Should the Wake County school board move quickly to extend Superintendent Tony Tata's contract?

As noted in today's article, Tata is generally getting good reviews as he hits the one-year anniversary mark of his tenure on Tuesday. But he also faces some challenges, including potentially from members of the new Democratic school board majority.

Republican school board members are talking about wanting the board to take action next month to extend Tata's contract past the June 30, 2014 end date.

It looks like protesters were wrong if they were hoping that the new Democratic majority on the Wake County school board would be more sympathetic that the Republicans were on the issue of mediation instead of prosecution.

As noted in today's article, the school board met in closed session last week and agreed to stick with the decision made by the former majority to recommend that the protesters who disrupted board meetings in 2010 go to trial.

Since it was discussed in closed session, neither the board members or board attorney Ann Majestic are saying why the board decided not to go with mediation.

There's really not much doubt that if the new Wake County student assignment plan is implemented for the 2012-13 school year that it will be changed from what was adopted in October.

But, as noted in today's article, the jury is out on how extensive the changes would be. The starting point will be the Jan. 3 work session in which board members will go through their concerns in detail with staff.

"We’ve got one chance to make it right and for everyone to feel a strong level of comfort,” said Democratic board vice chairman Keith Sutton. “The problem is we’re not getting that comfort level. To raise that level of comfort will require some give and take.”

Carolyn Morrison and Christine Kushner are swapping duties on the Wake County school board in more ways than one.

We all know that Kushner took Morrison's seat on the school board. But now Morrison will take Kushner's seat on the District 6 board advisory council.

Kushner said she asked Morrison to serve on the advisory council so that the veteran educator could continue to serve the school system. School board members use their advisory councils as sounding boards and to relay concerns from the individual schools.

Departing Wake County school board member Carolyn Morrison has prepared a "last testament" in which she thanks her colleagues and offers advice for the newly elected board members.

Morrison thanks the Republican board members "for helping me grow personally and professionally while becoming a sharper board member."

She tells Superintendent Tony Tata that "I depart with a fuller understanding of the words once written: 'Those who came to scoff, remained to pray.' I will continue to pray!"

Outgoing Wake County school board chairman Ron Margiotta had some advice to give to the incoming board members and those who will remain on the board after his Dec. 6 departure.

During his final meeting as chairman on Tuesday, Margiotta urged the new board members to work well with county commissioners, Superintendent Tony Tata and staff. Margiotta also urged the new members to not meddle in the operation and affairs of schools.

Margiotta also urged the new Democratic members who knocked him and the Republican majority out of power, to think outside the box and "not simply rely on old solutions."

Say hello to acting Wake County school board chairwoman Carolyn Morrison.

Morrison will chair this afternoon's school board meeting in which student and employees recognitions will be held. No other business items are expected to be discussed.

Morrison got the job today because school board chairman Ron Margiotta is out of town and vice chairman John Tedesco is among a group attending the N.C. School Boards Association's annual conference in Greensboro.

Wake County school board candidate Heather Losurdo has raised a record total of more than $80,000 in her bid to unseat incumbent Kevin Hill.

New campaign finance reports made public today show that Losurdo had reported raising $82,357 through Oct. 24. The prior record was the $79,500 that conservative businessman Bob Luddy had raised, largely out of his own pocket, in his unsuccessful run for the school board in 1997.

Hill’s new report shows he’s raised $42,748 through Oct 24. While Hill has almost half of Losurdo’s total, outside groups not connected to his campaign have spent tens of thousands of dollars on mailers and television ads attacking Losurdo.

SEE END OF POST FOR REACTIONS FROM BOTH CAMPAIGNS

Did Wake County school board member Kevin Hill make a political mistake by voting against the student assignment plan on Tuesday?

The no vote has given Heather Losurdo, who announced this week that she supported the plan now, something to campaign on against Hill in the Nov. 8 runoff. In a column Tuesday for the liberal Independent weekly, Bob Geary writes that "a yes vote was the better choice for Hill politically."

"But Hill, like his fellow Democrats, is not a politician and he doesn't think like one," Geary writes. "(Sutton is the exception, and he was thinking like a politician; unfortunately, Morrison and McLaurin either didn't get it that he was giving them a good reason to vote no — with Hill — or they simply couldn't bring themselves to cast a political vote.)"

Geary adds that "sure enough, John Tedesco started Facebooking and Tweeting immediately that Hill's vote was partisan, and naysaying." Geary accuses Tedesco of spreading around a "fictitious campaign"  that a new Democratic board majority would fire Superintendent Tony Tata.

Wake County school board candidate Heather Losurdo is praising Democratic school board members Carolyn Morrison and Anne McLaurin for joining with the Republicans to pass the new student assignment plan.

In a press release today, Losurdo says "their courageous action represents a commitment to public service of the highest order." She says she regrets that McLaurin and Morrison are leaving and adds that they need more leaders like them "who follow their conscience and work for the public good instead of making everything a partisan matter."

"The new assignment policy is our chance to put the bickering and squabbling of the past four or five years behind us, and get to work on improving our schools," Losurdo says in the press release. "I salute Carolyn and Anne for helping make the process of moving from confrontation to cooperation easier."