 |  |  |
Media Coverage
Below is a listing of content related to this term.
- December 16-31, 2011-
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR/ARTICLES
12/31/11 Triangle Politics: Wake school board makes 'gesture of good listening'
"Speakers once again will have three minutes each during the public comment section at Wake County school board meetings."12/31/11 Teachers' pay that reflects respect
"I also realize that this idea is also pie in the sky. But as long as we continue to pay teachers low wages across the board, and only pretend to respect the profession, we will continue to hear the phrase, "Oh, he/she is just a teacher." - January 1-15, 2012- LETTERS TO THE EDITOR/ARTICLES
12/31/11 Triangle Politics: Wake school board makes 'gesture of good listening'
"Speakers once again will have three minutes each during the public comment section at Wake County school board meetings."12/31/11 Teachers' pay that reflects respect
"I also realize that this idea is also pie in the sky. But as long as we continue to pay teachers low wages across the board, and only pretend to respect the profession, we will continue to hear the phrase, "Oh, he/she is just a teacher." - Great Schools in Wake News Archive-
- December 1-15, 2011-
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR/ARTICLESLETTERS TO THE EDITOR/ARTICLES
12/15/11 Charter schools: Wave of the future?
"Everyone interviewed for this story said education officials have to do a better job of closing down charter schools that aren't making the grade and implement on a wider scale the practices that are producing positive results."12/15/11 Hybrid math is on the way to Triangle schools
"The days of Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry could be numbered in Triangle schools, but they would be replaced by a new trio of what's supposed to be tougher and more in-depth math courses." - November 16-30, 2011- 11/20/11 Schools' way forward
"No one wants to move backward; the newly elected board members have stated that they plan to move forward with deliberation, information and in the interest of providing the best education for all our children. Fear, however is once again being fueled. Let's move forward, people; we are supposed to be examples for our children."11/19/11 Last-minute cash helped sway District 3 runoff
"A flurry of last-minute money, including some from a national liberal group, helped propel Democrats back into the majority on the Wake County school board this fall." - Transit 'core' Op-ed in News & Observer- There's a good case to be made for what could be called the all-the-way approach to mass transit improvements in the Triangle - load on the works, with expanded bus service plus commuter trains and light rail.
But it also can be argued that undertaking all of those transit upgrades at once would be too ambitious. Wake County Manager David Cooke's latest strategy reflects a sense that it would be better to stretch things out - better financially and better politically. He could be on the right track.
Speaking of tracks: It's the rail component of the overall improvement plan that causes heartburn here and there, especially among some of our local conservatives. But Cooke makes a distinction between commuter rail service that could be up and running fairly quickly, using existing N.C. Railroad tracks through the heart of the Triangle, and light rail between Cary and north Raleigh, which would be a new animal.
- RTN Candidate Forum Schedule-
If you missed any of the candidate forums, or just want to see them again, you can view them on RTN according to the schedule below.
- WakeUP Op-Ed on Paying for Parks in the N&O- To help pay for the costs of growth and to ensure that there will parks and recreation for newcomers, Wake County requires subdivision developers to set aside land for recreational use or to pay a fee in lieu of a set-aside. This Recreation Land Dedication Ordinance, passed in 2002, has generated over $1.7 million for acquisition of recreational land in the county.
- Where do they stand? Wake Board of Commissioners Candidate Forum provides answers.-
Over 160 people attended WakeUP Wake County and the League of Women Voters of Wake County's September 27, 2010 Candidate Forum. Wake Board of Commissioner candidates provided answers to tough questions surrounding transit, drinking water supply, affordable housing, schools, and many other pressing issues.
- July 15-31, 2010, News Archive-
8/1/10 School board's travesty
"It is reasonable, not radical, to expect a board responsible for the education of 140,000 students in a very tight budget period to carefully consider data, not ideology, when making decisions."8/1/10 Student examples
"I am proud of the students who have chosen to stand up for what is right." - May 1-15, 2010, News Archive-
5/15/10 Foes see symbolism in shakeup at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools?
"At issue is a plan to group the district's highest-poverty schools in two "central" administrative zones, with all other schools grouped by location. The 64 central schools all have poverty levels of 75 percent or higher. Only 6 percent of the current students are white, compared with 33 percent across CMS."? http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/05/15/1436913/foes-see-symbolism-i...
5/14/10 Court case: Would the Wake school board majority rather the public just go away? (And, if so, so what?) - Great Schools in Wake News Articles & LTE-
5/16/10 Which CMS schools will have to close?
"In a county where just three years ago voters approved a record $516 million to build schools, the prospect of budget-driven closings is a shock. People are already edgy."? http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/05/16/1438577/which-cms-schools-will-close.html
5/16/10 A serious hassle
"To get to a school board meeting I must hire a sitter, get her a key, find someone to bring home my children from their respective schools, drive to the meeting and find a parking place. So now to attend a meeting I have to get my kids off to school, tell the teacher I can't come in for the Tuesday volunteer time I committed to at the beginning of the year, drive all the way to the school board building and go wait in line hoping I get a ticket."? http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/05/16/482649/a-serious-hassle.html
5/16/10 Unhappy with school board's direction? - April 16-30, 2010- 4/28/10 Wake school board committee decides on new assignment policy
"A Wake County school board committee voted 2-1 Wednesday on a new student assignment policy that maintains "stable student populations that consider proximity to home, student safety and stability of family" as top priority."
http://www.wral.com/news/education/story/7499859/4/28/10 Sheehan: Airtime with Tedesco
"Tedesco did not allay those concerns in our shared radio gig. He is not a villain, folks. But he believes he's right and that he's doing the right thing - which may be a more dangerous thing by far." - April 1-15, 2010, News Archive- "Can anyone honestly say teaching staff should be cut before
additional layoffs to Facilities Planning, Auxiliary Services or Growth
and Planning?," Luebke writes. "If the purpose of Wake County Schools
is to educate students, shouldn't the budget reflect those priorities?"
http://blogs.newsobserver.com/wakeed/looking-for-administrative-cuts-first4/15/10 Rewriting school policy proves sticky"Board member Keith Sutton said the panel should keep in mind the amount of local and national attention focused on the system's decision to remove economic diversity as a factor inassignments and replace it with commitments to keeping students closer to home in stable assignments."http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/04/15/437623/rewriting-school-policy-proves.html
- April 1-15, 2010, News Archive- "Can anyone honestly say teaching staff should be cut before
additional layoffs to Facilities Planning, Auxiliary Services or Growth
and Planning?," Luebke writes. "If the purpose of Wake County Schools
is to educate students, shouldn't the budget reflect those priorities?"
http://blogs.newsobserver.com/wakeed/looking-for-administrative-cuts-first4/15/10 Rewriting school policy proves sticky"Board member Keith Sutton said the panel should keep in mind the amount of local and national attention focused on the system's decision to remove economic diversity as a factor inassignments and replace it with commitments to keeping students closer to home in stable assignments."http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/04/15/437623/rewriting-school-policy-proves.html
- Mar. 16-31, 2010, News Archive-
3/31/10 The price of retreat
"A brief glimpse into the past-or a look at school systems around the South no longer working towards the goal of integration-suggests that serious, negative consequences await North Carolina's largest district."
http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2010/03/31/the-price-of-retreat/
3/31/10 With the Wake schools diversity policy gone, the challenge of drawing new lines
"If all students were sent to their closest school, the WEP analysis showed, about two dozen of Wake'159 schools would be at or above 150 percent of their capacity. Another two dozen would be below 50 percent capacity." - Mar. 1-15, 2010, News Archive-
3/14/2010: Wake's Dropout Rate Lowest Since 2003-2004 http://www.wcpss.net/news/2010_march4_dropout/
3/14/10 Thy Neighbors' Children "John Tedesco may choose to live in an integrated community, but that decision requires enough money to make the choice."
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/14/385436/thy-neighbors-children.htm... - Feb. 16-28, 2010, News Archive-
2/27/2010 Last week Wake County Schools Superintendent Del Burns announced his surprise resignation, adding new fuel to the already incendiary debate over the future of school assignments for the system's 140,000 students. Burns said his conscience prevents him from carrying out the agenda of the new school board majority. That agenda includes eliminating the socioeconomic diversity policy that currently governs school assignments in Wake County. Dave DeWitt, WUNC's Raleigh Bureau Chief, explains the players, the issues and the politicking taking place behind the scenes of this communitywide debate. http://wunc.org/tsot/archive/sot0225a10.mp3/view?searchterm=dave
Superintendent Del Burns announced his resignation, effective June 30, 2010.
- Feb. 1-15, 2010, News Archive-
2/15/10-A clear response
"...we need positive changes within our schools, not an overblown plan to remake our school system."
http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/letters/story/335973.html2/15/10-Sinking schools
"Additional money is not the solution for high-poverty schools!"
http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/letters/story/341088.html - Jan. 16-31, 2010, News Archive-
1/29/10-Backsliding in the Wake County Schools
"An effective educational system is dependent upon exposing our children to the diversity that exists in the real world..." http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/story/310326.html
1/29/10-Fateful choices
"That is the future-white flight, housing anarchy, crime, huge pockets of failed schools and children, and ultimately, ruined economies." http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/letters/story/310335.html
1/28/10-School Zone
"But as a former teacher and a current parent, public education advocate and taxpayer, I cannot support an approach that could lead to resegregated schools, no matter how lovely my personal scenario might seem." http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A409238
1/27/10-Parents have chances to speak out - Oct-Dec 2009 News Archive-
12/23/09 - Perdue backs maintaining diversity in schools
"Whether it's racially done or economically done, there has to be some kind of momentum to continue to have diversity in our schools," she said.12/22/09 - School Board Buzz Persists
"Partisan storms surrounding the Wake County school board continued Monday, with Republican power broker Art Pope downplaying his role in the election of GOP-backed candidates to the board."12/21/09 - Parties Battle for Wake
"Partisan political drama is increasingly topping the agendas of Wake County's board of commissioners and school board..." - Wake Schools Lose Focus on Diversity-
Courtesy of The Carolinian Newspaper, NC's twice-weekly African-American newspaper, we are re-posting a topical three-part series of articles about the Wake County Public School System, written by Cash Michaels. Part 2, below, was first published in the print-only newspaper November 19, 2009.
© Cash Michaels, The Carolinian
Editor’s note - This is part 2 of a three-part series on Wake County Public Schools' lost focus on black student achievement in recent years, allowing the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System to pull ahead in the NC report card results.
---------------------------Two weeks after the bad news struck, David Holdzkom, assistant superintendent for Evaluation and Research for the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) is still analyzing the data, trying to figure out what happened.
- Paying for Growth When 100 a Day Keep Coming-
New census data ranking Wake County 7th in growth in the nation is sobering. 38,841 people moved to our county in just one year...that's as if an entire town was built in Wake in twelve months. Each day, approximately 100 people move here. The Triangle grew 30.6 percent
- What Ads don't Say-
Letter to Editor printed in Raleigh News&Observer May 13, 2008
The defeat Tuesday of a 0.4 percent land transfer tax in Orange County is another example of the rich manipulating the public. The ad campaign (of over $200,000 from N.C. real estate interests) said there is a better way to pay for schools and parks. But what way? The ever-popular remedy of increasing property taxes (the only real home tax)? More sales tax? A quarter-cent sales tax is not enough to pay for what is needed, and sales tax revenue doesn't keep up with growth. But the ads don't say that.
- In the News-
WakeUP is fast developing a media presence through a variety of activities ranging form hosting candidate and issues forums to blogging in the local political sites. Please Scroll down to read or view any of our news archives.
