Both Wake County Commissioner Paul Coble and challenger Jack Nichols are talking about education in their campaign material.

In a television ad, Coble, a Republican, introduces himself and says "we all want our tax dollars spent wisely to strengthen the economy and create new jobs." He adds that "I've stopped over $40 million of wasteful spending and reinvested it in our schools to make them stronger."

In this campaign mailer, Nichols, a Democrat, asks "what's going on with education in Wake County?" He says he'll "restore sanity and civility." He promotes a "third way."

UPDATED WITH COLOR VERSION OF NICHOLS' MAILER

Here's the text of Coble's other TV ad:

"I'm Paul Coble. My daughters got a great education in the Wake County school system. In tough times I've worked hard to make sure our schools were a top priority and pass a budget that will help keep our schools strong. I'm Paul Coble."

You would have been disappointed if you had gone to Wednesday night's forum hoping the candidates for the board of commissioners would talk about Wake County's student assignment fight.

As noted in today's article by Thomas Goldsmith, the Wake Schools Community Alliance stayed clear of student assignment questions at the forum the group sponsored. While discussing other school issues, candidates from both political parties blamed the other for the economic woes facing the nation and county.

Some differences emerged with Democrats Jack Nichols and Steve Rao both saying the county will have to consider impact fees or other means to meet school construction and renovation demands that could easily run to $2 billion in the next 20 years.

The Independent is calling this year's Wake County Board of Commissioners elections "a referendum on the policies of the Wake school board and its majority of five Republican members."

In this week's issue, the Independent is endorsing all four Democratic candidates for commissioner after having endorsed two of the Republicans in 2006. The liberal weekly says "the (school board) majority is out of control" and that it's the job of the commissioners to reign them in.

"True, the commissioners can't and shouldn't micromanage the school board," the Independent writes. "However, when five members of the school board are acting recklessly while simultaneously shutting out public debate and input from anyone not a card-carrying member of the Republican right wing — including the four other school board members — the commissioners have a duty to step in."

The Wake Schools Community Alliance announced today that it will host a forum Oct. 20 for candidates for county commissioner to discuss the Wake County school system.

The WSCA says discussion topics will include funding for school operations and construction, the role of mandatory year-round in addressing school capacity issues, the commissioners' 2010-11 legislative agenda regarding schools and the relationship between the commissioners and school board.

The public is invited to attend the forum, which will be held next Wednesday from 7:15 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Bond Park Community Center in Cary. The WSCA is setting up ground rules such as audience members not being allowed to bring signs or ask questions directly to candidates during the forum.

Steve Rao, a Democratic candidate for Wake County commissioner, is trying to explain away why he gave a donation to the Wake Schools Community Alliance during last fall's school board campaign.

As noted in today's article by Thomas Goldsmith, Rao said his $100 donation to the WSCA was based on a misreading of their true intent: electing school board candidates opposed to using diversity as a factor in student assignment. Rao has been criticizing the school board's elimination of the diversity policy as part of his campaign.

During last fall's campaign, then Wake County Democratic Party Chairman Jack Nichols accused the WSCA of being an "alter ego" for the Republican Party. The WSCA denied the charge.

Former Wake County Superintendent Del Burns is stepping back into the public eye to issue candidate endorsements and to speak out on the state of the school system.

In a press release today, Jack Nichols, a Democratic candidate for Wake County commissioner, announced he's been endorsed by three former Wake superintendents, including Burns. Nichols has been a harsh critic of the Republican majority on the school board and is running against Republican incumbent Paul Coble

"Jack Nichols is a consensus builder, and understands that when it comes to our children and our tax dollars, we must make decisions based on data and research, not ideologically driven agendas,” Burns said in the press release.

SEE UPDATE AT END OF POST

It's now Wake County Democratic Party Chairman Jack Nichols' turn to ask his members to vote in the N&O's community schools survey.

In an e-mail message today, Nichols says Democrats need to respond to the survey because Wake County Republican Party Chairman Claude Pope made his pitch to GOP members to take part.

As of a few minutes ago, 332 people, or 57.5 percent, picked community schools. There were 172 votes, or 29.8 percent, for socioeconomic diversity. There were 73 votes, or 12.7 percent for "there must be some middle ground."

Rita Rakestraw may run again for a seat on the Wake County school board.

Rakestraw, who lost the District 1 race in October to Chris Malone, said Monday she's put her campaign committee on hiatus as she mulls whether to run again. One indication that she may run again is that her final campaign report shows she still has $9,670.70 left of the $29,634.74 she had raised.

Rakestraw had raised the most money of any school board candidate last year although John Tedesco spent more than her.

It looks more and more like this year's races for county commissioner will turn into a battle over the Wake County school system.

As noted in today's article by Thomas Goldsmith, Republicans running for commissioner are backing the new school board majority while Democrats are opposing the end of the diversity policy. At stake could be how much financial support the school board majority gets to implement the changes it hopes to make.

"I don't approve of that all," said Democratic Commissioner Lindy Brown of eliminating the diversity policy in the article. "I don't see the business community or the citizens of Wake County going that route."

Wake County school issues and next year's county commissioners' races are about to be inextricably linked.

Joe Ciulla, a leader of the Wake Schools Community Alliance, said the group plans to be involved in next year's election to back commissioners who will help the new school board majority carry out its campaign pledges. The WSCA helped elect all four new school board members this year.

Jack Nichols, chairman of the Wake County Democratic Party, said he's also expecting the school system to be a major part of next year's commissioners' races.