What's the best way to help students at high-poverty schools?

There are two models Wake can use at its Title I schools, which receive federal funding because of their high percentage of low-income students. You can either target the resources specifically at failing students or you can work with the whole school.

Guess which one the school district is urging schools to follow?

Outgoing school board members Eleanor Goettee, Patti Head and Lori Millberg are backing candidates in at least some of this fall's races.

All three board members, whose terms will expire after November, are backing Horace Tart in the District 2 school board race. Tart is the lone incumbent seeking re-election this fall.

"He's brought great service to that district," Head said of Tart. "He's brought great common sense."

At her final regular meeting, school board members lavished Beverley Clark with praise.

While Clark will stay on through Aug. 14, Tuesday was her last regular meeting after 9 1/2 years on the board. One after another, board members and Supt. Del Burns praised Clark for her service.

"You have always sought consensus where possible, but you have also always held to your vision of what our schools and school system should aspire to become," said school board chairman Kevin Hill as he read from a letter written by the board members to Clark. "That clarity has benefitted our board, our schools, and our children well. It is a voice that will be missed."

For what could be the only time in his/her life, the new school board member for District 4 could see what it's like to speak to board members while under the clock.

Board members agreed Tuesday to give each of the nine applicants 30 minutes to answer questions at today's meeting. The plan is to put the applicants on the same timer in the board room that measures how long people have to speak during public comment sessions.

That was one of the things that came up during a fairly lengthy discussion about the ground rules that would be used during the interview and selection process.

UPDATE: INTERVIEW SCHEDULE AT END OF POST

Will the mystery candidate please step forward for the District 9 school board seat?

Joe Ciulla, a member of the steering committee for Wake Schools Community Alliance, said they have agreed on an endorsement for the District 9 seat that includes much of Cary. But he said they're not announcing the endorsement until that person announces his/her candidacy.

This means the endorsement won't be going to Ray Martin, a Chapel Hill teacher, or Lois Nixon, an environmental educator. Both have announced their plans to run for the school board.

Supporters of the diversity policy may have found their candidate in the District 9 school board race in Cary.

According to the latest edition of the Independent, Lois Nixon has told the weekly that she'll announce her candidacy for the open District 9 seat. Nixon is past president of Environmental Educators of N.C. and former coordinator of the Keep America Beautiful program in Wake County.

According to the Indy, Nixon is also active on the education committee of WakeUP Wake County. That group has been a vocal supporter of the school system.

UPDATE

Included link to this week's Indy article. 

The clock will soon start for people to formally submit their names for consideration for Rosa Gill's seat on the school board.

As noted in today's article, the board agreed Tuesday to seek applications from the public through noon on July 20. The application window will begin once Gill's resignation becomes official, which is expected to take place by Thursday.

The board went through a lengthy review of the process. The upshot of it is that you shouldn't expect a guaranteed interview from the board.

Even though it doesn't look like the school board will make the Graduation Project a districtwide requirement anytime soon, some students are pushing forward on their own.

As noted in today's article, 482 rising seniors have returned a form to their school saying they intend to complete the project before graduating in 2010. If senioritis doesn't get in the way, they'll get to wear a cord on their gown and receive a notation on their transcript near year.

There are also four students who are graduating a year early who will have a cord on their gowns this month.

Does the fact that Wake can't get every school under 40 percent F&R mean teacher merit pay is warranted?

As noted in today's article, that was a point raised Tuesday by school board member Eleanor Goettee. It was echoed by board member Lori Millberg, who noted how she has many schools above 40 percent in her district.

"We have some schools that just can't get below 40 percent free and reduced lunch," Goettee said. "We are being negligent if we don't look for money to address needs in these high needs schools."

Stimulus money and differentiated teacher pay dominated today's finance committee meeting.

School board members heard about how the district will use $31 million in stimulus money. The feds are requiring the money to be used for Title I and special education.

Staff says it will save or create at least 97 jobs.