speed access to the "Information Age." Resources include materials for different levels of reading ability in every classroom in the school system. Resources include reference materials and books in media centers. Resources include science equipment and materials that engage students in hands-on science instruction. Resources include the supplies and materials needed in a vocational class to help students see the connection between schoolwork and the world of work. The reality of resources is that resources require funding. A typical classroom in North Carolina spends $14,580 more than a typical classroom in ISS. A typical classroom in Hoke County (the key county in the Leandro lawsuit) spends $6,640 more than the typical classroom in ISS. Critics have said Hoke County and the average county in North Carolina need more funding because they do not have the community resources that Iredell County provides citizens. Let's look at counties similar to Iredell. Buncombe County spends $10,860 more per classroom. Cabarrus County spends $1,220 more per classroom. Johnston County spends $8,100 more per classroom. Rowan County spends $3,280 more per classroom. Catawba County spends $1,280 more per classroom. There were only five counties during the 2003-04 school year that spent less than ISS - Yadkin, Randolph, Caldwell, Alexander and Davidson, all of which receive additional funding from the state for either being a small county or a low-wealth county. State funding is the main reason ISS spends less per classroom. More than 69 counties receive low-wealth funding, and another 28 counties receive small-county funding from the state. Only 24 counties do not receive either low-wealth or small-county funding. Of these, ISS funding per classroom is the lowest. Mooresville Graded School District is able to spend $6,000 more per classroom due to supplemental school taxes approved for that school system. Critics will say ISS should cut wasteful spending. ISS has the lowest central office ratio to students in the state. ISS has one of the lowest levels of principals/assistant principals in the state. ISS has cut more than $700,000 from central office services in the last two years. ISS saved more than $400,000 in energy costs for 2003-04. ISS has a zero-based budgeting process that looks for cost savings annually. Few dollars are left to cut and still maintain the school system. The Board of Commissioners and the Board of Education are working hard to lobby state legislators to help with this situation. The state programs such as Leandro, small counties, and low-wealth funding are supposed to create equity in funding. However, they are actually creating inequities in funding where it matters most to us - our classrooms. Our legislative delegation faces an uphill battle on this issue. Davie, Iredell and Cabarrus counties do not receive these supplemental funds from the state. Our legislators will battle the legislators from the vast majority of counties that do receive these funds. Let's all stay tuned for the debate. Meanwhile, ISS students and teachers need additional resources for classrooms and facilities so "working conditions" equal "learning conditions" for all children in all parts of our county. * Dr. Terry Holliday is the superintendent of Iredell-Statesville Schools.
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550 MENTORS NEEDED TO TUTOR AT-RISK STUDENTS - $1.3 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT AIMS TO HELP CLOSE BLACK ACHIEVEMENT GAP
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
…Superintendent Terry Holliday told the gathering that the district has made great progress toward closing the achievement gap, but now needs community help to narrow it further. "We're at the point now where the schools definitely need a lot more help one-on-one with kids who need help reading and performing in math," he said. Since 1997 in grades three-eight, the achievement gap for African American students has been reduced by 40 percent in math and 60 percent in reading. The achievement gap is measured by the percentage of all students on grade level compared with the percentage of African American students on grade level.
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HIGHER STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT A STATE OF THE SCHOOLS HIGHLIGHT - STRATEGIC PLAN APPROVAL AMONG OTHER SUCCESSES FROM THE PAST 2 YEARS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, January 9, 2005
Author: TERRY HOLLIDAY
It is the season for the "State of the Union" and "State of the State" speeches. In a few weeks, the president and the governor will let the nation and the state know the progress that has been made and the work to be done. I recently completed my second year as Iredell-Statesville Schools superintendent. The school system has made a great deal of progress and has much work to be done. Today's column will serve as our "State of the Schools" update. Perhaps one of the biggest accomplishments of the last two years was the board of education's approval of a strategic plan that spelled out a very clear mission - success for every child. Also, a clear vision was articulated - Top 10 in school systems in North Carolina within five to seven years. The strategic plan created five priorities, with goals and objectives for each. If the goals and objectives are reached, the school system will achieve the vision within the timeframe. The five priority areas are high student performance; healthy, safe, orderly and caring schools; quality staff; strong partnerships; and effective/efficient operations. * High student performance Student achievement on N.C. tests and the SAT is the highest in the history of the school system It is above the state and region average and ranks in the top 25 percent of N.C. school systems. The school system has closed the achievement gap between whites and African Americans by more than 30 percent in the last few years. However, much work needs to be done. The achievement gap needs to be completely closed, and high-performing students need to be challenged to excel to higher levels. The school system has received numerous federal and state grants to address innovations in changing high schools. Much work needs to be done to lower drop-out rates and increase academic performance of high school students. * Healthy, safe, orderly, caring Iredell-Statesville Schools continues to enjoy one of the lowest rates of crime among schools in North Carolina. Also, the school system has been recognized for innovative and effective alternative programs. In 2004, a Health Advisory Task Force made recommendations that led to increases in the amount of time students engage in physical activity in schools. As part of the Healthy, Safe, Orderly and Caring Schools goals, the school board approved a new attendance policy that has led to the highest attendance percentage in the history of the school system. Also, with the help of a federal grant, the school system has partnered with Big Brothers/Big Sisters to begin a comprehensive mentoring and tutoring program. The work that needs to be done within this priority is improvement in bus discipline and daily classroom behavior. * Quality staff The board of education has worked to reduce teacher turnover and to improve the professional development offered to teachers. As a strategy for ensuring Quality Staff, the board, with support from county commissioners, has raised the local supplement for teachers to 7.25 percent. Also, a recruitment bonus was provided to teachers of math, science and exceptional children due to the shortages in these teaching areas. Additionally, ISS has increased the number of National Board Certified Teachers to above the region average. The areas for improvement within quality staff are continued emphasis on raising the local supplement to above the state average and continued focus on providing aligned and relevant professional development to teachers. * Strong partnerships There has been significant progress in expanding partnerships. The best evidence for this improvement is the number of federal and state grants awarded due to partnerships developed with local non-profit and faith-based organizations. The recent partnership with Barium Springs Home for Children was perhaps one of the most significant developments for our school system. The Chamber of Commerce has supported the development of an Education Foundation for Iredell County, and the Golden Opportunities program has increased school-based partnerships with business and nonprofits in our community. The areas for improvement within this priority are the continued development of an education foundation and the continued partnership with the business community to identify workforce needs for coming years. * Effective/efficient operations I feel the most significant improvements have been made in our effective/efficient priority. The school system has received zero findings from external audits the last two years. Receiving clear audits from external auditors represents a significant improvement from previous years. Also, the school system has moved to a sound fund balance in alignment with auditor recommendations. The school system provides an excellent education while spending far less than the state average for operating costs - our current rank is 113th out of 115 counties. Also, the school system has one of the lowest ratios of central office staff per students in the state. More than $700,000 has been redirected from central office costs to classroom expenditures in the last two years. The school system implemented an energy management program that led to more than $400,000 in savings the first 10 months of operation. The board of education and the county commissioners have recently approved the priorities for facility projects that need to be completed to improve the physical condition of schools and provide adequate seating for growth in our county. The work that needs to be done in this priority relate to funding and completing the school facilities plan and continuing to find ways to direct more dollars to the classroom. The accomplishments listed above were only realized through a team effort of staff, students and community. The work ahead is very difficult. However, I am certain the community will support the school system as we work together to help every child be successful.
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2004 - YEAR OF TRAGEDY AND TRIUMPH HAD MANY MOMENTS OF HOPE
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, December 26, 2004
Author: ERICA BESHEARS KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITERS, KATHRYN WELLIN, KATHRYN WELLIN, KATHRYN WELLIN, ERICA BESHEARS, ERICA BESHEARS, ERICA BESHEARS, KATHRYN WELLIN, , , KATHRYN WELLIN, KATHRYN WELLIN, KATHRYN WELLIN, ERICA BESHEARS, KATHRYN WELLIN
It's time to show 2004 to the door. The year was a tough one in Iredell County. The biggest stories of the year were also ones of tragedy, political contention and problems that needed solving. County-schools strife Iredell public debate, normally outwardly cordial, erupted over school funding issues this year. It began in February, when Iredell-Statesville Superintendent Terry Holliday unveiled an innovative plan to address all district construction needs in four years without a tax increase. County commissioners said the $124 million plan required a tax increase and would never be approved by the state agency that OKs local public debt. The Local Government Commission said it would consider approving the plan if commissioners supported it. Commissioners said declining revenues meant they couldn't. In June, commissioners cited declining revenues again when they gave the district less than it asked for in per-pupil spending in this year's budget. The school board compelled the commissioners to mediation over what it called inadequate funding, by invoking a little-used state statute. The mediated settlement did not give the district more money, but it provided a road map for the two boards to work together to develop construction priorities and shared cost estimates. A joint county/schools task force on schools facilities finished its recommended priorities list last month; commissioners approved it this month. Some commissioners and school officials say work on Phase 1 of the priority list could start as early as this summer and would not require a property tax increase. Funding for future phases remains uncertain.
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, October 31, 2004
Author: Observer Contributors
The writer is the Iredell County manager.Job incentives pay off in balanced growth Unfortunately, Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Terry Holliday created a few myths of his own in his column, "During political season, don't be fooled by myths" (Iredell Neighbors, Oct. 6). First, the article implied that the only people to benefit from growth in this area have been the politicians, developers and chamber of commerce. Without question, growth creates a demand for more services, but this county has been very active in making decisions that bring balanced growth to the county. Were we nothing more than a bedroom community for Charlotte-Mecklenburg, we would probably not be able to fund our growth without a substantial tax increase, but since we have had balanced growth, i.e., a good mix of industrial, commercial and residential, not only have we increased our tax base, but new jobs have been created, benefiting all of us. If balanced growth continues, our children will be able to live, work and shop right here in Iredell County. Some have questioned whether we end up winning or losing when we provide incentives to create jobs. Looking back over the past few years at the new jobs brought to the county through incentives, I wonder which we could have done without. Would it be the more than 900 jobs at ASMO in Statesville, or maybe the more than 230 new jobs at Cardinal Glass in Mooresville? What about the 4,000 to 8,000 new administrative and professional jobs being created at the Lowe's headquarters in south Iredell? Just which of these jobs should we give up? Incentives were necessary to beat out the competition for these jobs. Iredell County is investing about $1,800 per pupil per year to educate them. In the 13 years these students will be in public schools, this will be around $24,000 per child. That is too much to invest in a child for him or her to have to leave the county to find a good paying job. Incentives may not be popular, but in the present competitive environment, they are necessary. What about the county's spending to educate our children? Some would have you believe we are among the lowest in the low. How can that be when we rank 20th in the state in per capita income, yet we are 12th in our appropriation for schools? Our superintendent recently painted a very negative picture of county funding when he included state and federal funding to show us near the bottom in per pupil expenditures. That may be so, but he does not explain why it costs $12,887 a year to educate a child in Hyde County, or $8,887 in Graham County, when most of the larger counties in the Piedmont are able to do it for much less, including federal and state funding. For example: Cabarrus, $6,017; Catawba, $5,997; Union, $5,941; and Iredell, $5,908. Maybe it costs more to educate a child in a disadvantaged area because there is so much to overcome. That is not the case for most of us in this area. Iredell County spends 41 percent of its annual budget to educate its children. The county is expanding, renovating or building new schools at a rate of almost one per year, which is about as fast as you can locate a site, plan the facility, arrange for financing and get it built. Is that fast enough? In some areas, the answer is no, so we will continue to see some modular units around for a while, but with proper care and maintenance, even a modular unit can be a fit alternative to brick and mortar, at least until the growth levels out more, as it will do. The county commissioners and school boards are working together to plan for our future school needs. The only way those needs can be met is to ensure we maintain a suitable business climate that will encourage new investment and help to pay the bills to educate our children, and then provide them with good jobs when they are educated. Joel Mashburn Statesville
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AFTER-SCHOOL HELP FOR S. STATESVILLE - FOUR LEARNING CENTERS CLOSER TO STUDENTS' HOMES HELP THOSE IN GRADES 3-8
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, October 10, 2004
Author: BRIDGETT NESBIT, STAFF WRITER
A new program aimed at boosting the academic performance of students from south Statesville will deliver after-school help to 200 third- through eighth-graders beginning on Monday. Only 30 Iredell-Statesville students from the lower-income community now attend after-school programs. The problem is that students who live in south Statesville are spread out among seven schools because that area no longer has any public schools, and program fees and transportation back home are a challenge, said Bricca Sweet, an Iredell-Statesville Schools grant consultant. "The data we had showed that the youth in south Statesville have a higher demographic and economic need, opposite from the rest of the county," Sweet added. For instance, 92 percent of 10th-graders from south Statesville performed below grade level in 2002-03, Sweet said. Sweet credits Iredell-Statesville Superintendent Terry Holliday with getting south Statesville children the extra help. "Dr. Holliday asked for a community-wide meeting to try and bridge the gap of south Statesville students scoring below grade level," Sweet said. "He checked his ego at the door, because he could have insisted that the school system take fiscal responsibility.
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DURING POLITICAL SEASON, DON'T BE FOOLED BY MYTHS - IT'S VITAL TO KNOW HOW SCHOOLS ARE FINANCED AND THE ROLE OF GROWTH
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, October 6, 2004
Author: TERRY HOLLIDAY , superintendent of the Iredell-Statesville Schools
As we enter the final weeks of the 2004 election season, there will be many political statements and political ads that only tell part of the story. Since public schools are a significant portion of local, state and national budgets, many facts presented will be misrepresentations of the actual data. The purpose of today's column is to debunk several "myths" about the local public schools that will certainly surface. Myth No. 1: Growth pays for growth. Politicians, developers and Chambers of Commerce love to make this statement. Most studies that support this position have been conducted and paid for by these groups. While there are some situations where this statement can be factual, in our region this statement is not factual. A quick review of local newspapers and recent bond referenda history in the counties that surround Charlotte will debunk this myth. Growth brings tremendous demand on infrastructure. Roads, water, sewer, schools, hospitals, public health, public safety, libraries and parks are all significant infrastructure needs impacted by growth. Quick reviews of counties surrounding Charlotte will reveal that a large number of bonds and tax increases have been implemented to deal with growth. Further evidence to debunk this growth myth is the actual property tax dollars generated by a home. For the 2003-04 school year, Iredell County provided $1,168 per pupil for school operating expenses and $598 for school capital outlay expenses. The total per-pupil expenditure by the county for school operating and capital expenses was $1,766. A $200,000 home taxed at the rate of 43.5 cents per $100 of assessed value will generate $870 in property tax. This is less than half the amount of the per-pupil expenditure. The only way for growth to pay for growth is to have more homes built that do not have children and have a larger percentage of the tax base in industrial growth rather than residential growth. Even when we have a larger percentage of industrial growth, infrastructure costs are not always offset by the increase in the property tax base. For example, to recruit industry to Iredell County, the commissioners often provide incentives. In the case of Lowe's corporate headquarters, the incentive was an 80 percent reduction of property taxes for six years. Finally, if growth did pay for growth, why do we have so many schools with modular units and the school system has the largest ratio of modular units per pupil in the region? Myth No. 2: The school system spends too much on central office. The facts debunk this myth. Iredell-Statesville Schools ranked last among school systems in the state in ratio of central office administrators to students in 2002-03 and 116 out of 117 school systems in 2003-04. ISS has one central office administrator for every 1,000 students in the school system. If the school system were compared with business, it would be evident that our business has more than 22,000 workers - 19,460 students and 2,700 employees. The ISS ratio of administrator to worker is certainly well below a comparison level for business. Additionally, ISS has reduced central office spending by more than $500,000 in the past two years. These dollars have been placed into classroom budgets where they are most needed. ISS would prefer to continue to reduce the central office. However, federal and state mandates such as No Child Left Behind and Individuals with Disabilities Act require a significant amount of management and paperwork that must be handled at the central office level. Also, state and federal mandates and guidelines for personnel, payroll, accounting, purchasing, operations and student services create the need for much of the work done by central office. Myth No. 3: The schools have reached the state average in spending per pupil, and that is good enough. Once again, the facts debunk this myth. The school system receives funding from three sources: local, state and federal. For the 2003-04 school year, the school system received $4,263 per pupil from state sources; $318 per pupil from federal sources; and $1,287 from local sources (county funding and fines/forfeitures). ISS ranked 112th in state funding, 111th in federal funding and 52nd in local funding. When all sources of revenue were combined, ISS ranked 113th out of 117 districts in funding per pupil for operating expenses. The state average expenditure per pupil was $6,613 per pupil, while the ISS average was $5,868 per pupil. ISS is $745 per pupil below state average expenditures. My goal as superintendent is for ISS to be an efficient and effective school system. A measure of effectiveness could be that ISS produces student learning that is among the highest in the state at a cost at or below state average. However, $745 below state average is significant and places ISS at a distinct disadvantage with other school systems. Our ability to provide much-needed classroom materials, equipment, transportation, teacher salary supplements and other classroom needs is severely hampered when we compare ourselves with what other school systems are spending. When I explain the expenditure ranking to community members, I am always asked if it is reasonable to expect the county to fund the shortfall between what the state and federal government provide and the state average for per pupil expenditures. My answer is always the same. Whether we are talking about Medicare, economic development, state or federal grants, or schools, most funding formulas are based on the wealth of the county. Whether we agree with this approach or not, this is the general direction from the state and federal level. In our state, the Leandro court case is very similar to court cases that have led 23 states to change the funding formulas for education. The changes have usually led to an equity-based formula that is based on the "Robin Hood" principle - rob from the rich and give to the poor. Our situation in Iredell County will only worsen. As superintendent, I hope that our children will observe our politicians and local citizenry involved in an "issues-based" political season that looks at facts rather than myths. I hope that residents will model for our children how to disagree on the issues, rather than making the political season about personal attacks. I also hope our residents will model for our children the importance of being involved in the political process of voting. Let's all strive to have the largest voter turnout in the history of Iredell County. * Terry Holliday is the superintendent of the Iredell-Statesville Schools.
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COUNTY, SCHOOLS OFFICIALS STILL STUCK OVER FUNDING
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
The key county and district officials in the Iredell-Statesville Schools' funding debate took a step toward improving their relationship Monday by sharing financial data to ease budgeting for both groups. But, the two sides could not agree on how to raise more money to run and build schools. …Iredell-Statesville ranks 113 out of 117 districts in the state in terms of overall funding, Superintendent Terry Holliday said. That rank includes federal, state and county funding. In terms of county funding, the district ranks 52nd in the state, but much poorer state and federal rankings bring down its standing. Iredell receives less federal and state money than most other districts because it's comparatively wealthy, Holliday said.
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PARENTS SPEAK OUT ON ATTENDANCE PLAN - AFFECTS STUDENTS AT LAKE NORMAN, LAKESHORE, POSSIBLY MOUNT MOURNE
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, August 29, 2004
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
…Superintendent Terry Holliday said several times that Iredell County commissioners control the district's finances and when and how many schools are built. "It wasn't a lack of planning on our part; we've been planning for years," he said. "I can't build schools without money, and I can't buy buses without money." Last week, the county and the district met for the first time to jointly plan schools construction as part of a mediated settlement between the boards. The school board forced the commissioners into mediation after several months of stalemate over a $124 million district construction plan to relieve overcrowding in four years, which the commissioners found financially risky. Holliday implored parents to educate themselves about local politics and vote for commissioners in November's election with "vision and business sense." "Tonight, we probably have five to six times the number of people in this room as did a commissioner candidates' forum in this room (a few months ago)," he said. "At some point, you have to think to yourself, `Am I registered to vote, and did I vote?' " Holliday declined to endorse any candidate when requested by a parent, saying he is not partisan. Holliday also reminded parents grumbling about switching schools that the high growth around the lake means their children attend the newest schools in the county. "There's a whole other area up there that thinks you're getting more than your share," he said. One parent suggested building larger elementary schools to combat growth. The district builds elementary schools with an approximately 800-student capacity because research shows younger students do better in smaller schools, Holliday said. Lake Norman Elementary is the district's second-most-crowded school; however, it has 97.7 percent of students on grade level, the highest in the system, Holliday said.
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TEACHERS ALONE CAN'T ASSURE GOOD EDUCATION - ELIMINATING SUPPORT STAFF WOULD BE BREAKING UP THE SCHOOLING TEAM
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Author: TERRY HOLLIDAY , superintendent of the Iredell-Statesville Schools
In a recent syndicated column, John Hood of the John Locke Foundation and publisher of the Carolina Journal, said educators and politicians were misinterpreting the N.C. Supreme Court's Leandro ruling. The ruling relates to a school funding case filed by low-wealth counties, represented by Hoke County, and urban counties. The court ruled that every child in North Carolina has a constitutional right to a sound basic education. The Leandro trial judge, Howard Manning, has ruled that components of a sound basic education are a highly qualified teacher in every classroom, a qualified principal leading every school and resources to provide instruction in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. The Department of Public Instruction and the state Board of Education proposed an additional $220 million for counties such as Hoke to provide the elements of a sound basic education. The General Assembly did not provide any funds. However, Gov. Mike Easley did fund $12 million to 10 counties identified as at risk, similar to Hoke. Mr. Hood takes the position that additional dollars are not needed in these counties. He says school systems are spending money on the wrong things. He lists mid-level managers, instructional support personnel, non-instructional support personnel and teacher assistants as areas where schools could drastically cut personnel and put the money into highly qualified teachers. Jay Robinson, former state Board of Education chairman, once summarized this type of philosophy. He said, "Some people think all we need to teach children is a good teacher, a stump and a hickory stick." If we take another important service industry, health care, and try to use Mr. Hood's logic, we see that any reasonable person would not apply this logic. Using Mr. Hood's logic, we could reduce health-care costs by cutting mid-level managers, support personnel, nonhealth related support personnel and health-care assistants. If health care did this, a hospital visit would look very different. There would be no admissions people. I could just find a room and wait on my doctor to arrive. There would be no billing clerks or insurance clerks; doctors would send me their bill when they have time. Doctors would not need scheduling clerks; surely they can keep up with where their patients are located and what their patients need. Also, doctors would not need support personnel. Surely they are trained to do X-rays, draw blood, analyze tests and take blood pressure. Certainly, doctors and hospitals don't need custodians to keep the hospital clean or maintenance workers to repair the air conditioning or keep the plumbing working. Also, doctors would not need nursing assistance, lab technicians and other assistant types to do their job. I'm certain hospitals could cut mid-level management. Why do we need personnel directors, maintenance directors, admission directors, finance officers and training departments? No, the only thing we need for good health care is a doctor, a stump and a stethoscope. Before readers join into Mr. Hood's philosophy, talk to the people in the school system whom he is proposing we reduce or eliminate. Talk to custodians, maintenance workers, secretaries, bookkeepers, psychologists, nurses, librarians, counselors, physical therapists, speech therapists, cafeteria workers, bus drivers and receptionists. There are more than 1,200 dedicated support personnel in the Iredell-Statesville Schools. Just like health care, it takes a dedicated team to provide children with the opportunities for a sound basic education. Counties such as Iredell will eventually absorb the true cost of Leandro. Based on the most recent data available, from 2002, Hoke County Schools spent $4,653 per student for operating costs. Iredell-Statesville Schools spent $4,208 per student for operating costs. These expenditures represent all sources of funding: federal, state and local. Hoke County spent more per pupil due to federal and state dollars provided for low-wealth, rural and high-poverty counties. Leandro will certainly increase the spending levels for low-wealth counties such as Hoke. However, high-wealth counties such as Iredell do not receive funds for low-wealth, rural or high poverty. Counties such as Iredell will continue to receive significantly less funding from state and federal sources. The gap between what is spent per student in Iredell and Hoke will continue to widen with the Leandro model. With Mr. Hood, I do agree that schools could be more efficient and effective in their use of funds. Readers should compare the academic performance of Iredell County students with the performance of Hoke County students. Clearly, Hoke County could find ways to improve student performance given the funds they spent per pupil. * Terry Holliday is the superintendent of the Iredell-Statesville Schools.
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SCHOOL NOTES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Author: COMPILED BY BRIDGETT NESBIT AND KATHRYN WELLIN FROM NEWS RELEASES AND ORIGINAL REPORTING
Terry Holliday 's contract renewed Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Terry Holliday can remain with the system at least four more years, after the school board renewed and extended his contract last week. "We are very supportive of Dr. Holliday," school board Chairman David Cash said at the board's recent meeting. "He does not hold just an administrative role, but he is leading the system. Dr. Holliday's performance has been exactly what this board of education has asked of him." The new contract to 2008 does not include a local salary increase. Holliday did receive the legislature's school-employee 2.5 percent pay increase this year, bringing his salary to $125,050.
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SCHOOL DISTRICTS PRESS ON TO CLOSE ACHIEVEMENT GAP - I-SS, MOORESVILLE TAKE DIFFERENT APPROACHES IN RESPONSE TO TEST SCORES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, August 15, 2004
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
Iredell's two school districts say they are working to cut the achievement gap, after final federal and state test results show some students are still falling behind their classmates. …Four years ago, African Americans in grades 3-8 were 23.2 percentage points behind their peers in reading and 21.4 percentage points behind in math. Last year, the gap narrowed to 14.6 percentage points in reading and 14.5 percentage points in math for grades 3-8. Hispanic students and those with disabilities are the next challenge for the younger grades, Superintendent Terry Holliday said. Overall, Iredell-Statesville students are performing better than three years ago on the state ABCs tests. In 2001-02, I-SS students in grades 3-8 were slightly below the state reading and math proficiency averages. This year, Iredell-Statesville students in grades 3-8 were at 87.6 percent proficient, 1.2 percentage points better than the state average. I-S high schoolers did better than the state proficiency average three years ago and this year, increasing from 71.3 percent proficient in 2001-02 to 75.2 percent last year. The state high school proficiency average last year was 73.5 percent. Want To Know More? To see all test results for all schools in a district, go online to http://ayp.ncpublic
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IREDELL DISTRICTS SHOW MIXED RESULTS ON ABCS - SOME SCHOOLS DISPLAY GOOD IMPROVEMENT, BUT FEWER RECEIVE TOP RATING
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, August 8, 2004
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
…This year, six Iredell-Statesville schools were in the excellence category and 11 schools of distinction, compared with seven and 14, respectively, last year. While overall performance increased, overall growth could have fallen because of emphasis starting last year on subgroups scoring below grade level, ISS Superintendent Terry Holliday said. Less time was spent making sure high-achieving students improved even further, he said.
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A LOOK BACK - AND AHEAD - IREDELL-STATESVILLE, MOORESVILLE DISTRICTS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, July 25, 2004
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
…It all started with the school board and Superintendent Terry Holliday 's ambitious $124 million construction and renovation plan to put all school buildings on an equal footing in four years. Holliday said the program could be accomplished without a tax increase.
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SCHOOL BOARD, COUNTY MAKE PEACE - FOLLOWING MEDIATION, THE 2 PARTIES AGREE TO SET UP A JOINT TASK FORCE
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Thursday, July 8, 2004
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
The Iredell-Statesville school board and the Iredell County commissioners ended nearly two weeks of legal mediation over next year's school budget Wednesday night, with the boards agreeing to establish a joint task force to plan for future school construction. …Superintendent Terry Holliday and Iredell-Statesville board chairman David Cash said Wednesday they were happy with the mediated agreement. Holliday said the system might be able to make up some of the shortfall in September with beer and wine sales tax revenues slated for schools statewide. Commissioners did not budget that money for the schools, but during mediation said they expected the state to release it in September, Holliday said.
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STUDENT TEST SCORES RISING - AVERAGES CONTINUE TO GO UP IN READING, MATH
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, July 4, 2004
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
…Last year, about 87 percent of Iredell-Statesville students in grades three through eight were proficient or better in reading, and about 91 percent were proficient or better in math. "These two measures reflect the highest performance in the history of the Iredell-Statesville Schools since the ABCs were instituted," Superintendent Terry Holliday said at a joint meeting Wednesday of the school board and county commissioners.
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BUSINESS NOTES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, June 27, 2004
Author: COMPILED BY BRIDGETT NESBIT FROM NEWS RELEASES
Preliminary results from the 2004 End of Grade tests show Iredell-Statesville student achievement accelerating dramatically, with about 90 percent of all students working at or above grade level, and African American children making significant strides in closing the achievement gap. …Those gains represent an increase over the 1997 scores of 71 percent in math and 69 percent in reading, Superintendent Terry Holliday said. "Just as important, however, is that the pace of improvement has increased significantly in the last three years," Holliday said in a written news release. "We're very excited that our teachers and African-American students have worked successfully to close that achievement gap by 37 percent (since 2001). "That gap is narrowing rapidly, and it will disappear," Holliday said, noting that the gains have been accomplished at the same time that all other students continue to raise performance. The percentage of annual yearly progress goals met increased this year to 90.5 percent from 83.6 percent last year. "In simple terms," he said, "this means that the vast majority of our students are working at or above their grade level and making the year's worth of academic growth we expect of them each year."
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COMMISSIONERS BASE SCHOOL FUNDING DECISIONS ON TAXPAYERS' ABILITY TO PAY - MOST IMPORTANT ACTION: RESTORE TRUST BETWEEN COUNTY, SCHOOL BOARD
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, June 27, 2004
Author: JOEL MASHBURN, SPECIAL TO THE OBSERVER
There has been a lot of discussion recently about the conflict between the Iredell Board of County Commissioners and the Iredell-Statesville Board of Education over funding for operating and building public schools in the county. To someone who is new to North Carolina, or someone who has not really studied the subject, this conflict may appear petty, or even maliciousness. Yes, even irresponsible. Why can't the sides just sit down together and work out the differences? Haven't we all heard the same said about the city and the county from time to time? Even the houses of Congress and of the General Assembly find themselves at odds over the issues and squabble from time to time before reaching consensus. Unlike many states in our nation, the local levels of government share in the responsibility to provide a "free education." The state is divided into 117 administrative units. Each unit, informally called districts, has a board of education responsible for directing, supervising and planning for the public schools. North Carolina General Statute 115C-47 clearly states that the local boards of education shall have the power or duty "to provide adequate school systems within their respective local school administrative units, as directed by law." This seems simple enough - it's the school boards' responsibility, so just do it. The statute goes on to list 42 other powers and responsibilities of the school board, but nowhere in all those powers and responsibilities does it give the board of education the power to tax. So how is the school board supposed to carry out its state-mandated objectives? That is where the county commissioners come into play. General Statute 115C-429 clearly states that the board of education must submit its proposed budget to the board of commissioners and that "the commissioners shall determine the amount of county revenues to be appropriated." Nowhere does it say commissioners must fund all that the board of education asks for. If the board of education doesn't feel the local appropriation is enough, it can go to mediation by asking for a joint meeting with the county. The senior resident Superior Court judge will appoint a mediator, and the mediator facilitates a meeting of the representatives of the two boards. If there is no settlement at this level, the matter may eventually go to court for a resolution. Simply stated, the board of education feels it needs more local money to operate the school system. The big question then is, how much is enough? One approach to take is the approach Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Dr. Terry Holliday recently took in an article in this same paper. His basic argument was that Iredell was not spending enough because we don't owe as much as some of our neighboring counties. What was interesting about his argument was that according to him, you should be able to tell how well a school system is doing by looking at how much it is in debt. On the other hand, the county takes the approach of deciding how much to appropriate based on the county's ability to pay. The county believes that per-capita income is a good gauge for determining how much our citizens can afford. Comparing our neighboring counties, Iredell County ranks fifth in per-capita income (ability to pay) and third in per-pupil appropriation. Stated a different way, Iredell County's appropriation for schools is 106 percent of the average of the region. Is it not fair to say the commissioners are appropriating at a level equal to our citizens' ability to pay? One factor that Dr. Holliday left out of his analysis is that since 1992, more than $70 million has been spent "out-of-pocket for school construction and improvements." That is in addition to the more than $91.6 million that has been borrowed. If the county had borrowed the $70 million, our debt service would have been up there with the other counties. Is this really what we need? The superintendent has stated that somehow we have jumped the tracks when trying to arrive at a suitable funding level for our schools. That may very well be true, but the best way to get things back on track is to approach the issue with a cooperative spirit, not trying to see which side can get one-up on the other. In the final analysis, we can put out all the numbers, charts and statistics we want, but unless there is mutual trust in those who present those numbers, charts and statistics, the train will never get back on track. It appears to me that trust is the first thing we need to work on.
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SCHOOL FACILITIES DEBATE HAS GONE FAR OFF TRACK - TO GET REAL PICTURE, COMPARE IREDELL TO OTHER FAST-GROWING COUNTIES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, June 6, 2004
Author: TERRY HOLLIDAY
In the absence of facts and logic, perceptions and misinformation will fill the void. Over the last 12 months, the Iredell-Statesville Board of Education has worked to inform and involve the entire community about school facilities needs. Regretfully, the political realities have led to personal attacks against the board of education and county commissioners. As educators, we try very hard to make certain students are enabled with reasoning and communication skills. As a school superintendent, I try very hard to make certain our employees, citizens and community leaders are given the facts to debate issues facing our county. The current debate about school facilities has somehow gotten off track. From the very beginning of the Facilities Task Force work, the board of education has been clear that the county has provided significant funding for school facilities over the last 10 years. The board has also been clear that the reasons for the funding needs are growth and lack of funding for over 30 years prior to 1992. The board of education has reported that more than $160 million in state and local funding has been spent on school facilities since 1992. The commissioners have reported that over $200 million has been spent. The difference in the numbers is the board of education reported the actual dollars spent on construction and maintenance. The board of commissioners reported the amount spent on construction, maintenance and interest on the debt. The numbers are the same. Most people, when they report what they paid for a house, list the purchase price. Few would report what they pay in purchase and interest costs. The main issue, however, is not the comparison between interest and purchase price. The main issue is comparison of expenditures for counties that have similar issues to Iredell. The amount of money must be placed in the proper perspective. We cannot compare high-growth Iredell County school facilities spending with spending in a low-growth county in Eastern or Western North Carolina. A ring around Charlotte represents those high-growth counties with whom we should compare ourselves. Those counties include Lincoln, Union, Mecklenburg, Rowan and Cabarrus in North Carolina and York County in South Carolina. Iredell County spends an average of $368 per pupil in debt service for school facilities. The chart below shows what comparable N.C. counties spend. CountyExpenditurefordebtserviceperpupilCabarrus$622Iredell$368Lincoln$536Mecklenburg$763Rowan$256Union$537It is important to note that Rowan, Lincoln and Union counties have recently passed bond referenda that will increase the expenditures per pupil. Figures for 2004-2005 will show Iredell County to have the lowest expenditure for debt service among the Charlotte ring counties. Another important consideration for comparison is the effective tax rate. The N.C. Association of County Commissioners provides this statistic. The statistic aids counties in comparing tax rates after adjusting for reevaluation years. Iredell County has an effective tax rate of $.4350. CountyEffectiveTaxRateCabarrus$.5009Iredell$.4350Lincoln$.5343Mecklenburg$.7223Rowan$.6300Union$.4703As noted above, the effective tax rate for Lincoln, Rowan and Union will increase next year due to recent school bond referenda. Also, Cabarrus County is considering a tax increase for fiscal year 2005 to deal with growth and inflationary issues. Much has been said recently about how the board of education wastes money. When I was hired as superintendent in fall 2002, I knew there were community concerns about issues that had happened in previous years. As a school system, we have worked diligently the last two years to become more fiscally responsible. We have: Implemented zero-based budgeting, strategic budgeting and cost conservation in our energy management program. Reduced central office costs to the lowest ratio in the state. Received an independent audit with "0" reportable findings. Re-established Local Government Commission-recommended fund balance for operating budget. Established a capital outlay fund balance for current and future capital needs. I am pleased the county commissioners have agreed to establish a joint committee to look at the development of a sound, long-range business plan for school facilities. I know the debate must center on revenue projections, growth projections and equitable tax rate. It is my hope that logic and facts will prevail over political rhetoric and personal attacks. * Terry Holliday is superintendent of the Iredell-Statesville Schools.
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HIRING FREEZE ON SCHOOLS' SUPPORT STAFF? - THAT'S WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF COUNTY OKS PROPOSED '04-'05 BUDGET
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, May 30, 2004
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
The Iredell-Statesville Schools could freeze hiring for support staff, if county commissioners adopt the proposed 2004-05 budget. That would mean no new nurses, social workers, psychologists, counselors, custodians or secretaries for the district in the next school year. The proposed county budget recommends increasing per-pupil expenditures by 2 percent, instead of the traditional 5 percent - a $698,000 blow to the schools. Iredell-Statesville will also lose another $700,000 in state money if the budget proposed by Gov. Mike Easley passes. Superintendent Terry Holliday told county commissioners last week at a budget workshop that he hoped enough support staff would retire or resign to avoid more cuts. The school board would have to approve the freeze. If commissioners don't restore funding, "programs for children in Iredell-Statesville Schools will be severely impacted," he said.
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TO IMPROVE OUR SCHOOLS, WE MUST DO 2 VITAL THINGS - WE NEED TO RECRUIT MORE HIGH-QUALITY TEACHERS AND UPGRADE FACILITIES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, May 9, 2004
Author: TERRY HOLLIDAY
As school systems throughout the nation struggle with the requirements of No Child Left Behind, one common-sense conclusion keeps surfacing: A quality teacher in every classroom is the most important factor in helping every child succeed. The challenge of meeting this need is becoming more difficult every year. In North Carolina, it is projected that schools will need more than 10,000 teachers per year to replace retiring "baby boomers." However, our college system is producing fewer than a third of the number needed. In Iredell-Statesville Schools, between 150 and 200 teachers are needed each year owing to retirements and school growth. Currently, many of our teacher recruits come from other states due to the lack of teacher candidates in North Carolina. In recent research published by Tennessee, Texas and other states, the quality of the teacher is a critical factor when explaining the achievement gap between students. The research shows that two students who enter school with equal ability can have as much as a 50 percentile difference in achievement scores over three years. The explanation: the quality of their teachers over the three years. School systems attack the teacher shortage through recruitment and retention. Gov. Mike Easley has worked to address the teacher retention side of the shortage through the annual Working Conditions Survey. This survey and other research reveal the reasons why teachers leave the profession. The reasons include low wages, poor working conditions, increased management of student behavior, nonteaching requirements such as coaching and extra duties, lack of decision-making power and autonomy, lack of resources, increased accountability, confusion about licensure requirements, and lack of a sense of directly impacting student learning. The Iredell-Statesville Schools has implemented several strategies to address retention of teachers. The Board of Education has raised the local salary supplement from 6 percent to 7.25 percent, with plans to reach 8 percent in 2005. Supply budgets have been increased. Policies concerning student attendance, student accountability and student behavior have been revised. Also, the board is working overtime to improve school facilities. In recent meetings with county commissioners, it has been suggested that the quality of the school facility has nothing to do with student achievement. According to recent research by the Ford Foundation, the quality of school facilities is among the most important reasons teachers leave the profession. This quality is reflected in working conditions such as air quality, thermal comfort, classroom lighting and noise levels. The average age of school facilities in this nation is 40 years. Facilities at this age are at the point of significant deterioration, and the above factors are most evident in schools at this age. In Iredell-Statesville Schools, we have many facilities that are 40 years or older. What is even more important is the connection between student achievement and these working conditions. According to the Ford Foundation study and many other research studies, there are significant correlations between low student achievement and air quality, room temperature, lighting and noise levels. In our system alone, we have seen the difference a modern, adequate school building has made to the children at Third Creek Elementary School. After the old campuses of A.D. Rutherford and Wayside elementary schools were finally closed and the students moved into Third Creek, interest in school and motivation to academics increased. Their year-end test scores rose almost 30 points within one year of moving into the better facilities. What do we need to do? If raising student achievement, closing the achievement gap, increasing economic development and improving quality of life are important to our community, the formula is simple. We need to provide high-quality teachers in every classroom, and our classrooms need to be high-quality. We must improve the working conditions of our children and our teachers. The Board of Education is working hard to fulfill this formula. I would challenge members of our community to visit the older schools in our county and see firsthand the working conditions to which we subject our children and teachers, and ask yourselves if you would work in that facility. * Terry Holliday is superintendent of the Iredell-Statesville Schools.
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GROUPS HALT TALKS ON SCHOOLS' CONSTRUCTION - COMMISSIONERS AND ISS OFFICIALS CAN'T AGREE ON $124 MILLION PLAN
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, May 2, 2004
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
Plans to build new schools and fix old ones have reached an impasse, with Iredell-Statesville Schools officials and county commissioners not speaking to each other due to disagreement over a proposed $124 million schools construction plan. Each side says the other refuses to talk. …The $124 million proposed by schools Superintendent Terry Holliday and the school board would fix all remaining construction needs in about four years. By bundling the projects together, school officials say, the county could take advantage of historically low interest rates and save money on financing and construction costs, all without a tax increase. The county says it's not possible without raising taxes.
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SPENDING ON SCHOOLS GIVES MONEY BACK TO COMMUNITY - YOUR INVESTMENT IN ISS MEANS LOTS OF JOBS AND BUSINESS FOR SUPPLIERS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, March 21, 2004
Author: TERRY HOLLIDAY
Recently, the community conversation about school facilities has prompted many opinions. One issue that I would like to address is the perception that spending money on schools is a zero-sum game. In other words, spending money on schools means property owners have to pay more in property tax without any added value. This perception relates to the fact that nearly 75 percent of Iredell County residents do not have school-aged children. * Payroll recirculates in county In Iredell County, schools are big business. Iredell-Statesville Schools has the largest number of employees of any business in the county. Currently, ISS has a payroll of more than 2,600 full- and part-time employees. The monthly payroll for salaries and benefits is almost $8 million. Of the 2,600-plus employees, 85 percent reside in Iredell County. Almost $7 million in monthly payroll salaries goes to local residents. These residents are just like any other Iredell County resident. They buy groceries in local stores. They purchase homes from local Realtors. They buy cars from local dealers. They pay property taxes just like other citizens. They buy from local businesses and pay sales tax just like any other resident. Therefore, it is obvious that money invested in schools is reinvested in local businesses and city and county taxes. More than $80 million annually is potentially invested in the county's economy. * Schools buy from businesses Certainly, the payroll issue is very significant. However, there are additional school dollars that are spent locally. Approximately 200 local businesses provide services for Iredell-Statesville Schools during the school year. These services range from a utilities expenditure of more than $400,000 annually to EnergyUnited and $420,000 to the City of Statesville, to less than $100 for supplies and materials from a local business. The total dollars spent with Iredell County businesses last year exceeded $4.5 million. Currently, ISS operates the largest transportation system in the county. More than 225 buses operate for 180 school days a year. The transportation system provides jobs and revenue for local businesses that sell fuel and transportation supplies and materials. Also, ISS operates the largest restaurant business in the county. This business also provides many opportunities for jobs and local business sales. Finally, ISS operates the largest child-care program in the county. More than 600 students are served before or after school in our PrimeTime program. This is another example of local jobs and sales for local business. The construction of school facilities has the same impact as spending for the operational needs of the school system. A school construction project provides local jobs for those in the construction trades. Additionally, a school construction project has the potential to provide local businesses with sales revenue in such items as masonry products, lumber products, HVAC systems, hardware and many other items. The annual budget for Iredell-Statesville Schools is normally around $130 million per year. In years that school construction projects are scheduled, the budget can run as high as $156 million. In a normal year, 65 percent of school funding comes from state sources, 20 percent from county sources, 5 percent from federal sources, 7 percent from child nutrition and Prime Time programs and 3 percent from county school construction sources. * Education improves one's life Finally, the economic impact of schools cannot be overstated. Regardless of the research source, individuals with more education typically make more annually and in a lifetime than do individuals with lesser education. Also, there are many economic impact studies that show the quality of schools in a community impact the economic development of that community. Recently, the N.C. Department of Commerce conducted an economic development meeting in Iredell County. One of the key issues mentioned repeatedly was the need for counties to invest in the infrastructure of education. The quality of schools is measured not only by the academic performance of students but also by the equity of school buildings and programs in schools across the community. As superintendent, I will work with our team of excellent teachers, administrators and staff to make certain the schools are an asset to the community, both from the perspective of preparing students for future employment and providing schools that are an asset to economic development. While the school staff will certainly work toward these goals, it is essential that the school system has the support of local businesses and community members. Let's work together to move our county toward a progressive and positive outlook for our future. Let's indeed make "Crossroads to the Future" a reality rather than just a slogan. For details on the proposed school facilities plan, visit www.iss.k12.nc.us/facilities issues.htm. * Terry Holliday is the superintendent of the Iredell-Statesville Schools.
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$124 MILLION TO BUILD, FIX SCHOOLS? - DEBATE'S OVER FEASIBILITY OF RAISING FUNDS WITHOUT INCURRING MORE TAXES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, March 21, 2004
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
An ambitious school board plan to relieve overcrowding and bring aged schools up to date in four years faces an uncertain future, as county commissioners question its cost. …"What is the vision we both share?" schools Superintendent Terry Holliday said. "Do you want to have a system that's within the top 10 in the state?" The commissioners denied the request for joint meetings, ordering county Finance Director Susan Blumenstein to review revenue projections for the next decade and state guidelines for county debt to see how much money the county could borrow for schools construction beginning in 2005. School board members warned commissioners that unrenovated and overcrowded schools would retard the county's economic development efforts in the long run, if businesses avoided locating in a county with run-down schools and lower-educated workers.
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EXPERT SAYS MAN ON TRIAL WAS ABUSED
Winston-Salem Journal (NC) - Thursday, March 18, 2004
Author: JOURNAL STAFF AND WIRE REPORT
…STATESVILLE - Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Terry Holliday says that the board of education sees the glass as half full concerning school funding, while the Iredell County Commission sees it as half empty.
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RESIDENTS: DON'T RENOVATE AND EXPAND STATESVILLE HIGH - RELOCATE IT DISSENT FOCUSES ON LOSS OF SOME HOMES TO BUILDERS' `MEGA-UNIT' TRAILERS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, February 29, 2004
Author: BRIDGETT NESBIT, STAFF WRITER
Residents of the Rankin Town community near Statesville High School say their lives will forever be disrupted if the school system decides to expand and renovate the school. They told Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Terry Holliday at a community meeting last week that they prefer the school be relocated instead.
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SCHOOL NOTES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, February 11, 2004
Author: COMPILED BY STAFF FROM SCHOOL NEWS RELEASES
…Terry Holliday , Iredell-Statesville Schools superintendent, recently completed training as an examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. As an examiner, Holliday will review organizations' processes and progress in meeting their goals.
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BRIEFS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, February 8, 2004
Author: JIM WRINN, KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITERS; ASSOCIATED PRESS
…School superintendent floats money-saving plan IREDELL COUNTY Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Terry Holliday has what he calls a cost-saving idea for the system's long-term construction and renovation needs at 22 schools: Do all the projects at once. Holliday is suggesting the system contract with a construction program manager to bid, arrange financing and supervise construction, an idea untried in Iredell County and much of the state. By combining $124 million worth of projects, the county can save $100 million in interest, inflation, and closing and actual construction costs that it would pay to do the projects in stages over 20 years, he said. Bundling the projects could complete them in three to four years, he said. Holliday said he would present the plan to county commissioners this week and ask them to meet more formally next month after reviewing the idea. Getting the long-range projects done as soon as possible will help ensure parity throughout the system, which has been imperiled by high growth in south Iredell, Holliday said. Using construction management for projects of this magnitude is fairly new in North Carolina, Holliday said, although it is used in other states, including South Carolina, and locally in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Winston-Salem-Forsyth systems.
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YES - WE CAN CLOSE ACHIEVEMENT GAP - JUST LIKE SETTING A TRACK RECORD, IT'S IN BELIEVING, PUSHING OURSELVES MORE
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, December 28, 2003
Author: Terry Holliday - Superintendent of the Iredell-Statesville Schools
In 1954, many physiologists believed it would be impossible for a human to ever run a mile in less than four minutes, that it would harm the body to even attempt such a feat. However, on a windy day in May 1954, Roger Bannister became the first to run a sub-four-minute mile. Many people in our nation do not believe the achievement gap can be closed. For many reasons, such as lack of resources, support and ability, these individuals do not believe it is possible to close the achievement gap. My Christmas wish is that as a community, Iredell County teachers, parents, students and community members all believe the achievement gap can be closed. The Iredell-Statesville school system has focused a great deal of effort this year in developing this common belief that the gap can be closed. Why? The answer relates directly to the Roger Bannister story: What we believe has a profound effect on what we achieve. Bannister believed a human could run a sub-four-minute mile. Even though many do not believe the achievement gap can be closed, many do believe it can be done. Changing the way we and others think, in order to increase performance, is an important leadership opportunity and responsibility. Once Roger Bannister broke the four-minute barrier, others were quick to follow. Within three years, 16 others had followed his lead. Once school systems begin to close the gap, many more will follow. Why should Iredell-Statesville Schools not be among the first? Achieving the impossible cannot be done without careful planning and focused energy. Asked to explain how he had broken the barrier, Bannister said, "It's the ability to take more out of yourself than you've got." This is what must be done in Iredell County. It will take time to plan and select the correct strategies to close the gap. It will take hard work and commitment from teachers, students, parents and the community to implement focused energy. Recently, I read an article that described the beliefs that have led a number of school systems in the Minority Student Achievement Network to success in closing the gap. As part of my Christmas wish, I hope everyone will adopt these beliefs. As part of my New Year's resolution, I plan on practicing these beliefs: 1. Achievement is not innately determined; children will achieve when they are effectively taught how to learn. Recent studies have shown that the quality of the a student's teacher can account for as much as 70 percent of the difference in that student's achievement. 2. Every child has unique strengths: Our responsibility as parents and educators is to discover and build upon these strengths. 3. School administrators and teachers who concentrate on how learning processes affect students will be more productive than those who blame students, families or poverty for underachievement of students. 4. Each staff member must examine his or her beliefs and change practices to counteract racism and discrimination. 5. Schools will be considered excellent only when students of all racial, ethnic and disability groups are achieving at high levels. The Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education recently heard the final plan from the Closing the Achievement Gap Task Force. The plan represented many of the aforementioned beliefs. The Board of Education is committed to closing the gap and reaching the mission of the schools. My Christmas wish is that everyone will join us and support us in this effort. Have a happy holiday season. * Terry Holliday is the superintendent of the Iredell-Statesville Schools. His column appears monthly.
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OUTDOOR WILDLIFE LEARNING LAB ENVISIONED IN EAST STATESVILLE - CAMPUS HAS 70 ACRES TO SPARE FOR HANDS-ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, December 17, 2003
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
Last year, the Third Creek Elementary School building opened to national acclaim for its environmentally friendly design principles. Now, school and local officials are attempting to develop the land around the school into a premier outdoor education lab, while conserving the property and protecting wildlife. "That was the plan all along, to make Third Creek a national showcase to show what you can do to have a positive environmental impact," Iredell-Statesville Superintendent Terry Holliday said.
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PREPARING HIGH SCHOOLERS FOR THE FUTURE - OUR ECONOMY DEMANDS GRADS WHO'LL SUCCEED IN HIGH-TECH ENVIRONMENTS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, November 2, 2003
Author: TERRY HOLLIDAY
Recently, I attended a meeting sponsored by the Department of Public Instruction and the N.C. Public School Forum that announced their partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The partnership is called the "New Schools Project." The Gates Foundation will contribute money to create small, personalized and engaging high school learning communities; new pathways/options to higher education; and new linkages between high schools and the economic needs of communities. The meeting brought back several memories for me. I was once a high school principal, and at the beginning of every school year, the school would host a freshmen orientation. I always asked the freshmen to look at 10 of their fellow classmates. Of the 10, only seven would graduate from high school. Of the seven who would graduate from high school, four would go to college and three would go to work or the military. Of the four who would go to college, only two would graduate. Of the two who graduate from college, one would return home to live with parents by age 25 due to an inability to find a job in his or her chosen field of college study. I gave this speech from 1991 to 1994. I could give the same speech today, and the statistics would be close to current reality. The speaker at the meeting, Tom Vander Ark of the Gates Foundation, said that not much has changed in high schools in the last 50 years. The high schools of 50 years ago were designed to sort and select the 25 percent of students who would succeed in professions. The remainder went to work primarily in manufacturing or service-related jobs. Many of these students made an excellent living for their families through industrial and manufacturing jobs. Vander Ark noted what we in North Carolina already know from experience: The economy has changed drastically from 50 years ago. The furniture and manufacturing jobs of 50 years ago have greatly declined and are unlikely to return. Our economy is demanding very different high school graduates. N.C. initiatives The General Assembly passed two bills during the recent session that will affect high schools and colleges. The bills will in turn address the issues that Vander Ark highlighted. The first bill was the Innovative Education Initiatives Act. It aims to help make North Carolina No. 1 in the nation for education in 2010. The bill focused on the collaboration between high schools and colleges to address: Implementing innovative high school programs. Reducing high school dropout rates. Increasing high school graduation rates. Decreasing the need for remediation at colleges. Raising college completion rates. Redesigning high schools and middle schools. Providing customized programs for students who can complete high school in three years. Providing high-quality learning programs customized to individual student needs. Establishing a statewide virtual high school. An additional bill, first passed by the House, supported the early entry of high school students into four-year colleges. This bill also emphasized the need to customize programs for certain students who could graduate from high school in three years and successfully enter a four-year college. While the General Assembly established a funding mechanism for the Innovative Education Initiatives Act, there were no actual dollars allocated to this legislation. The New Schools Project will fund several components of the legislation, with funding awarded through a competitive grant process. What are we doing in Iredell-Statesville Schools? As a school system, we have created a High School Improvement Task Force. This group of dedicated parents, teachers, administrators, staff and community leaders began meeting recently. Its purpose is to provide suggested strategies to the board of education for improvement of our high schools. The group will focus on high-school-specific strategies that will help all students become productive. The group will focus on how to improve high school performance on such traditional measures as end-of-course tests and the SAT. However, the group will also focus on strategies to better prepare our graduates for colleges and the world of work. The group will explore innovative strategies such as Early College, virtual learning and smaller learning communities. Certainly, the group will provide a foundation for future grant applications. However, regardless of availability of grants, we must look to innovative ways to prepare our graduates for the world they will face. Involving the students An important element of any reform effort is to involve those with an important stake in the outcome. High school students must be involved in our effort to improve high schools. We will conduct focus groups at each high school to gain student perspectives. Also, we will survey high school students to gain information. High school students eventually must accept more responsibility for their learning and preparation for the future. Parents and teachers will help and guide; however, the primary responsibility eventually rests with the student. Readers are encouraged to contact the school system through Steve Hill, executive director for high schools, at (704) 832-2525 to participate in high school improvement. * Terry Holliday is superintendent of the Iredell-Statesville Schools.
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SCHOOLS PUNISHED FOR ON-FIELD FIGHT - NORTH IREDELL WON'T PLAY FRIDAY LAKE NORMAN PLAYERS TO SIT OUT 1 GAME
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Thursday, October 30, 2003
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, Staff Writer * ERICA BESHEARS, Staff Writer and Associated Press contributed.
North Iredell High School will forfeit its last regular season football game Friday, and Lake Norman High, a state sportsmanship award winner, will compete without five players after an on-field fight last week. At least 20 players were suspended for one game, and both schools will be fined $1,000 by the N.C. High School Athletic Association. No students were injured, and no criminal charges have been filed, Iredell-Statesville Schools officials said Wednesday. The schools could be disqualified from the state playoffs, but the state association has not decided. The conduct of school personnel is also being reviewed, said schools Superintendent Terry Holliday . "Hopefully, we'll have this cleared up in a couple weeks and take any action that we need to take," Holliday said.
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AT FORUM, IDEAS ABOUND FOR IMPROVING STUDENT PERFORMANCE - SUGGESTIONS FOCUS ON BUSINESS, COMMUNITY HELP FOR TEACHERS, KIDS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, October 19, 2003
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
…Progress has been made over the past three years in all three student groups. For example, in grades 3-8 the percentage of students with disabilities who are reading on grade level rose from 30 percent to 50 percent since 2001. But put another way, half of students with disabilities in those grades, or about 600 children, do not read at grade level, said Superintendent Terry Holliday .
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DISTRICT HOLDING PUBLIC FORUM TO `CLOSE ACHIEVEMENT GAP' - AIM: GET COUNTY, CIVIC, RELIGIOUS GROUPS TO HELP RAISE STUDENTS' LEVELS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, October 12, 2003
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
Educating Iredell County students is every resident's responsibility, school officials say, and Iredell-Statesville Schools is inviting the community to help. …"The key is we want to highlight where we are and the progress we've made and what we have left to do," said Superintendent Terry Holliday . "And the only way we'll be able to do this is with complete community effort. The school system cannot do it alone."
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SCHOOL'S GOAL: INTERVENTION, NOT WAREHOUSING - MULBERRY ALTERNATIVE USES WEB TO HELP MORE STUDENTS MORE QUICKLY
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, September 7, 2003
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, Staff Writer - Staff Writer Ann Doss Helms contributed to this article.
…Previously, problem students were sent to Mulberry [alternative school], often for years, rarely returning to their home schools or passing end-of-course tests. "We were kind of running prisons, and that's the wrong approach," said Superintendent Terry Holliday , who in his first year as superintendent last year challenged Mulberry's staff to rethink their school. "Now (it's) an intervention program that changes behavior, instead of a place to warehouse our problems." Holliday is confident he can remake Mulberry. In school year 2001-02, Holliday's last year as superintendent of Transylvania County, test scores at the county's alternative school, Davidson River, were the highest in the state among alternative schools.
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IREDELL-STATESVILLE SCHOOLS' AVERAGE SAT SCORES DROP - MOORESVILLE SENIOR HIGH SCORES AVERAGE 4 POINTS HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, August 31, 2003
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
…"We're not pleased with the results of the SAT, but high school principals and teachers will be working on putting strategies into place to make sure this improves," Superintendent Terry Holliday said in a written statement.
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2 SUBGROUPS MAKING PROGRESS IN GRADE-LEVEL PERFORMANCE - GAPS ARE CLOSING FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS AND FOR KIDS WITH DISABILITIES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, August 31, 2003
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
Iredell-Statesville Schools has narrowed but not eliminated the achievement gap of its two largest target student subgroups, African Americans and Students with Disabilities, newly released federal testing data show. Students with disabilities include those with physical, mental and learning disabilities. Despite gains to be made, in the past three years, the percentage of students with disabilities on grade level rose from 30 percent to 50 percent, Superintendent Terry Holliday said. The percentage of African American students on grade level jumped from 50 percent to 70 percent. "I sense an energy in the community that we're making progress," he said.
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SCHOOL NOTES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, August 17, 2003
Author: COMPILED BY BRIDGETT NESBIT AND JOE MARUSAK FROM NEWS ANNOUNCEMENTS
* Board extends Holliday's contract The Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education has extended Superintendent Terry Holliday 's contract by a year, with the contract now expiring June 30, 2006.
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DAYLONG RALLY AIMS TO BOOST EDUCATION EFFORTS - EVENTS: WORKSHOPS FOR KIDS, PARENTS MUSIC GIVEAWAYS DOOR PRIZES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, July 13, 2003
Author: BRIDGETT NESBIT, STAFF WRITER
The Statesville Branch NAACP Education Committee is sponsoring a Back to School/Stay in School Rally July 26 called "Education Rocks - Excellence Rules." …The general session will begin at 10 a.m. with opening comments from Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Terry Holliday and other local dignitaries, and a presentation on the No Child Left Behind and Closing the Achievement Gap educational efforts.
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SCHOOL NOTES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, June 15, 2003
Author: COMPILED BY BRIDGETT NESBIT
…Holliday on award committee board Terry Holliday , superintendent of the Iredell-Statesville Schools, has been named to the 2003 Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality award. Holliday was appointed by Arden Bement, the director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The award, created by public law in 1987, is the highest level of national recognition for performance excellence that a U.S. organization can receive.
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School Notes
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, May 18, 2003
Author: COMPILED BY BRIDGETT NESBIT AND KATHRYN WELLIN
Holliday to address citizens group.. Iredell-Statesville Superintendent Terry Holliday will discuss the first 180 days of his term, and his vision for the schools. The meeting will conclude with open questions and answers.
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HOLLIDAY UNVEILS PLAN TO UPGRADE SCORES - SUPERINTENDENT ADOPTS CORPORATE STRATEGY TO IMPROVE SYSTEM
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, May 14, 2003
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
After his first 180 days as Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent, Terry Holliday laid out a vision for the district's next seven years. Within five to seven years he wants the system to rank in the state's top 10 in all major academic indicators, such as end-of-year achievement tests and numbers of students taking SATs and Advanced Placement courses. For the first two years, though, Iredell-Statesville should meet or exceed the state average in those categories, Holliday said. Flashing flow charts of lines of responsibility and strategic goals on an overhead screen at Monday's school board meeting, Holliday told the school board to focus on results instead of process. He detailed a new relationship between the school board and the superintendent, likening it to a corporate board of directors setting policy to be put into practice by a company CEO. The strategic plan is based in management theory and was developed by Holliday after meeting with school board members at their annual retreat. Iredell-Statesville's new strategic plan is a local action plan and corresponds to the state's strategic education plan, which lists five overarching goals. They are: high student performance; safe, orderly and caring schools; quality teachers and staff; strong family, community and business support; and effective and efficient operations. For instance, where the state education department lists inviting learning environments which support high student performance as a strategic goal, Iredell-Statesville's goal is to reduce class size to at or below state levels. First, the district will work to reduce the student-teacher ratio in kindergarten through second grade from 22 or 23 to 1, to the state goal of 18 to 1, Holliday said. The state average is 20:1 in kindergarten and first grade and 21:1 in second grade. In next year's budget, a $500,000 cut in the central office will be redirected to hire more teachers in those grades. The next places to reduce the student-teacher ration are in middle school math classes and high school algebra, he said. Another particular concern: some system students do not meet the state average for reading at grade level, and the achievement gap of African American students, he said. Iredell-Statesville students in fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth grades lagged slightly behind the state average on end-of-year reading tests last year. The gap ranged from about one to three percentage points. Overall the system's African American students passed both reading and math end-of-grade tests at a rate of 48.5 percent, compared to 56.5 percent of N.C. African American students. Iredell-Statesville white students also lagged behind the state average for white students in this category, but fared better: 80.3 percent to 84.4 percent.
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SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES A ZERO-BASED BUDGET - AIMS: INCREASE FUNDING ACCOUNTABILITY, BE MORE FLEXIBLE TO CUTS, CHANGES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, March 30, 2003
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER
First-year Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Terry Holliday had the district create next year's budget from scratch, so he could learn where every district dollar goes. The "zero-based" budget adopted by the school board Monday for 2003-04 also can absorb state cuts or local funding changes more easily than can a standard budget, which builds on itself each year. Next year's budget includes only required spending and priorities the district can afford with local dollars.
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SCHOOLS TO MAKE UP A DAY SATURDAY - HALF-DAY SCHEDULE CHOSEN TO HELP PROTECT STUDENTS' SPRING BREAK
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, February 19, 2003
Author: JOE MARUSAK, STAFF WRITER
Iredell-Statesville students will attend a half-day of school on Saturday to help preserve spring break, school officials said Monday. Bad weather kept students out of school on Monday and Tuesday, with Tuesday an optional teacher workday. Supt. Terry Holliday also said he is working with the N.C. Association of School Administrators to ask the General Assembly to forgive the school time lost on the days Gov. Mike Easley declared a state emergency. Until they know otherwise, schools must proceed as if that forgiveness will not be granted, he said.
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SCHOOL NOTES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, February 9, 2003
Author: JOE MARUSAK, INGRID WOODS GAITHER, STAFF WRITERS
…The Iredell-Statesville Schools' dropout rate fell for the fourth straight year in 2001-02, according to a report by the state Department of Public Instruction. …"Our goal is for everyone to stay in school and graduate," Iredell-Statesville Supt. Terry Holliday said in a written statement. "Many of the students who decide to drop out are facing tremendous difficulties and pressures. We must continue to find ways that will help these young people stay in school. "
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DROUGHT DOMINATED IN 2002 - IREDELL COUNTY WAS CAPTIVATED BY THE WEATHER - PARCHED, THEN ICED OVER
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, December 25, 2002
Author: JIM WRINN, STAFF WRITER
…Goodbye, Coleman; Hello, Dr. Holliday - The Iredell-Statesville Schools' finances were in a mess in 2001, and the board suspended Superintendent Howard "Buddy" Coleman. A hearing in March led to Coleman's firing. A summer-long search led to the hiring of Transylvania County Superintendent Terry Holliday , who holds a doctoral degree.
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NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIES 22 LOCAL SCHOOLTEACHERS - NOW IREDELL-STATESVILLE'S PERCENTAGE OF CERTIFIED STAFF EQUALS THE STATE'S
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, December 18, 2002
Author: JOE MARUSAK, Staff Writer
Another 22 Iredell-Statesville Schools teachers recently earned certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, recognized as the most rigorous national standard for the profession. …"Achieving national board certification demonstrates a strong professional and personal commitment," Superintendent Terry Holliday said. "It's a sacrifice for teachers to add this pursuit to their already full days."
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BRIEFS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, November 13, 2002
Author: JAIME LEVY, JOE MARUSAK, JIM WRINN, STAFF WRITERS,
…West Iredell High School administrators think they may have a videotape of the person who left a threatening note in a girl's bathroom Tuesday afternoon. "Luckily, there is a security camera in the hallway of the school that should show everyone who came in and out of that bathroom, so we expect to pinpoint the person who performed this stunt," said Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Terry Holliday . "We will actively pursue and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law any person who performs this kind of prank."
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SCHOOLS CHIEF NO DESK JOCKEY - NEW IREDELL-STATESVILLE SUPERINTENDENT BELIEVES IN A HANDS-ON APPROACH
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, October 2, 2002
Author: JIM WRINN, STAFF WRITER
Expect to see a lot of the Iredell-Statesville Schools' new superintendent in classrooms, hallways, cafeterias, auditoriums and at sports events. You might even find him judging a band contest every now and then. "I'm not much for sitting behind a desk," Terry Holliday said in a telephone interview last week. "If we're planning something, I need to get out and ask teachers and students how they'll be affected. That's the real world. That's where I need to be." Last Monday, the Iredell-Statesville Board of Education hired Holliday as the new leader of the 1,800-employee, 18,000-student system that includes 32 schools. The district stretches over a 40-mile swath from suburbanized Mount Mourne in south Iredell to farming areas around Union Grove in the north. He replaces Julia Williams, interim superintendent since March when the board fired Howard "Buddy" Coleman after the mismanagement of $3.2 million. Williams plans to retire when Holliday starts work Nov. 1. Holliday has been superintendent of the 4,000-student Transylvania County Schools in Western North Carolina for the last four years. There he was known for overseeing the renovations of eight schools and improving relations with the county commissioners, the group that funds the school system. "Right off the bat, he established a rapport with the commissioners," said Paul Averette, an attorney who is chairman of the Transylvania County Board of Education. Averette described Holliday as a good judge of administrators. "Your system will benefit from his ability to identify qualified personnel," he said. "That's very important." He also worked to build trust within the community, meeting with advisory groups and sitting down with individuals one-on-one. Holliday worked to get more computers in classrooms in Transylvania, whose county seat is Brevard. "I really enjoy working with teachers and principals, trying to help students be more successful," Holliday said. "I love to watch students in various activities and sports." Holliday said the Iredell-Statesville Schools' great need for new schools to accommodate rapid growth was one of the job's main attractions. School board members, who whittled the list of applicants from 35 across the U.S. and Canada to four, said they chose Holliday for his vast range of experiences. "He met all of our criteria for a great school superintendent," said school board Chairman Vaughn Sprinkle. "He's politically savvy, knows curriculum, has the financial background to run a school system and knows the importance of balance between city and rural areas, which is important in a county like Iredell."
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SUPERINTENDENT'S PAY NEAR MIDRANGE IN PIEDMONT - HOLLIDAY WILL EARN $122,000 PER YEAR AND WILL RECEIVE SEVERAL PERKS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, September 29, 2002
Author: JIM WRINN, STAFF WRITER
When Terry Holliday reports to work in Statesville on Nov. 1, he'll earn a salary that's neither the highest nor the lowest of other school superintendents in the Piedmont. Holliday will be paid $122,000 per year, plus benefits, in a contract that runs through June 30, 2005, school board attorney Bedford Cannon said. After that, his contract will be extended one year at a time. The figure is about in the midrange of school superintendents' pay, Cannon said. In contrast, his predecessor, Howard Coleman, was hired at a salary of $96,000 in 1999 and was paid $137,196 plus benefits under a contract signed July 1, 2000, that extended his employment through July 31, 2004. Coleman was fired last March over mismanaging school funds, a contention Coleman disputes, saying that finance officials were to blame. Holliday's contract also includes several perks, including use of a leased automobile for a year. Coleman received $600 per month for transportation expenses. Holliday is eligible for a performance bonus of up to 3 percent of his annual base salary, based on an annual review. Coleman's last contract with the board gave him a bonus of up to 5 percent. Holliday also will get up to $5,000 to cover memberships in state, local and national professional organizations and the cost of attendance at their meetings. Holliday can claim up to $6,000 in moving expenses. Between Nov. 1 and June 30, he'll also get up to $1,000 per month for the rent of a two-bedroom apartment. In Coleman's contract, moving and housing expenses became a point of contention. The board's contract with Coleman did not specify a maximum amount for expenses and also called for temporary housing for 90 days.
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NEW SUPERINTENDENT HIRED FROM WESTERN N.C. SYSTEM - BOARD UNANIMOUS ON OUTSIDE CANDIDATE WITH EXPERIENCE IN ROCK HILL
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Tuesday, September 24, 2002
Author: JIM WRINN, STAFF WRITER
The superintendent of a rural school system in Western North Carolina - once a school executive in York County, S.C. - will lead the Iredell-Statesville Schools. The Iredell-Statesville Board of Education on Monday voted unanimously to hire 52-year-old Terry Holliday as superintendent at a base salary of $122,000. Since 1998, Holliday has been superintendent of the 4,000-student Transylvania County schools, located southwest of Asheville. Before that, he was associate superintendent for the Rock Hill School District in York County from 1994 until 1998. He was an assistant principal and principal in the Fort Mill Schools system from 1987 until 1994. Prior to that, he was a music and band instructor. Holliday begins work in Statesville Nov. 1 and has a contract of two years and seven months, said school board attorney Bedford Cannon. He called Holliday's pay "about mid-range" for school superintendents. Holliday is eligible for a performance bonus of up to 3 percent, moving expenses and a housing allowance through June. School board members said they were relieved to hire Holliday to oversee the 18,509-student system, replacing Julia Williams. Williams has been interim superintendent since March, when the board fired Howard "Buddy" Coleman. Coleman was fired after the school system ran into a $3.2 million budget shortfall; he blamed the mismanagement of school funds on finance officials. Williams plans to retire. "He met all of our criteria for a great school superintendent," said school board Chairman Vaughn Sprinkle. "He's politically savvy, knows curriculum, has the financial background to run a school system and knows the importance of balance between city and rural areas, which is important in a county like Iredell." The selection surprised some who expected the board to hire an in-house candidate, Deputy Superintendent Steve Lane. "We understand the feelings for a known candidate," Sprinkle said. "But we felt we had to go with the best candidate for the system." After his introduction, Holliday spoke to a room filled with teachers and administrators. He made a passing reference to the financial debacle by saying that the school board and Williams had "kept it away from you" so that teaching could go on. Then he explained some about himself, saying that he planned to spend much of his time in classrooms and that his theme is, "What can we do for the children?" "We can always do more," he said. His wife, Denise, is an elementary school teacher. They have a son, Adam, and a daughter, Ellie.
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FYI
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, July 28, 2002
Author: COMPILED BY JOE MARUSAK
…THIS WEEK The Iredell-Statesville Board of Education has scheduled several visits to school systems as part of its ongoing search for a superintendent. Board members will check references and conduct site visits to learn more about the four finalists over the next two weeks. Board members will talk to various people in the communities concerning the candidates. …The finalists are Terry Holliday , superintendent of Transylvania County Schools; Steve Lane, deputy superintendent of Iredell-Statesville Schools; Jeffrey Moss, superintendent of Stanly County Schools; and Joseph Wise, chairman and chief executive officer of eSchool Solutions in Orlando, Fla., and former interim senior assistant superintendent for planning services for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
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BOARD HOPES TO HAVE NEW LEADER IN PLACE BY OCTOBER - 4 FINALISTS REMAIN IN THE RUNNING FOR SUPERINTENDENT'S JOB
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, July 28, 2002
Author: KATHRYN WELLIN, STAFF WRITER - STAFF WRITER CELESTE SMITH CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ARTICLE.
The Iredell-Statesville school board hopes to have a new superintendent in place by October. The board earlier this month announced four finalists. …Terry Holliday , superintendent of Transylvania County Schools in Brevard since 1998 - a largely rural district south of Asheville with almost 4,000 students. Holliday was previously associate superintendent of the Rock Hill school district and principal of Fort Mill High School. Holliday was a finalist for the Rock Hill Schools superintendency until Wednesday, when he dropped out of the running.
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BRIDGES IS ROCK HILL SCHOOLS' CHOICE - N.C. SUPERINTENDENT OF YEAR NO UNANIMOUS CHOICE IF HE ACCEPTS POSITION, ORANGE COUNTY LEADER WOULD BE CITY'S 1ST BLACK SUPERINTENDENT
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Friday, July 19, 2002
Author: AMY FRENCH, STAFF WRITER
In a 4-1 vote Thursday, the Rock Hill school board decided to offer Randy Bridges - a 2001 N.C. Superintendent of the Year - the superintendent's job at an annual base salary of $135,500. …The other finalists to replace Superintendent Phil McDaniel, who announced plans in February to retire after nine years, were Joe Peel and Terry Holliday . …Holliday is superintendent of the Transylvania County, N.C., school district and a former associate superintendent in Rock Hill under McDaniel. Holliday withdrew from consideration, declining to detail why. Thursday he was named a finalist for the superintendency in Iredell County, N.C.
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SCHOOLS CHIEF POOL SHRINKS - HOLLIDAY REMOVES HIMSELF FROM RUNNING FOR SUPERINTENDENT JOB
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, July 17, 2002
Author: AMY FRENCH, STAFF WRITER
The superintendent finalist that school district leaders know best has dropped out as a candidate with little explanation. "All I can say is it was a decision based on what was transpiring in the selection process," said Terry Holliday , who is superintendent of the Transylvania County school district in Brevard, N.C. Before joining that district, Holliday was an associate superintendent for four years in Rock Hill, and principal of Fort Mill High School.
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STUDENTS ARE NO. 1 TO DATA-HUNGRY EDUCATOR - TECHNOLOGY, SAT SCORES STRONG POINTS IN HOLLIDAY'S DISTRICT
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, June 19, 2002
Author: AMY FRENCH, STAFF WRITER
Editor's note: This is the second of three profiles of the finalists for Rock Hill school district superintendent. People tease Terry Holliday sometimes about the charts and graphs that are a staple of his office decor and school board presentations. He laughs along. "I don't mind being poked fun of. I'm an easy target," said the superintendent of the Transylvania County, N.C., school district. It enrolls about 3,800 students, compared with Rock Hill's 15,000. Holliday, who served four years in Rock Hill as associate superintendent, is one of three finalists for the superintendent's job here. He knows he's a numbers guy - "I don't make decisions without data," he told a group of local interviewers Tuesday. It's necessary, he said, in the increasingly numbers-driven world of public education. And during his 30-year career, which began as a band director (he's in the S.C. band directors' Hall of Fame), Holliday has produced some good numbers. Test scores: Transylvania County has the seventh-highest SAT scores in North Carolina. Parent involvement: It has increased by more than 200 percent in Transylvania County since Holliday started there in 1998. Technology: Under Holliday, and thanks to a $24 million bond referendum, Transylvania County schools have gone from using mostly computers and software from the early '80s with little Internet access to a ratio of three students per Internet-connected computer. Computers are replaced every three years. Other data: As a second-year band director at Gaffney High School, Holliday was named S.C. Teacher of the Year in 1974. In 1994, as principal of Fort Mill High School, he was named secondary principal of the year by the S.C. Art Association and the S.C. Education Department. "That (numbers-driven) aspect of his personality has been very helpful to our board as he has assisted with the budget process," said Transylvania County school board Chairman Paul Averette. N.C. school districts lack independent taxing authority and must seek funding from county commissioners. Averette said Holliday's skill in presenting and defending budget proposals to the board and commissioners is a big reason the school district isn't facing local cuts this year. But Averette cautioned against picturing Holliday as a leader who pays more attention to his calculator than his classrooms. "He's very hands-on," Averette said. Elaborating on that, Holliday said he likes to visit classrooms as often as possible and meet with principals individually at least every two weeks. He also relies on four advisory groups - one of parents, one of students, one of community members and one of teachers. Such involvement, he said, produces great ideas and minimizes conflict when decisions are made. The biggest community conflict facing Rock Hill schools is a lawsuit contesting the district's elementary student assignment plan, which aims to make schools better reflect the district's racial balance. Many parents believe keeping children in schools closest to home should have been the highest priority. Bridges said that any superintendent's job would be to implement the school board's decision, as long as it is upheld by the courts. But while a superintendent can't please everyone, he said, there's much he can do to "mend fences." "There's only one place to begin, and that's with student success," Holliday said. "We've got to be able to assure every parent that regardless of what school their children attend, they're going to be successful." Finalist at a Glance: Name: Terry HollidayAge: 51 Family: Wife, Denise; son, Adam, 17, is an incoming high school senior; daughter, Eleanor, 12, is an incoming seventh-grader.
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HOLLIDAY HIRED AS N.C. SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, August 5, 1998
Author: JONATHAN GOLDSTEIN, Staff Writer
Terry Holliday , a Rock Hill associate superintendent of schools and former principal of Fort Mill High, is about to leave for the Transylvania County, N.C., school system. Holliday said Tuesday that he has accepted the superintendent's position in Transylvania County, about 20 miles south of Asheville. He leaves Rock Hill at the end of the week. ``I'm leaving an excellent school district,'' said Holliday, who was an associate superintendent here for three years. ``I wouldn't leave Rock Hill for anything other than an excellent school system. This has always been my career goal.'' Holliday was Fort Mill High's principal for three years and was named Outstanding Secondary School Principal by the S.C. Department of Education for 1993-94. Before becoming principal, he spent six years as Fort Mill's band director. His career in education began 26 years ago in Gaffney, where he also was a high school band director. In Rock Hill, where he earned about $80,000 per year, Holliday's responsibilities included overseeing standardized testing, attendance and employee evaluations. His boss, Superintendent Phillip McDaniel, said he will be missed. ``We're very happy for him, and we'll sorely miss him,'' McDaniel said. ``We'll miss his attitude about education and his skills and knowledge.'' McDaniel said Rock Hill school leaders will immediately begin looking for a replacement, although they expect finding one will take several months. Transylvania County has about 4,000 students, an annual budget of $19 million and eight schools. That compares with more than 14,000 students in Rock Hill's 19 schools and a $65 million budget. Transylvania County Schools' previous superintendent left for another job last month, said Dian Brewton, district spokeswoman. Brewton said the district would not discuss Holliday or confirm whether he has been hired until this morning. Holliday, who turns 48 this month, earned a doctorate in education administration from the University of South Carolina in 1995. He is married and has two children.
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TOUGHER SCHOOLS COUNT UP OFFENSES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Saturday, July 25, 1998
Author: JONATHAN GOLDSTEIN, Staff Writer
A major crackdown against disruptive behavior in Rock Hill schools led to an increase in suspensions and expulsions last year, according to a school district report made public Friday. Tougher enforcement of discipline was most noticeable at middle schools, where suspensions rose to 883 last year, compared with 559 in 1996-97. The district expelled 239 students at all grade levels last year, up from 223 in 1996-97. Terry Holliday , a Rock Hill associate superintendent who wrote the report, said schools were no more dangerous in 1997-98 than they were in the previous year. But teachers and administrators took pains to enforce school rules as strictly as possible. ``Now if a kid gets in a fight on the playground, they turn that in as a crime,'' Holliday said. ``We have a zero-tolerance policy, and that's why those numbers are higher.'' The number of crimes reported in schools rose from 58 in 1996-97 to 85 last year.
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HIGHER CRIME REPORTS SHOW TOUGHER POLICING, SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Thursday, January 22, 1998
Author: JONATHAN GOLDSTEIN, Staff Writer
Fewer students were caught with guns in S.C. schools or committing assaults on campus last year, but overall school crime rose by 13 percent, according to an S.C. Department of Education report released Wednesday. …Students are starting to understand that the most serious offenses will not be tolerated, she said, and schools are becoming more aggressive about punishing and reporting lesser transgressions, such as possessing pagers or disrupting class. ``Five years ago, if two students got into a fight, a teacher might have separated the students and sent them back to class,'' Nielsen said. ``But today, there's a danger that a fistfight might escalate into a more dangerous confrontation. So those students are being automatically suspended in many school districts, and the fight is now being officially reported as an incident of disturbing school.'' Among the school crime statistics from 1996-97: * Overall, schools reported 7,430 crimes, up from 6,565 in the previous year. * 598 assaults were reported, down from 655. * Reports of firearm possession dropped to 88 from the previous year's 135, but overall cases of weapons possession increased to 786 from 743. * Reports of disturbing school increased to 2,176 from 1,803. * Incidents of pager possession increased to 797 from 566. * Threats to school officials increased to 353 from 286. For the second year in a row, Rock Hill schools' crime rate was less than half the state average. The city's schools reported 0.43 incidents per 100 students, compared to 1.16 incidents per 100 students statewide. Rock Hill Associate Superintendent Terry Holliday attributed the relatively calm year to police officers stationed at the city's high schools, the district's strict discipline policies, and various alternative programs for disruptive students. ``The officers provide a visibility and raise awareness for the students of our policies,'' Holliday said. ``I think the message has finally gotten through that we have a zero-tolerance policy.''
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HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT RATE CUT IN HALF IN '96-'97
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Tuesday, January 13, 1998
Author: JONATHAN GOLDSTEIN, Staff Writer
The number of students dropping out of Rock Hill's high schools has fallen by more than 50 percent, from 248 in the 1995-96 school year to 110 in 1996-97, school officials said Monday. Terry Holliday , associate superintendent of Rock Hill schools, said a major effort in the last year to entice expelled students into alternative programs made most of the difference. Kids who are expelled are among the most likely students to leave school for good, he said. But bringing them into specialized programs - such as Rock Hill's Communities in Schools and Project Rebound - can help prevent them from dropping out. More careful accounting probably contributed to the change in numbers as well, he said. ``We did a much better job of record-keeping and of getting students into those other programs,'' said Holliday, who presented the figures to the school board Monday. ``We looked at what every expelled student was doing and followed up with each of them. This is the most intensive effort we've done with them in five years.'' …Also Monday, Holliday presented the board with the results of a parent survey conducted in December and a survey of faculty and staff conducted in the fall. Responses to both surveys were generally positive. …Holliday also said the faculty and staff survey suggests that the school district's $400,000-per-year effort to improve discipline and the overall atmosphere for learning in schools has worked.
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RAISING THE BAR: DO KIDS WIN?
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Monday, January 12, 1998
Author: JOHN HOMA, Staff Writer
Local educators and legislators appear to be split on whether higher academic standards for high school pupils who participate in extra-curricular activities would actually benefit students. Legislation that would require students to maintain a C average in order to take part in interscholastic extra-curricular activities - including sports, band and cheerleading - has passed the state House of Representatives and is headed to the Senate. Meanwhile, two S.C. school districts - Richland 2 and Florence 1 - already have implemented higher standards amidst mixed reaction. ``What is wrong with a C average?'' said Rep. Becky Meacham, R-Fort Mill. ``If you look at where we're ranked nationally in education, anything we can do to create incentive for students just makes sense.'' But opponents of the measure say higher standards will exclude many of the students who benefit from extra-curricular activities. ``If you make a C average mandatory, you lose a lot of kids who were marginal students,'' said Terry Holliday , Rock Hill District Three associate superintendent for planning and special projects. ``It's their only connection with school, and those kids are not the kids you need to be losing. ``We want to raise students' standards. No one is against that. But I feel there are more positive ways. I was a band director and a golf coach. I have seen what extra-curricular activities can do for students.''
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SCHOOLS AIR PROBLEMS AFTER BAD GRADE FROM PUBLIC
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Monday, November 3, 1997
Author: JONATHAN GOLDSTEIN, Staff Writer
The message from the public is clear: Folks don't like what's happening in S.C. schools. … In Rock Hill, the feeling is much the same. Forty-five percent of school district residents surveyed recently for a county study said they were less than satisfied with local schools. Seventeen percent said they were very satisfied. Now Rock Hill school leaders plan to join districts across the state in trying to turn those attitudes around. As a first step, they're talking about organizing a series of community meetings to let the public air its grievances and weigh in on how schools could do a better job. ``We want to try to get educators to quit being defensive and get the community to quit blaming schools,'' said Terry Holliday , an associate superintendent in Rock Hill schools. ``We have to work together to solve the problems.'' Issues likely to arise in those community meetings include poverty, race, equality, expectations for children, parental involvement and the overall mission of schools, Holliday said. The district also may conduct its own survey to get more detail about local perceptions of schools.
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REPORT: SCHOOL EXPULSIONS DOUBLE
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Tuesday, July 15, 1997
Author: JONATHAN GOLDSTEIN, Staff Writer
The number of expulsions at Rock Hill schools doubled last year as the district more aggressively enforced discipline, and a change in policy led to some students being expelled twice. Expulsions increased from 113 in the 1995-96 school year to 223 last year, Associate Superintendent Terry Holliday told the school board Monday. The numbers were part of a report on school climate that offered both positive and negative snapshots of the district. Although expulsions and dropouts were up, attendance figures improved. School crime remained about the same. Holliday said the additional expulsions do not mean that schools are less safe. Most of the expelled students were kicked out of school for repeatedly breaking rules rather than for single major offenses. ``Our crime rate is not increasing,'' Holliday said. ``What we're hitting on here is students who have excessive discipline referrals.''
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SCHOOLS VOW TO CUT ABSENCES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Thursday, August 15, 1996
Author: CELESTE SMITH, Staff Writer
Enforcing the message to students that school is their job, the Rock Hill School District unveiled a new attendance policy Wednesday designed to cut down on absences. School officials are now permitted to make more contacts with the home when students have several unexcused absences. Home visits, more phone calls and more letters home will happen. …Associate Superintendent Terry Holliday said students - especially in middle and high schools - were taking advantage of the system. Many felt the minimum attendance standards were all they were expected to meet, he said. Rock Hill has the sixth worst attendance rate among South Carolina's middle and high schools, Holliday said. On any given day, an average of 93 percent of Rock Hill's middle and high school students are in school; that compares to 97 percent in the state's best districts.
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BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS DOUBLE IN SCHOOLS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Thursday, February 1, 1996
Author: MONA BRECKENRIDGE, Associated Press * Staff writer MICHAEL GORDON contributed to this article.
…Several school districts in York, Lancaster and Chester counties have gone to increasingly strict discipline policies, commonly known as ``zero tolerance.'' Because schools are ``taking a more serious attitude than we did before,'' the number of reported criminal offenses may jump, said Terry Holliday , associate superintendent of the Rock Hill schools. All the same, Holliday said, the number of reported incidents is down in the district over the 1994-95 school year, which for a time was marked by a series of arrests at Rock Hill and Northwestern high schools.
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ROCK HILL SCHOOLS' 3 R'S: READING, 'RITING, RECIPES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Monday, October 24, 1994
Author: MARK PRICE, Staff Writer
It's hard to imagine Northwestern High Coach Jimmy Wallace padding around the kitchen wearing an apron and a pair of oversized cooking mitts. … Wallace can cook, and he's going to prove it today as a contestant in the Red Ribbon Cooking Contest at the school district office. The competition among district employees begins at 2:30 p.m. … Contest organizers say they were surprised by the number of males who've promised to enter, so a special ``male only'' category was created. Among the men who already have committed are … district Director of Testing Terry Holliday (stuffed mushrooms). Holliday says the toughest part of the competition may be writing down his recipe so it can be included in a contest cookbook.
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ROCK HILL EDUCATOR NAMED OUTSTANDING PRINCIPAL
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Monday, September 12, 1994
Author: BLAIR SKINNER, Staff Writer
Two school districts, Rock Hill and Fort Mill, have cause to celebrate a single honor. Terry Holliday , former Fort Mill High principal and the Rock Hill district's new director of testing and program evaluation, has been chosen Outstanding Secondary School Principal by the S.C. Department of Education for 1993-94. Holliday was principal at Fort Mill High for three years and coordinated the school's shift from a general track to a tech prep curriculum.
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FORT MILL PRINCIPAL RESIGNS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Friday, June 10, 1994
Author: GREG BARRETT, Staff Writer
Fort Mill's loss is Rock Hill's gain. Fort Mill High School Principal Terry Holliday has accepted a job across the Catawba River, clear into the Rock Hill school district. ``I've got to admit, it will be a little strange crossing the river every morning,'' Holliday said. The Fort Mill school board accepted Holliday's resignation during its monthly meeting Thursday night. About the same time, the Rock Hill school board approved hiring Holliday as director of testing and evaluation. …When Holliday takes his new job in August, he will help anticipate educational problems in Rock Hill, and help develop standardized tests and curriculum. ``My aspirations are to become a school superintendent,'' he said, ``and this is an excellent opportunity to gain much-needed experience working with all grade levels.'' Holliday, 43, was hired in 1981 as Fort Mill High's band director, a position he held for six years. He has been principal at Fort Mill High for three years, helping the school shift its curriculum from general track to tech prep two years ago. ``The instructional program has improved tremendously under Terry,'' Fort Mill schools Supt. Joe Bonds said. ``He started the tech prep initiative even before the state started looking at changes.'' Holliday is a dissertation shy of a doctorate in education administration from USC, and expects to complete it next May. He will continue living in Fort Mill where his wife, Denise, is a second-grade teacher. They have two children, Adam, 9, and Ellie, 4.
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FORT MILL SCHOOLS SPELL OUT DRESS CODE
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Friday, May 6, 1994
Author: GREG BARRETT, Staff Writer
Blame Madonna. Fort Mill High School is expanding its dress code to include banning underwear worn outside of clothes. ``Some students started doing it last spring,'' Fort Mill High Principal Terry Holliday said, shrugging. The Fort Mill school board unanimously approved changes in the district's dress code policy during its regular monthly meeting Thursday night. Among the changes is a requirement for all shorts to be midway between thigh and knee or longer. Forbidden are: halter tops, tank tops, miniskirts, hats, caps, hoods, and shirts with vulgar messages, or messages that promote alcohol or drug use. Holliday said T-shirts with beer, tequila or marijuana symbols are being worn with increasing frequency. High school administrators met with each homeroom, and changes have been debated among committees made up of students, teachers and parents. The entire policy has taken 10 months to overhaul, Holliday said. ``One complaint was the students wanted to wear their hats,'' he said. ``But I guess Southern tradition is you don't wear your hats inside of buildings.'' The biggest change to the policy, Holliday said, is the official listing of punishment for each subsequent offense: First offense warrants a change of clothes and in-school suspension until replacement clothing is brought from home. Second offense requires a parent conference and in-school suspension for the remainder of the day. Third offense is an automatic out-of-school suspension.
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IN FORT MILL, IT'S JACKET FEVER
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Friday, November 19, 1993
Author: STEVE WISEMAN, Staff Writer
…Fort Mill Principal Terry Holliday admits playing football this close to Thanksgiving is a new experience to all. ``We're trying to get the excitement going,'' Holliday said. ``We've got to train them a little bit. We haven't been this far in the playoffs.''
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IN OUR SCHOOLS * GREG BARRETT
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Monday, August 30, 1993
Author: GREG BARRETT, Staff Writer
…Terry Holliday , who felt a paddle's sting when he was a student, hasn't used a paddle in the 12 years he's been Fort Mill High's principal. ``The biggest tool we use are parent-teacher conferences,'' he says. `` . . . I believe the lessons taught by corporal punishment are wrong. I think it teaches people that it's all right to hit people.''
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PLAN NOW FOR PROJECT GRADUATION
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Monday, February 1, 1993
Author: SHELLEY CANUPP, Staff Writer
…Principal Terry Holliday will conduct a workshop at the upcoming National Association of Secondary School Principals in Las Vegas Friday through Feb. 10. Holliday will lead participants in a workshop entitled ``Restructuring the High School: Pipe Dream or Reality.``
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ROCK HILL SAT SCORES LEAP - SOME OTHERS DROP <
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Thursday, August 27, 1992
Author: MARK PRICE, Staff Writer
…School officials last year did a study comparing 150 Fort Mill students` scores on practice SATs with their final tally on the real thing. On average, the students showed a 78-point improvement, said Principal Terry Holliday . ``If the SAT is going to be the high-stakes testing used for college admission, you need this course,`` Holliday said.
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COURT DID DRIVE HOME ITS POINT
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Thursday, November 28, 1991
Author: LINDA BROWN DOUGLAS, Staff Writer
A Fort Mill driver`s education teacher is out of trouble and a driver`s education student says she is driving a lot slower these days. Christy Schruers, 17, of Fort Mill received a $90 ticket Oct. 18 after a S.C. Highway Patrol officer ticketed her for driving 54 in a 35-mph speed zone… Fort Mill High driving instructor Bill Banks was in the car with her. …Fort Mill High Principal Terry Holliday said Wednesday that Banks won`t be disciplined because ``this was the only occurrence of this type in all these years he`s been teaching driver`s ed. I think this is his 34th year. As the magistrate said, the student ultimately was the one responsible.``
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NEW BRIDGE DUE TO OPEN 6 WEEKS LATE
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Thursday, October 24, 1991
Author: LINDA DOUGLAS BROWN, Staff Writer
…Arts work honored FORT MILL - Fort Mill High Principal Terry Holliday has been named Secondary Principal of the Year by the S.C. Art Education Association. Holliday founded the Fort Mill School District Fine Arts Festival and is a member of the Community Playhouse and the Fort Mill-Tega Cay Arts Association. While director of the Fort Mill High School band, he took the group to the Macy`s Thanksgiving Day parade. ``I`m very honored,`` Holliday said Wednesday. ``I`ve always been a supporter of the arts, having come from that direction - being a band director and involved in a lot of community art activities.``
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STUDENTS PRAY BRIEFLY BEFORE BELL EARLY MORNING MEETINGS AT 4 SCHOOLS PRODUCE NO COMPLAINTS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Thursday, September 12, 1991
Author: LINDA DOUGLAS And ALLISON SALERNO, Staff Writers
As 60 students gathered around the Fort Mill High flagpole at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, a student read a passage on sharing from the Letter to the Ephesians. Then students prayed and talked about helping students avoid alcohol and drugs. Some talked of helping each other and keeping students from thoughts of suicide. The gathering lasted 15 minutes - exactly. That`s how Fort Mill High Principal Terry Holliday recalled the ``See You at the Pole`` day of prayer observance. ``They had a very structured program,`` Holliday said. ``It was not a prayer meeting in the sense that Southerners think of prayer meetings. It was just a meeting for students to help give each other support in high school.`` The preschool prayer time was observed quietly at four York County schools Wednesday morning as part of national observances in recent weeks for the start of the school year.
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SCHOOL SALARIES ON TARGET ADMINISTRATORS` PAY IS CLOSE TO AVERAGE
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, July 14, 1991
Author: DAN HUNTLEY, Staff Writer
An informal survey of local school districts shows administrators` salaries - sometimes the target of taxpayers - are on par with districts around the state and nation. …Terry Holliday $45,999-$55,000 **
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I`VE DECIDED NOW IS THE TIME FOR ME` FORT MILL PRINCIPAL JONES RETIRES
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Monday, June 3, 1991
Author: DAN HUNTLEY, Staff Writer
Friday will be a milestone for Fort Mill High. It`s graduation day for the school`s 199 seniors, but it`s also the 58th birthday and last school day for a man who has been going to school in Fort Mill for 30 years - Principal Bob Jones. …Fort Mill assistant principal Terry Holliday will replace Jones this summer.
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NICHOLS TO APPEAR BEFORE STATE BOARD
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Tuesday, May 7, 1991
Author: Edited By Bill Chapman
…FORT MILL - In a special meeting Monday, the Fort Mill school board named Terry Holliday as principal of Fort Mill …
Holliday had served as assistant principal of instruction at the school since 1987.
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FORT MILL AND TEGA CAY GET THEIR OWN ARTS GROUP
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, January 16, 1991
Author: Compiled By Francois Pierre Nel, Staff Writer
When 25 people gathered Monday in a Fort Mill High classroom, art was on their lips and history was in the making. It was the first meeting of the newly formed Fort Mill/Tega Cay Arts Association. ``We were very encouraged,`` said Terry Holliday , a member of the group`s steering committee. For about 18 months, Holliday and others, including the group`s president Alexa Spratt, worked with members of the S.C. Arts Commission to set up the agency. Holliday says the group considers itself under the umbrella of the Rock Hill Arts Council, which has traditionally functioned as a liaison among York County arts groups. The new agency`s initial function will be to program arts activities for the Fort Mill/Tega Cay area.
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COUPLE CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, July 29, 1990
Author: SOPHIE SMITH, Staff Writer
….Educator Attends Seminar Terry Holliday , assistant principal at Fort Mill High School, was selected as a member of the 23rd Institute for Development of Educational Activities Inc. (IDEA). He was nominated by other administrators and selected to be among the 1 percent of American educators participating in a weeklong seminar held earlier in July at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta. The educators were addressed by nationally prominent leaders in education during the week, and urged to consider effective leadership possibilities for the new decade. Topics included effective programs for students prenatally exposed to drugs. IDEA is sponsored by the Kettering Foundation and the Academy of Fellows. It is a nonprofit foundation established in 1965 to encourage constructive change and excellence in elementary and secondary schools.
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PROGRAM HELPS TEACH LESSONS ABOUT BULLYING
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Monday, February 12, 1990
Author: Dan Huntley, Staff Writer
…Tech Prep At Fort Mill The Fort Mill High academic support team will meet at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 20 in the school`s study hall. The purpose is to introduce the new Tech Prep program for the 1990-91 school year. For more information, call Terry Holliday at 548-1900, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m..
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FORT MILL BAND REIGNS OVER FLORIDA FESTIVAL
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Saturday, April 8, 1989
Author: DAN HUNTLEY, Staff Writer
…The band, which won the S.C. Class 3A Upper State title earlier this year, will participate in the final parade competition today. Members will visit Walt Disney World this afternoon and return to Fort Mill Sunday morning. ``We`re really excited about how well our band has done down in Florida,`` said Fort Mill Hill School assistant principal Terry Holliday . ``I understand they were up against some really stiff competition.
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LIFE AFTER MACY`S: FORT MILL BAND DIRECTOR FIELDING OFFERS FOR - GROUP AFTER THANKSGIVING PARADE<
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Monday, December 15, 1986
Author: LINDA BROWN, Rock Hill Bureau
What do you do after your band has marched in the Super Bowl of parades? Fort Mill High School band director Terry Holliday is trying to answer that after bringing his 180-member band back from the Macy`s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. In the immediate future he`s planning to use an extra $5,000 from the $80,000 raised for the New York trip to strengthen the band. The money will be used for private music lessons for students, travel to the All-State band competition and scholarships. In the distant future, Holliday says, he`s arranging more big trips. The band, which boasts more than 100 trophies from the past five years, usually plans a trip every three or four years. The group marched in the World`s Fair in Knoxville, Tenn., and did the pregame show in the 1983 Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla. A few days after returning from New York, Holliday was wrestling with a decision of whether to accept an invitation to the 1988 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. He had barely caught his breath from the calls expressing support from across the country. He still had visions of the hero`s welcome home from 200 parents and friends, complete with police escort. But realizing the band did not have time to sell enough cheese or wash enough cars to raise money for travel and lodging for the trip, Holliday declined. He thinks he`s finally got the choices narrowed to the Rose Bowl for 1990 or to the Orange Bowl in Miami and Citrus Bowl for 1989. He plans to leave final decisions to the school administration, parents and students. For now, the band is basking in the glory of having marched in the Macy`s parade. ``It was just amazing how many of the little notes we got from people who said they saw us on TV and how great it was to see us,`` he said, noting that messages came from Utah, Missouri, Michigan, Georgia, Texas and California. Also, a group of faculty members visiting New York told him they saw the band. ``More people saw us along that parade route than will ever see us at a football game or concert or all put together,`` he said, ``and to be in a city you`ve heard so much about, it`s kind of awesome.`` A band`s chances of ever reaching the parade are extremely small, because a state will never be represented two years in a row and the same band rarely plays the parade twice, said Sandy Weinberger of Macy`s public relations staff.
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YOU`RE BEST, FORT MILL`S BAND HEARS
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Friday, November 28, 1986
Author: BILL LEONARD, Rock Hill Bureau
The 180-member Fort Mill band, S.C. high school 3A state champions, performed Thursday morning in the Macy`s Thanksgiving Day Parade in nearly perfect parade weather. Nearly 2.5 million people lined the 2 1/2-mile parade route along Central Park West to Columbus Circle and down Broadway to Herald Square, cheering the band as it passed. ``We like you best,`` a woman yelled from the crowd after the band played a Christmas tune. ``All the other bands have only played their drums.`` The band performed for two minutes at Herald Square for NBC`s national telecast. Band members then turned the corner on 34th Street and stopped in front of Macy`s department store, where they played several songs as they waited for Santa Claus. When Santa appeared, the band played the parade`s traditional finale, ``Here Comes Santa Claus.`` The parade ended and weary band members went to their buses to change. ``My ankles hurt,`` said banner-girl Ashley Grayson. ``That is the longest parade we have ever marched in.`` ``I am pretty tired now,`` said 10th grader Heatherly Caudle. ``You know we didn`t get a minute`s sleep last night. We were way too excited. It seems like we had just laid down when they were knocking on our door. It was 2:45 in the morning.`` ``I really would like to get something to eat now,`` said senior drum major, Mike Bost. ``We ate a good breakfast, but that was more than eight hours ago. You know, marching takes a lot out of you. It can be hard keeping in step with the music.`` Band director Terry Holliday appeared relieved at the parade`s end. ``Things went really well,`` he said. ``These kids cut up some, but when you get right down to it they are real performers, and when the parade started they really got down to business. The only mishap was that we lost Betty Boop.`` Betty Boop was one of the parade`s large balloons directly behind the band. The wind blew the balloon into the Winter Garden Theater, forcing it to crash land near Times Square. The band will stay in New York through Saturday and will visit Radio City Music Hall and attend the Broadway play ``Cats.`` ``Yeah, now comes the hard part,`` said Holliday. ``Keeping up with 180 high school kids in New York City.``
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S.C. BAND TO MARCH IN MACY`S PARADE
Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, November 2, 1986
Author: LINDA BROWN, Rock Hill Bureau
Billy Young gave his dad $200 at the beginning of the summer to hold so Billy wouldn`t spend it before the big event. Todd Taylor doesn`t want to mess up when his turn comes. They are members of the Fort Mill Marching Band - one of 15 bands marching in the Macy`s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. No other band from the Carolinas will be in the parade. The band has spent about a year selling, washing and performing to raise money to get there. When Pat Sajak appears on NBC as host of Macy`s Parade at 9 a.m. Thanksgiving Day, town and school officials figure most of the more than 5,000 residents of Fort Mill will be in front of their sets or on the streets of New York. ``I guarantee you everybody will be tuned in,`` Mayor Charles Powers said. ``We`re very proud of our band and the whole nation will get to see what we have and they`ll hear about Fort Mill.`` The three-hour parade is expected to draw 55 million viewers. The 185-member Fort Mill marching band was one of 15 from the United States and Scotland chosen this year from the annual application list of nearly 300. They`ll march in their blue and gold uniforms in front of the Santa Claus float, playing mostly music from the 1980s as the final band in the parade. Each band highlights a decade for the parade`s 60th anniversary. The honor culminates a three-year effort. Band director Terry Holliday had to send in a picture of the band, an audio tape and video tape along with the band`s awards history and letters of recommendation from college band directors and school district officials. He said he submitted an application in spring 1983 and resubmitted it in spring 1984 to get in the 1985 parade, but instead got an invitation to the 1986 parade. ``It`s a very difficult selection process,`` said Sandy Weinberger of Macy`s public relations staff. ``They have to be wonderful,`` Weinberger said. ``They have to look wonderful as far as their uniforms, and they have to sound good on the tapes.``
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