Has the Wake County school system been transparent as Superintendent Tony Tata has repeatedly told the public?

As noted in today's article, critics of the plan accused Tata and school administrators of being deceptive in how they've pitched the plan to the public. Two areas they raised in particular are their charges that Wake didn't list the true seat availability in round one and that they haven't been open about the assignment algorithm.

"Liar, liar pants on fire,” said Amy Lee, a member of the Great Schools in Wake Coalition, during the public comment section of the school board meeting. “Mr. Tata, are your pants on fire? From the public’s perspective, your pants are on raging fire."

The reactions from Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday night to the Wake County school board election results was about as different as you could get.

As noted today in this article and this article, Democrats were hailing the results as a step forward. Republicans who face four years of being in the minority were warning about a return to the days of forced busing and possibly even Superintendent Tony Tata leaving.

Speaking to reporters after the results came in, GOP board vice chairman John Tedesco said he hopes the new board majority won't try to rehash old battles.

Wake County school board candidate Susan Evans has reported raising $37,524.69 as of Sept. 26 with $21,770.23 on hand.

Evans' newest campaign report filed Friday shows she's still trailing school board chairman Ron Margiotta, who had already raised more than $40,000 by the end of August. But the gap might not be that big a deal considering how outside groups like Common Sense Matters and the N.C. Futures Action Fund are sending out mailers aiding her cause.

The biggest donors in Evans' latest report are the $3,000 from Capitol Broadcasting CEO Jim Goodmon and $2,000 from Lettice Rhodes.

When it comes time to make a decision, will Southeast Raleigh families still continue to go to suburban schools or opt to stay in their neighborhoods?

As noted in today's article, the Southeast Raleigh families have traditionally been silent when it comes to participating in Wake County's student assignment process. That was shown again Thursday at Southeast Raleigh High when only 30 people showed up at the latest student assignment public meeting.

A lot could depend on what Southeast Raleigh families think about the old diversity policy.

SEE UPDATE AT END OF POST

The first of the 35-day pre-election campaign finance reports is now in and  it looks like Wake County school board candidate Cynthia Matson is still far behind Jim Martin financially in District 5.

The new report from Matson shows that she had raised $6,027.10 as of Aug. 30 with $3,112.20 on hand. Martin's 35-day report isn't in yet but he had already raised $11,245.21 as of June 30 with $10,967.56 at hand.

It's likely that Martin's new report will show an even wider funding disparity between him and Matson.

A new video from a liberal group is accusing the conservative Koch brothers of having bought the Wake County school board elections in 2009 in an attempt to resegregate the school system.

The 11-minute video, released today by Brave New Films founded by Robert Greenwald, is part of a series of films attacking the Koch brothers. For this film, a variety of local supporters of the old diversity policy go on to blame the Koch brothers for the 2009 election results and ignore the notion that there was any large grassroots support for the changes.

"In 2009, the Koch brothers tried the destroy the Wake County Public School system," says a blurb flashed on the screen.

SEE UPDATE AT END OF POST FOR RESPONSE FROM DALLAS WOODHOUSE AND FOR A LINK FOR AN INTERVIEW ROBERT GREENWALD GAVE TO MSNBC ON MONDAY ABOUT THE FILM

Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker announced today he's not running for re-election, but there's still no official word on the status of his wife, Wake County school board member Anne McLaurin.

McLaurin has publicly said she hasn't made up her mind about running for another term this year. McLaurin isn't at today's school board meeting because she's on jury duty, which also kept her from attending Meeker's announcement.

Regardless, it's less likely that there will be a repeat of 2007 when only one candidate ran in District 5. But, depending on the redistricting, this would still likely be an easier seat for the Democrats to retain than some of the others on the October ballot.

UPDATE

McLaurin was dismissed from jury duty today after she wasn't placed on a panel. She showed up later at the school board meeting and said she had not made up her mind yet about running for re-election.

Businessmen Art Pope and Jim Goodmon are out in the financial forefront when it comes to backing candidates for Wake County Board of Commissioners.

As noted in today's article, the latest round of campaign reports show that  Pope and his family have given at least $32,000 to Republican candidates for commissioner. Campaign reports also show that Goodmon and his wife have given at least $13,000 to Democratic candidates for commissioner.

“It’s a contributor referendum on the school board,” said Democratic candidate Jack Nichols.

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.

The money was flying in last fall's historic Wake County school board elections.

As noted in today's article, campaign finance reports showed that more than $340,000 in hard and soft money was spent during the school board campaign. Conservative businessmen Bob Luddy and Art Pope were easily the biggest contributors, providing $38,000 that either went directly to candidates or to the Wake County Republican Party's campaign efforts.

Critics of the new board are saying it confirms their fears that those who are hostile to public education are behind the new board majority. Luddy said it's "laughable" to say he's directing the board while Pope said it's ridiculous for the other side to make him a "right wing boogeyman."