Haters of Math Traiblazers don't have to worry that state budget cuts will force elementary schools to keep using the program.

Chief Academic Officer Donna Hargens told school board members last week that elementary schools were able to purchase the new Math Expressions textbooks before the budget cuts took hold. This means schools should be using Math Expressions in lieu of Trailblazers this school year.

Your child's elementary school might soon be using a new screening system to assess reading skills.

Staff briefed school board members last week on their plan to begin using the DIBELS Data System to assess the reading skills of students and hopefully intervene before problems get worse.

While staff is recommending that elementary schools use it for the 2009-10 school year, it's not being mandated. That drew some concerns from board members.

The days of flats, skinnies and bits will soon be coming to an end in Wake's elementary schools.

As noted in today's article, a textbook selection committee of parents, teachers and principals has recommended using Math Expressions as the new K-5 math textbook. The committee didn't recommend using an updated version of the controversial Math Trailblazers textbook that introduced parents to terms such as flats and skinnies.

The new textbook is billed as offering a more traditional approach to teaching math while including some of the concepts of Trailblazers.