Be Informed

Wake County public School and our Community Update 2011

http://www.wcpss.net/news/2011_august29_info_meetings/

wakereassignment website

We encourage all citizens to get involved in Wake County Public School System's ongoing reassigment proposal discussion. The wakereassignment website provides information about those discussions and the

issues behind them. Its' content is generated by Neil Riemann, a lawyer in private practice with two children who attend Wake County Public Schools.

We encourages us all to take the time to read as much as you can now and ask the tough questions so that we can all be informed and help quide our school system toward the best assignment plan for Wake County. Our wish is that we all look at what is best for our own family, then take one more step beyond and ask what might be the best plan for our entire school system.

Wake County

Children depend on our schools to give them the best public education we can to ensure the brightest future for our children and all children.

Wake County

Tax payers depend on a plan that uses their tax dollars to best meet the needs of educating students.

Wake County

Citizens depend on us all to work together to make the most informed decisions in this crucial and

exciting time of change for WCPSS.

Notes on our new School Choice assignment plan in Wake County, North Carolina

By Neil Riemann

http://www.wakereassignment.info/

A true leader for WCPSS

http://www.aarp.org/personal-growth/transitions/info-05-2010/A_Soldiers_Second_Career.html

Superintendent Tony Tata reached his goal and got over 10,000 parents to participate in the online

blue plan simulation.

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/wakeed/tony-tata-hoping-at-least-10000-parents-participate-in-

simulation-of-blue-plan

Tata chats online each month

Parents and citizens will be able to ask questions of Wake County Schools SuperintendentTony Tata

during monthly "Virtual Town Hall" online chat sessions.The live, interactive one-hour chat session will

start at 10 a.m. on the school system's website, www .wcpss .net . People can begin submitting questions

online at 9:45 a.m. via a link on the website's homepage.

http://m.newsobserver.com/observer/db_111686/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=lbuQZrMg

http://www.wral.com/news/education/wake_county_schools/video/9590582/

Costs and Consequences

Successful schools require strong community support, excellence in teaching, and the time and financial

donations of parents, PTA members, and other committed volunteers. Balanced classrooms create the

opportunity for each and every child to achieve their full potential, help to retain great teachers and

assure that financial resources are distributed in an equitable fashion to all schools. Balanced schools

are one part of an overall strategy WCPSS needs to provide quality education, but it must be accompanied

by adequate resources and cost‐effective strategies in order for each child to reach his or her potential.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdETw4PJMiM

Just The Facts:

(To learn more, please visit www.greatschoolsinwake.org )

Research shows high poverty schools have higher teacher turnover, higher principal turnover, lower student achievement, and higher costs. At 3.47 percent in 2008-09, WCPSS schools had the lowest dropout rate in six years, a rate lower than Charlotte/Mecklenburg and than the state average. The drop out rate declined for students of every race and ethnicity, with the largest improvements among Hispanic, African-American, and multi-racial students.

WCPSS At A Glance

•

Enrollment 2010-2011 -- 143,289 students,

•

18th largest school district in the nation, largest in North Carolina

•

163 schools, including 53 year round schools (44 elementary and 9 middle)

Growth Drives Assignment: between 2000 and 2010....

•

53 new schools (30 elementary, 11 middle, 10 high and 1 special/optional)

•

48,000 new seats added, with 46,000 students reassigned

•

50,000 more students in WCPSS

Be present. Be informed. Be heard.

2010 BOE Parent Calendar Survey

http://www.wcpss.net/Board/2010-calendar-survey/Parent-Survey Responses-by-School.pdf

As Wake County continually grows, so does its public school system. At the head of North Carolinas

largest school system is our superintendant, Mr. Tony Tata. Wcpss has been progressively breaking out

of the mold of traditional public education norms by offering year round schooling, intersession tutoring,

renaissance schools, themes, teacher collaboration, enrichment, while comtinually supporting our existing

magnets. We are heading toward great things with long term goals focused on a new assignment plan that focuses on academics and also best mirrors the values and character of Wake County citizens.

http://www.aarp.org/personal-growth/transitions/info-05-2010/A_Soldiers_Second_Career.html

http://www.indyweek.com/citizen/archives/2011/06/24/margiotta-splits-with-tata-over-the-blue-plans-achievement-goal

Wake County County Commissioners

All CC meetings are open to the public

http://www.wakegov.com/commissioners/schedule

Wake County Board of Education

All BOE meetings are open to the public

http://www.wcpss.net/perl/publish/webevent.cgi?cmd=opencal&cal=cal2

Raleigh school first to use e-readers

http://www.wral.com/news/education/video/9722471/#/vid9722471

Budget very unpopular with NC voters

http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2011/06/budget-very-unpopular-with-nc-voters.html

Are charter schools better?

A groundbreaking study offers new insights into charters: Are they outperforming traditional public schools, or are they failing their students? http://www.greatschools.org/find-a-school/charter-schools-better-than-traditional.gs?content=3706&cpn=20110

Let them eat cake

N.C. Senator Jerry Tillman says he is fine with low-income students not attending charter schools.

According to the N&O, during the recent debate about lifting the cap that limits the number of charter

schools in the state to 100, Tillman said, "It’s certainly OK if they (low income kids) don’t go there

(charters)," Tillman.... "They can go to their public schools. They can get their free and reduced price lunch.” http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/tillman_ok_with_no_freelunch_kids_in_

charters#storylink=misearch#ixzz1FBzzFajA

http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2011/04/25/john-%E2%80%9Ctea-party%E2%80%9D-tedesco-

outdoes-himself/

http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/04/26/1153850/tedesco-offends.html

Stephen Colbert gets the point accross while when talking about Wake County schools,

diversity and its reverse—"disintegration"

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/371414/january-18-2011/the-word---

disintegration

Exploring a "controlled choice" school assignment plan for Wake County

http://www.wakeedpartnership.org/news/ControlledChoiceUpdate.html

Minority Gaps in Education

On C-SPAN August 24, Kati Haycock, president of Education Trust, spoke out against the BOE's

decision to drop the diversity policy.

http://www.c-span.org/Watch/Media/2010/08/24/WJE/A/37347/Kati+Haycock+Education+Trust+President.aspx

Race to the Top' funds awarded

North Carolina was among the states selected to receive up to $400 million in federal funds for new innovations in public education (aka 'Race to the Top'). After losing out in the first round, credit is due to the Department of Public Instruction, Supt. June Atkinson and the North Carolina BOE for "sharpening their pencils" in the resubmitted proposal

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/08/25/646380/winning-race-to-top-thrills-nc.html

WCPSS in WSJ

Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, wrote this blog post for the WSJ about the diversity struggle in WCPSS -- and beyond

http://blogs.wsj.com/capitaljournal/2010/08/25/will-economic-affirmative-action-go-the-way-of-race-based-programs/

North Carolina resetting school standards

North Carolina one of the first states to adopt national standards for math and English for public school children, setting milestones for learning that are meant to push U.S. students to be more competitive. In doing so, North Carolina will join what the nations governors and state school chiefs call an important endeavor to ensure equity and quality.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/06/03/512822/nc-resetting-school-standards.html#ixzz0pnm3H81h

WCPSS suspension, drop-out rates

This data, along with info about the drop-out rates, was shared with the student achievement committee earlier this month. Read more on the WakeEd blog.

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/wakeed/looking-at-wakes-suspension-and-dropout-rates

The Nation

The latest issue of this publication is very topical to the issues and debates currently facing WCPSS. In particular, the story “ Why I changed my mind” illustrates the flaws in the BOE majority's quest for parental choice in running the school system. It was written by Diane Ravitch, a research professor of education at New York University, and assistant secretary of educator for research in the George H.W. Bush adminiatration.

http://www.thenation.com/article/why-i-changed-my-mind

Boston, NYC vs. Wake County

Boston and NYC. Here's a cost comparison:The cost of educating a student in BPS zoned schools is $13,849 per year. (Approx. $16,000 in NYC and ~$7800 in WCPSS.)

http://bostonpublicschools.org/files/BPS%20at%20a%20Glance%2010-0225.pdf

76% of the students in BPS are minorities. The graduation rate is 60%. (Note the white middle class has largely left Boston for the suburbs and the school population is declining.) In addition, this article outlines how NY’s experiment with closing failing schools and reopening them as smaller schools has created many failures including continuing failures of most high needs schools.

This youtube video

was made during the March 23 BOE meeting and offers a student's perspective on the proceedings. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0p4ObBvqg0

Charlotte Observer:

New CMS zones draw kudos and criticism [foreshadowing for Wake County}

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/04/04/1354486/new-cms-zones-draw-kudos-and-