Track My Steps is hosting a public forum tonight on the state of education in Eastern Wake County.

Forum organizers say there is a "crisis in public education in eastern Wake County and that they want to "break the silence on education inequality." The forum will focus on the challenges faced by Eastern Wake students and parents in the areas of early education, student discipline, student/parent rights and resources, course selection/availability and student achievement.
 
"Eastern Wake residents are calling for education reform in their part of Wake County to create a better Wake County," according to the press release. "Participants will introduce a plan of action to change the perception of education in Eastern Wake."

Is the Governor Morehead School for the Blind the right place to house some of the students in the Wake County school system's new single-sex leadership academies?

Wake County Superintendent Tony Tata told state legislators on Tuesday that he's been negotiating with the state Department of Public Instruction to lease space at the Morehead School to house 300 students. It's part of State Schools Superintendent June Atkinson's ongoing efforts to find alternative funding to avoid closing the Morehead School.

Later at Tuesday's school board meeting, Tata provided more detail to board members. He said the plan is to house the middle school students from the leadership academies at the Morehead School.

Wake County school board member John Tedesco says he will officially announce by Jan. 26 whether he will seek the Republican nomination for State Schools Superintendent.

In a press release this afternoon, Tedesco says that "community leaders whom I admire and respect from across this great state have asked me to consider bringing my dedication, leadership, and lifetime of passion for helping children to the office of State Superintendent." He says the state "must produce significant measurable results for our students, support parents, empower teachers, reduce bureaucracy, and increase local controls."

"In respect to these urgent matters I plan to announce my decision by Thursday, January 26th. Over the coming week my wife and I will be joined by family and friends in serious and prayerful consideration of this state-wide campaign to champion a better education for the children of North Carolina," Tedesco says in the statement. "As I consider this run for State Superintendent I ask that you keep me and my family in your prayers as well."

The field of potential and announced candidates for superintendent has been steadily increasing. Today, Democratic incumbent June Atkinson announced she would run for re-election.

Should the Wake County school system consider leasing vacant space on the campus for the Gov. Morehead School for the Blind in Raleigh?

As noted in today's article by Lynn Bonner, State Schools Superintendent June Atkinson wants to sidestep the legislative directive to close one of the state's three residential schools for blind and deaf students. Her proposal is to have the Gov. Morehead School become a satellite of the Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf in Wilson, with its administration consolidated there.

The plan for the schools will include a recommendation to lease vacant space on the campuses to charter schools, regional schools, or school districts in order to raise money. Closing a school is supposed to save $5.5 million.

Atkinson said she talked to Wake County Superintendent Tony Tata about leasing space, but he had not had the chance to talk to school board members about it. The Gov. Morehead School sits on about 60 acres west of downtown Raleigh, near N.C. State University.

UPDATE

Tata told school board members today that he's been talking with the state Department of Public Instruction for the past two months about leasing part of the Gov. Morehead School campus. He said it could be a "win-win scenario" for both Wake and the visually impaired students.

Tata said there's no agreement yet, but he'll present it to the board when it's ready.

Wake County school board vice chairman John Tedesco may find himself overseeing all of the state's public schools.

In a statement today, Tedesco said that he will decide after New Year’s Day whether to run in 2012 for state Schools Superintendent. It could pave the way for a battle between Tedesco and state Schools Superintendent June Atkinson or state Rep. Rick Glazier, who has announced he’s considering running for the position.

“While there are several opportunities for me to consider right now, at this time my focus is my coming wedding, continued service to the children of Wake County, and sharing the holidays with family and friends,” Tedesco said today in a written statement. “In the beginning of the new year I will evaluate further.”

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

We can now officially say that the Wake County school system won't have to require students to spend five more days in class this fall.

Wake was among the 77 waiver requests for the 2011-12 school year approved this week by State Schools Superintendent June Atkinson. The school districts said that in lieu of requiring students to spend five more days in school they'd use the time to train teachers on the new core curriculum standards.

Learn to embrace the new common core of standards that could result in a nationwide education curriculum.

Wake County school officials said today they will drop plans to add an additional 10 minutes to the school day as part of their effort to temporarily circumvent the new state requirement for a longer school year for students .

Instead, Wake will take advantage of the process set up Friday by the state Board of Education to get waivers without having to add the additional days or hours. Wake will request a waiver to provide teachers more training on the common core of standards.

Wake County school board member John Tedesco's colleagues weren't joking when they repeatedly said he was charged up on caffeine when he gave a fiery speech at last Thursday's Northern Wake Republican Club meeting.

During the speech, Tedesco praised the board majority's actions since December 2009 in "revamping public education." He also ripped into liberals, including what he called their "unholy trinity" of the NAACP, the Great Schools in Wake Coalition and Raleigh FIST.

"They will try and scare people," Tedesco said of the opposition. "People use fear. These are cowards who understand that anger can be power as long as there is a victim on TV. So they will strike fear."

Gov. Bev Perdue and several other Democratic Party leaders are scheduled to attend a Thursday fundraiser in Raleigh for a group that's hoping to wrest control of the Wake County school board away from the Republican majority.

The stated goal of the fundraiser for the Wake Citizens for Good Government PAC is to benefit Wake school board candidates "who support high quality public schools for all children." The PAC was formed in 2009 and unsuccessfully ran a television attack ad against Republican-backed school board candidates.

The PAC was formed by Dean Debnam, president of the Democratic-leaning polling firm of Public Policy Polling. PPP has recently conducted surveys on Wake school issues for what the firm says is a private client.