Will the tense relationship between the Wake County school board majority and the Wake Education Partnership become more relaxed now?

As noted in today's article, members of the board majority are saying that the hiring of Steve Parrott to be the WEP's new president is a good sign. The traditionally good relationship between the board and the WEP has been strained over the elimination of the diversity policy.

“Our relationship hasn’t recently been the best,” said school board chairman Ron Margiotta. “It’s been strained. Hopefully we have someone now who will look at all the facts and not blindly support the past practices that were in place.”

Barring any holdups, the school board should decide this week who will take Rosa Gill's vacant seat.

The plan is to meet from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday to interview all nine people who want to fill the District 4 opening caused by Gill's appointment to the state House. The board is slated to meet from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday to make a final selection.

The new board member would be sworn in on Aug. 18 and finish out Gill's term, which expires November 2011.

(The applications for all nine candidates are listed in this post.)