Voting Results!

Here is a link to the WRAL website page where you can access videos of the entire school board meeting today: http://www.wral.com/news/education/story/7620684/ From what I understand, the “final” vote to focus on more parental choices and on neighborhood schools was 5 – 4 in favor of the change.

The school board also decided to have six (for traditional schools) early-release days for teacher “professional development” time. They plan to use Friday afternoons for that in the upcoming year. I think schools will dismiss two and one-half hours earlier on those days. This is not the same thing as the PLT days that we had every Wednesday this year.

Other items of discussion included Broughton’s IB status, “curriculum audit” progress, and budget items.

Critical Vote at Today’s School Board Meeting

Please pray that wisdom and civility will rule at the Wake County School Board meeting today. A final vote (seems like there have been a hundred votes already!) is slated to be made on the proposal to give parents more say-so in where their children go to school by cutting back on large-scale forced busing. Four of the five school board members who favor such a plan were elected last fall to carry out that very goal.

The most vocal opponents of the plan are going all out to try and stop it ( lawsuits, etc.) so don’t be surprised if today’s meeting erupts into another volatile display of emotions.

The regular board meeting starts at 3:00, and is usually streamed live on WRAL. Check their website at www.wral.com to see and hear for yourself what is happening.

You can also check there (or at www.newsobserver.com) for media reports of the NAACP diversity rally that took place last night.

What’s the Real Point of This Lawsuit?

What next??

Well… for one thing, a group of Wake County citizens filed a lawsuit against the Wake County Board of Education yesterday. The plaintiffs are accusing the Board of violating the state Open Meetings Law at their March 23rd Board meetings. There was no way that everyone who wanted to could fit into the room where those meetings are always held, so it was announced ahead of time that tickets would have to be given out.

It is my understanding that a larger facility was offered free of charge to the Board, but by the time that offer came through that day, there was no way that a last-second change could be made. Besides being a logistical nightmare, such a move would have been grossly unfair to folks who showed up at the regular meeting spot only to find that no one was there.

Oh - did I mention that the March 23 meeting was when a preliminary vote on a new school assignment policy passed? The plaintiffs were all opposed to that community-based schools resolution. Now they are pulling out all stops to try and delay a final vote on the matter.

Ideas for the new plan have been made public, and there is nothing “evil” there. Things to question? Yes – and they should be. I can certainly understand the concerns that some people have, but to resort to a lawsuit as a means to slow down work on those plans because they don’t match the plaintiffs’ opinions? Really.

I have attended the Board meetings that were crowded. The rudeness, disrespect, and uncivil actions were appalling. The Board has done nothing wrong by holding their meetings in the usual place, and they have already mentioned the possibility of moving the May meeting to a larger venue. That’s up to them. No matter where they meet, I hope Chairman Margiotta won’t be as gracious as he has been with those who disrupt the meetings. Wake County citizens elected most of those Board members (some were appointed) to carry out the business of tending to our students’ education. Groups or individuals who stand in the way of matters being discussed by yelling and interjecting ugly comments to the point that business has to halt because members (much less those in attendance) can’t even hear each other – or by acting in other immature and disruptive ways, need to be escorted out.

Here’s a link to the lawsuit: 

http://media2.newsobserver.com/smedia/2010/05/06/14/File_Stamped_Complaint.source.prod_affiliate.156.pdf

Agenda for the Wake Co. School Board Meeting on Tuesday

The Wake Co. School Board will meet tomorrow. The Committee of the Whole meeting is from 1:00 – 2:45 and is open to the public, but with limited seating in the boardroom itself. No public speaking allowed. The Board meeting itself will begin at 3:00, with public speaking opportunities starting at 4:00. The agenda for the Committee of the Whole is shown below. The 3:00 “Official Board Meeting” agenda can be found here: http://www.wcpss.net/Board/agendas_schedules/05_04_2010-agenda.html 

 

Committee of the Whole

Time and Place

1:00 pm - 2:45 pm in the Board Conference Room.

Agenda

SS62: Student Transfer Process for 2010-2011

Staff will review Policy 6023 and R & P 6203 and raise some questions that Board members may wish to discuss; review guidelines that staff uses in considering transfer requests; and provide guidance to staff.

SS63: Superintendent Search Committee

Engage in discussion related to process for selecting and employing a permanent Superintendent of the Wake County Public School System.

SS64: Policy 1326: Public Participation at Board Meetings

Staff will present information to the Board.

FA8: Overview of Governor's Proposed 2010-2011 Budget and Implications for WCPSS including the possibilty of a meeting with the Local Legislative Delegation prior to the start of the Short Session

Staff will present information to the Board.