The transition from campaigning to governing is moving forward on the school board.

Newly elected board member Debra Goldman and candidate John Tedesco are both at today's committee of the whole meeting. Tedesco will officiallly move into the candidate elect status as long as his supporters make sure to show up Nov. 3 to vote in the runoff.

The COW agenda is not really controversial. One of the items is a discussion of what Wake would like to change in No Child Left Behind.

This morning's editorial section has a pair of competing op-ed pieces on the Wake school board races.

In the piece from Maria Mauriello, she warns "that the school system's critics want to roll back the clock on our children." She's the co-founder of BiggerPicture4Wake, which has endorsed candidates who support the diversity policy.

The opposing piece from Chris Marsch criticizes how Wake has applied the diversity policy. He's endorsing the candidates who happen to be backed by the Wake Schools Community Alliance.

BTW, Marsch had talked with the Wake County Democratic Party about running for the District 2 school board seat. Marsch has also been involved in the No Child Left Behind notification issue at Barwell Road Elementary.

The Wake Schools Community Alliance has weighed in with campaign mailers for all for its endorsed school board candidates.

Each mailer mentions that only 54 percent of Wake's low-income students are graduating from high school and that the district didn't make Adequate Yearly progress under No Child Left Behind in 2008-09. (Wake is one of the state's 60 districts that are in school improvement status for not meeting NCLB for at least two years in a row.)

But most of the mailers also mention material specific to that individual district.

Wake wants to have its say in revising the federal No Child Left Behind program.

Some changes are expected now that the No Child Left Behind Act is up for congressional reauthorization. Various groups have proposed changes with Wake soon to be joining them.

“As one of the largest school systems in the country and one of the most successful, we think our input would be valuable," said school board member Lori Millberg at last week's board meeting.

What's the best way to help students at high-poverty schools?

There are two models Wake can use at its Title I schools, which receive federal funding because of their high percentage of low-income students. You can either target the resources specifically at failing students or you can work with the whole school.

Guess which one the school district is urging schools to follow?

Wake has announced its finalists for principal and assistant principal of the year.

The Principal of the Year finalists are Mary Page of Bugg Elementary, Annice Williams of Barwell Elementary, Teresa Winstead of Durant Road Elementary, John Wall of North Garner Middle and Edward McFarland of Fuquay-Varina High.

The Assistant Principal of the Year finalists are Melissa Blackmon of Willow Springs Elementary, Lisa Brown of Leesville Road Elementary, Edna Fay Jones of Forest Pines Elementary, Christopher Coby of Wendell Middle and Robert Matheson of Apex High.

School board members and administrators managed to simultaneously defend their handling of No Child Left Behind choice requirements while also acknowledging they can do some things better.

Recent stories have questioned how Wake isn't providing the advance notification required under No Child and is forcing parents to return to their old failing schools and reapply to get back out.

During Tuesday's school board meeting, Asst. Supt. Chuck Dulaney said Wake is following all federal guidelines for No Child Left Behind.

UPDATE: CORRECTED WORDING IN BOLD IN POST

Imagine being told you have to return to the academically struggling school you left and also having to change your year-round track.

As noted in today's article by Ray Martin, Joni Duell's two kids were sent back to Barwell Road Elementary School after having taking advantage of their options last year under No Child Left Behind to transfer to a more successful school.

It's a double whammy for Duell, whose children were on track 4 at East Garner Elementary. Instead of starting the new school year on July 27, they were given a track at Barwell that started July 7, forcing them to start classes three weeks earlier than planned.

How much slack should Wake get for not meeting federal No Child Left Behind guidelines for letting parents know ahead of time that they can transfer out of failing schools?

As noted in today's article, Wake says it can't tell parents at Title I year-round schools before the school year starts that they can get out under NCLB. They're arguing the mandated 14-day advance notice doesn't work for year-round schools that start July 7 because the test results aren't back yet.

Officially at least, that doesn't cut it for the feds.

There's a war of words between some school board members over Wake's diversity policy.

School board member Ron Margiotta and four community members fired the initial shot in February with an open letter calling for an end to the diversity policy in favor of neighborhood schools. As evidence, the letter cites Charlotte-Mecklenburg's academic performance compared to Wake.

Kevin Hill, vice chairman of the school board, has responded with his defense of the diversity policy. While Hill stresses it's only his personal opinion, he shared his letter with other board members before attending last week's UNC Conference.