Terry Stoops is saying that his sources tell him that "former Wake County superintendent Tony Tata will not be appointed chairman of the State Board of Education."

It's part of a column today from Stoops, director of education studies for the conservative John Locke Foundation, in which he makes predictions about education changes to come in North Carolina now that Republicans hold the governor's mansion and the General Assembly.

Other predictions include expanding career and technical education, the director of the Division of Non-Public Education "is the most important education appointment that nobody is talking about" and "Pat McCrory will become a Jeb Bush/Bobby Jindal/Mitch Daniels-type education reformer."

It may be a tough sell for the Wake County school system to get county commissioners to approve funding for the single-sex leadership academies and the purchase of the former YWCA building.

As noted in today's article by Thomas Goldsmith, Republican commissioners wanted more details before approving use of $1.657 million to renovate the former Thompson School as the site of the Wake Young Men’s Leadership Academy. There were also questions about using $2.9 million to renovate buildings at the Gov. Morehead School for use by the Young Women’s Leadership Academy.

But there seemed to be an especially heavy dose of skepticism about spending $1.1 million to buy the former YWCA building on Hargett Street.

Claim: “Erv Portman was the only county commissioner to vote against increasing by $4 million classroom funding in the Wake County Public Schools.”

Source: A print ad distributed by the N.C. Republican Party

Context: Erv Portman is a Wake County Commissioner running as a Democrat for a seat in the state Senate representing District 17. His opponent is Tamara Barringer.

A recent ad by the N.C. GOP calls Portman “wrong on education” because of his vote against an increase in classroom funding.

Today's primary election results could have major implications for the future of the Wake County school system.

The latest survey from Public Policy Polling, the firm run by Democratic activist Dean Debnam, indicates that school board members Debra Goldman and John Tedesco will likely enter into runoffs next month. They're running, respectively, for the Republican nominations for state auditor and state schools superintendent.

It's more clear-cut for school board member Chris Malone, who is competing in a two-person race for the GOP nomination for the state House 35 seat. Malone will either win today and face former school board member Lori Millberg, the Democratic nominee, in November or his campaign is over.

On the Wake County Board of Commissioners, polling indicates that Tony Gurley faces a tough battle to make the GOP runoff for lieutenant governor. Paul Coble is running for the GOP nomination for the 13th Congressional District. Erv Portman has no Democratic primary opposition so he's gearing up for the November battle for the state Senate 17 seat.

Erv Portman has become the third Wake County commissioner to seek higher office this year.

Portman announced today he's filed for the state Senate seat now held by Republican Richard Stevens, who isn't seeking another term. Portman's candidacy means he's giving up the chance to run for the seat on the commissioners that expires this year.

Portman, a Democrat, was appointed last year to fill the opening caused by Stan Norwalk's resignation.

What do Tuesday's national Republican congressional wins and today's visit to the Triangle by President Barack Obama have in common?

How about the Wake County school board? That's the connection that Wake County Republican Party Chairwoman Susan Bryant points to today in this week's issue of the Elephant Express.

"The twin wins for the GOP mean the Republican resurgence which began right here in Wake County two years ago is alive and well and still gaining momentum nationally," Bryant writes. "Yes. We started it."

Wake County school board candidate Jim Martin has a more than 4-to-1 fundraising edge over Cynthia Matson in the District 5 race.

According to Martin's latest campaign report posted today, he's raised $26,688.18 as of Aug. 30 and has $23,623.61 on hand. Matson''s latest report showed she had raised $6,027.10 as of Aug. 30 with $3,112.20 on hand.

The biggest donor in Martin's new report is Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, who has contributed $1,100. Meeker's wife, Wake school board member Anne McLaurin, has donated $600. He also got $500 from Ron McFarlane, the husband of Raleigh mayoral candidate Nancy McFarlane.

SEE UPDATE AT END OF POST

Groups hoping to unseat the Republican majority on the Wake County school board appear to have a substantial early fundraising advantage.

As noted in today's article, the five Democratic school board candidates and the Wake Citizens for Good Government PAC have reported raising more than $85,000 so far. That doesn't include the donations that the Wake County Democratic Party plans to raise as part of its coordinated campaign.

The biggest donors so far are John and Ann Campbell, who've given at least $40,000. That's $32,000 to four school board candidates and $8,000 to Wake Citizens for Good Government.

The leadership of the Wake County Democratic Party voted tonight for Cary Town Councilman Erv Portman to replace Stan Norwalk on the board of commissioners.

Portman was the lone nominee at the meeting. Portman would take the seat unless the GOP majority on the board of commissioners rejected him and called for a special election this year to fill Norwalk's vacant seat.

Traditionally, the commissioners have deferred to the political party of the commissioner who resigned. This would mean that Portman would fill Norwalk's seat through at least the end of his term in 2012.

How Portman, who is far more pro-development than Norwalk, fits in on the commissioners and on school issues remains to be seen.

UPDATE

Click here for Friday's article by Thomas Goldsmith and Andy Kenney in which County Attorney Scott Warren says that rejecting Portman's appointment would result in a a special election for Democratic voters to fill Norwalk's seat.

If you've got a few bucks to spare, then Cary would love your help paying for a forum on school issues in Wake County.

The Town Council voted 6-1 on Thursday to approve holding the "Climate on Student Success" forum on May 11. With an estimated cost of $7,196, council members said they'd try to raise as much of the money as possible to pay for the event without using town dollars.

Putting up some bucks could get you a seat at the invitation-only event.