Susan Pullium, one of the senior staffers in the Wake Count school system's student assignment office, has become at least the seventh person from the school district hired by the state Department of Transportation.

State Transportation Secretary Tony Tata announced today that Pullium will be the DOT's director of strategic planning. Pulliam will oversee the Transportation Planning Branch and Performance Metrics Management Office as she works on developing a 25-year transportation infrastructure plan.

“Susan has overseen large-scale planning and community engagement efforts and understands the importance of collaboration,” said Tata, the former Wake school superintendent, in the press release. “She is a talented, innovative individual who will be a tremendous asset as we work with our business and community partners to develop a long-range transportation plan that boosts North Carolina’s economy.”

Make it six, and counting, Wake County school employees who've resigned to work for former Superintendent Tony Tata at the state Department of Transportation.

Among the list of DOT appointments announced Wednesday was that Mary Morton would be the department's inspector general. Morton is leaving her post as senior director in charge of the school system's Internal Audit Department.

Tata, the Transportation Secretary, has hired away five Wake school employees to hold key leadership roles at DOT. He also brought also his former assistant in Wake, Ashley Goolsby, to be his special assistant.

Cris Mulder is deputy secretary for internal and external affairs. Mike Charbonneau is director of communications. Randy Dishong is Deputy DMV Commissioner. Ann Dishong is director of the Governance Office.

The revolving door from the Wake County school system to the state Department of Transportation continues.

Mike Charbonneau, currently Wake's director of public affairs, will be leaving to become director of communications at DOT. The school system has hired Renee McCoy, a former WRAL news anchor and more recently chief spokeswoman for the state Department of Health and Human Resources, to replace Charbonneau.

Greer Beaty will remain in a communications role at DOT.

UPDATE

Ann Dishong is interim director of the DOT governance office. This makes at least five former Wake school employees who've joined Tata at DOT.

The revolving door from the Wake County school system to the state Department of Transportation continues.

Mike Charbonneau, currently Wake's director of public affairs, will be leaving to become director of communications at DOT. The school system has hired Renee McCoy, a former WRAL news anchor and more recently chief spokeswoman for the state Department of Health and Human Resources, to replace Charbonneau.

Charbonneau is one of a growing number of Wake school employees who are rejoining Tony Tata, the former Wake superintendent and now state Transportation Secretary.

UPDATE

Ann Dishong is interim director of the DOT governance office. This makes at least five former Wake school employees who've joined Tata at DOT.

How will North Carolina school districts ensure they have at least 1,025 hours of instruction this fall?

As noted in today's article, Triangle school districts, like those in the rest of the state, are going with 1,025 hours instead of having 185 days of classes. It varies how each district will meet the new requirement, which is up from the old one of 180 days and 1,000 hours.

For instance, school officials in Johnston and Orange counties say they already have more than 1,025 hours of instruction at individual schools. This means they're not expecting to make any bell schedule changes for this fall.

The Wake County school system is standing behind the decision to delay the start of school by three hours this morning.

Wake, lost most area school districts, has found itself facing some second-guessing because the roads were free of ice this morning. Despite the National Weather Service issuing a freezing-rain advisory, temperatures stayed at or above freezing during the night and rose with the sun.

“The bottom line is that safety is our top issue,” said Mike Charbonneau, a Wake County schools’ spokesman. “Every time we have a weather situation, we’re closely monitoring it."

Add Apex Middle School and Athens Drive High to the list of Wake County schools getting extra security Friday in response to rumors that students will bring weapons to campus that day.

Those two schools, along with Wake Forest-Rolesville High School, will see extra police and school security staff on campus. They're all dealing with rumors about impending violence that school officials say aren't believed to be real.

But no one is taking chances at those three schools in the aftermath of last week's Connecticut school shootings. Mike Charbonneau, a Wake schools' spokesman, said extra security will be provided to any other schools that have concerns.

Charbonneau said the rumors circulating at the three schools are part of a national rumor that's floating around about school violence. Similar rumors were spread nationally after the Columbine High School massacre in 1999.

The debate about year-round schools vs. traditional-calendar schools is back in the media spotlight.

An article today by the Associated Press, includes the Wake County school system in a look at the debate whether year-round schools help with academics. The article also looks at how the year-round calendar is waning in popularity in some districts.

"Year-round schools, which once seemed like a panacea for everything from low test scores to overcrowding, have proven to be a mixed bag," according to the article. "And some places that once embraced them — including Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and parts of California — have returned to traditional calendars."