Are the new Democratic members of the Wake County school board doing their job to make sure the student assignment plan is ready or are they micromanaging the process?

That was a point of contention between Republican and Democratic board members during Tuesday's review of the assignment plan. The first half of the meeting dealt with a look at how the school system is handling its outreach efforts, particularly informing parents about their options and getting them to register if they're new.

Some tense words were exchanged over the issue of whether school registrars and data managers are able to do the job of getting students registered and informed about their options.

The Wake County school board filled two top-level jobs and a principal's vacancy tonight.

Christine Mulder was hired for the newly renamed position of chief of family and public engagement. The job was previously called chief of communications but is being revamped as part of Superintendent Tony Tata's shakeup of his leadership team.

Her predecessor, Michael Evans, resigned last month.

UPDATE

Mulder's salary is $132,500. Baker's salary is $120,000.

The Wake County school board reached into Superintendent Tony Tata's former school district tonight to fill the new position of assistant superintendent for special education services.

Lisa Grillo, a former special education teacher who is currently a principal in D.C. Public Schools, was hired for the new assistant superintendent's position. Tata was D.C.'s chief operating officer before being hired by Wake.

Tata created Grillo's new position as part of a reorganization of his leadership team. Her salary was not immediately known.

UPDATE

Grillo's salary is $120,000.

The Wake County school board announced tonight the hiring of two new senior  administrators and two new principals.

Sylvia Wilkins was named assistant superintendent of academics. The position used to be chief academic officer before it was downscaled after Donna Hargens left to become a superintendent in Kentucky.

Wilkins, who has been principal of Dillard Drive Elementary School since 2007, will report to the newly created but still unfilled position of deputy superintendent for school performance.

Congratulation to Catherine Wagner for winning today's Wake County Spelling Bee.

Wagner, 13, an eighth-grader at St. Michael School in Cary, came out on top of a field that included 78 competitors, mostly from the Wake County school system. The event lasted more than 4 1/2 hours and 23 rounds.

Wagner's prizes will include an all-expenses paid trip in June to Washington D.C. for the 2011 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Wagner will be the first student to represent Wake in the national competition since 1997.

Do not freak out if you see a lot of police cars and helicopters swarming around Dillard Drive elementary and middle schools today.

Taking advantage of today's teacher workday, the Wake County school system is teaming up with 15 other agencies to conduct an emergency response drill on Dillard's campus in Raleigh. They're going to respond to a simulated attack on the campus.

"This exercise will dramatize an event that is more severe than any emergency our schools would likely face, but this will help us be prepared for everything," said Randy Dishong, a school system security investigator coordinating the drill, in a press release. "We will be testing our ability to communicate, delineate and execute our responsibilities during a serious incident."

Next year's Wake County student reassignment plan is a work in progress with everything approved by the old school board under review with new suggestions coming in all the time.

During Tuesday's work session, Laura Evans, senior director of growth and planning, laid out to the board an explanation of the assignments being considered and the direction they're leaning toward. It will help to have your copy of the handout present.

The ensuing discussion showed how the thinking has changed to reflect the new student assignment policy. Multiple times, Evans talked about bringing students home, having them attend their neighborhood schools and moving the least number possible for stability.