The next step in Wake County's middle-school math placement debate will take place Thursday at the school board's economically disadvantaged student performance task force meeting.

As noted in Saturday's article, staff is working on a new board policy on math placement following school board vice chairman John Tedesco's concerns that too many students were still being kept out of Algebra I even though EVAAS deemed them ready. Tedesco said the ED task force will review the draft policy at Thursday's specially called ED task force meeting.

Traditional-calendar schools will start before the board is expected to vote on the policy. So for the 2011-12 school year, Tedesco has asked staff to take additional steps to increase Algebra I placement.

Wake County Superintendent Tony Tata is featured in a Philadelphia Inquirer article looking at the rise of non-traditional educators as superintendents.

As noted in today's Inquirer, officials in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are looking at changing requirements that would make it easier for non-traditional educators to become school chiefs in school districts in their states. To highlight this national trend, the Inquirer talked with Tata and how he's turning around some of his doubters.

The article notes how Tata is in communication with the community, as he was when he oversaw troop deployments to Afghanistan. He is looking and listening.

Are some Wake County teachers dressing so unprofessionally that they need a reminder of what they should be wearing?

As noted in today's article, Superintendent Tony Tata will remind school employees, particularly teachers, about the need to dress professionally. School board members, particularly Debra Goldman, raised concerns during Wednesday's policy committee meeting that some teachers were crossing the line of what's appropriate attire.

The issue initially came up Wednesday when staff presented the student and employee dress codes for review. Staff didn't make any recommendations for changes but said they wanted board input.

You've got 29 people lined up to speak at today's Wake County school board meeting.

It looks like people are citing the discussion of the facilities utilization report, which is item 14 on the agenda, to get around the ban about talking about student assignment. Among the people citing this section on the signup sheet are Anne Sherron, Adrienne Lumpkin, Susan Evans, Monserrat Alvarez (of N.C. HEAT) and Jim Martin.

On the list of 15 speakers for off-agenda topic items, you've got more supporters of the diversity policy who likely are using other ways to bring up student assignment. This list includes:

UPDATE

School board vice chairwoman Debra Goldman said the restriction on comment on student assignment was meant for discussion on specific moves in the plan.

Schools in Wake County and across the country will be celebrating American Education Week starting on Monday.

American Education Week is an effort from the National Education Association to promote recognition of teachers and public schools. The week is marked by daily activities such as encouraging parents to visit schools, honoring support staff and substitute teachers and encouraging community leaders to serve as educators for a day.

Wake NCAE has encouraged individual schools to hold events.

Former Wake County Superintendent Del Burns is stepping back into the public eye to issue candidate endorsements and to speak out on the state of the school system.

In a press release today, Jack Nichols, a Democratic candidate for Wake County commissioner, announced he's been endorsed by three former Wake superintendents, including Burns. Nichols has been a harsh critic of the Republican majority on the school board and is running against Republican incumbent Paul Coble

"Jack Nichols is a consensus builder, and understands that when it comes to our children and our tax dollars, we must make decisions based on data and research, not ideologically driven agendas,” Burns said in the press release.

SEE UPDATE AT END OF POST

The Wake County school board would make a statement if it chose a non-educator to become superintendent.

As noted in today's article, policy revisions recommended by the school board's policy committee would take advantage of changes adopted by the General Assembly in 2001 to allow non-educators to become superintendents. But few school districts in the state have taken advantage of the change.

Guilford County Superintendent Maurice Green was about the only non-educator to come to mind for people. Green was Charlotte-Mecklenburg's in-house lawyer and later deputy superintendent before becoming superintendent.

There will be a leadership change in a few months at Wake NCAE, the group which represents 5,000 Wake County school system employees.

Tama Bouncer, a music teacher at Swift Creek Elementary School, will become Wake NCAE president in July. She will take over for Jennifer Lanane, who couldn't serve again because of term limits.