Ron Margiotta is finding out the hard way that every word he says in public will be closely scrutinized now that he's chairman of the Wake County school board.

As noted in today's article, Margiotta is clarifying the remarks he made at Thursday's Northern Wake Republican Club meeting about his support for slitting up the school district. He's already had to defend the "here come the animals out of the cages" remark that he had said in passing at the last school board meeting.

In the past, Margiotta didn't have people tracking his every word when he was the lone member of the board minority. But now people are following him around to hear what he says, including Thursday night's GOP meeting.

Yep. More school letters. Twenty-seven of ’em. Find others on tomorrow’s Editorial and Other Opinion pages and in Sunday Forum this Sunday.

Wake County school board chairman Ron Margiotta is drawing flak for reiterating an idea he's supported for years — splitting up the county into smaller districts.

The difference now is that Margiotta is the chairman and he's got more of an ability to impact things. It's unlikely the Democrat-controlled General Assembly would approve legislation allowing deconsolidation, but the new board majority could try to accomplish it through the proposed community assignment zones.

The latest ruckus is from a question Margiotta took about magnet schools after a speech he gave at Thursday night's Northern Wake Republican Club meeting. The question led to him talking about how he thinks the school district is too large.

Magnet Schools of America is raising concerns about Superintendent Del Burns' resignation and the future of Wake County's magnet program and the diversity policy under the new school board majority.

In a letter sent last week to school board chairman Ron Margiotta, MSA Executive Director Robert Brooks said he's "deeply concerned" that Burns is resigning in response to the board "embracing a 'neighborhood schools' model as opposed to the diversified magnet schools that have flourished in your district." Brooks asked Margiotta to reconsider the board's proposed plans.

"Instead of eliminating the district’s socio-economic diversity plan and the Magnet schools and programs supported by that plan, we urge the board to embrace them and we offer our assistance to the board to develop a plan that is in the best interests of the students and parents," Brooks writes.

Did the Wake County school board violate the state open meetings law by not having a vote in open session on putting Superintendent Del Burns on administrative leave?

As noted in today's article, that's the contention made by attorney Hugh Stevens, a First Amendment expert whose media clients include the N&O. But school board attorney Ann Majestic said only a closed-sesssion vote was needed because Burns was not being fired, just put on leave.

Regardless of where you stand on the issue, school board chairman Ron Margiotta's attempt to limit information on the closed-session discussions is eroding. Board member Carolyn Morrison said the vote to put Burns on leave was the same 5-4 vote that has marked the contentious decisions since Dec. 1.

Wake County school board member John Tedesco is taking exception to a Progressive Pulse blog post that detailed a private conversation he had Friday while at Helios Coffee in Raleigh.

Tedesco submitted a reply Monday to the Progressive Pulse in which he questioned the "creepy stalker manner" of the blog post. Chase Foster, who wrote the blog post, said he just happened to be at Helios when he overheard the conversation and took notes.

Tedesco's reply goes on to elaborate on the statements attributed to him that were in the blog post. He also included to Foster a response he had sent to an Enloe High student who accused him of backing resegregation.

Wake County school board member John Tedesco may lose his job because of his outspoken views on the diversity policy and community-based schools.

Tedesco acknowledged his employer, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle, has been getting pressure from supporters of the diversity policy who've questioned whether he should continue working for the non-profit. He said Big Brothers has not asked him to resign despite the lobbying from outside the group.

Rumors have been swirling that Tedesco was being targeted by those who argue his opposition to the diversity policy is at odds with his employer's work helping at-risk children, most of whom are poor and minorities. Big Brothers doesn't have an official position on the diversity policy.

The state NAACP said some pretty nasty things on Friday about members of the Wake County school board majority as they announced they had filed a complaint with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

As noted in today's article, members of the NAACP hurled charges of racism and likened the board majority to clowns, Communists, dictators and the Mafia. School board chairman Ron Margiotta's educational background was questioned and he was called "unfit" to keep his post.

"[Margiotta] doesn't even have a college degree," said NAACP Attorney Al McSurely. "They've got clowns running this school board."

How much detail should the new Wake County school board majority provide before going ahead with the development of the new community-based assignment system?

As noted in today's article, members of the majority say it was not necessary to roll out dollar estimates and details before the resolution was put up for a vote Tuesday. But critics of the resolution say those details should have been provided first.

“I'm kind of tired of talking about a vision; I want a price tag to go with that vision," said Yevonne Brannon, charwoman of the Great Schools in Wake Coalition.

You might have thought you were attended a 1960s civil rights protest instead of a Wake County school board meeting on Tuesday.

As noted in today's article, critics of the community-based school assignment resolution steeped their language and actions around themes that wouldn't have been out of place for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to have used.

The Rev. William Barber, president of the state NAACP, led many in the audience in singing "We Shall Overcome" during the meeting. Once the board recessed after the vote on the resolution, Barber led the crowd in "Don't Let Nobody Turn You 'Round," another civil rights anthem.

SEE END OF POST FOR UPDATE WITH LINK TO OPEN LETTER SENT BY BARBER TO WAKE SCHOOL BOARD CHAIRMAN RON MARGIOTTA.