The Wake Education Partnership is warning Wake County Superintendent Tony Tata that "he will need to move both quickly and carefully" in shaping the next chapter of the magnet school program.

In the latest issue of In Context, the WEP's e-newsletter notes today how Tata asked about 100 parents, educators and business leaders last week to offer advice on the next chapter in Wake’s magnet school history. This is occurring as staff conducts a review of the magnet program.

“We’re not going to be able to just layer new stuff on,” Tata is quoted as telling that group. “I’m a big supporter of the magnet programs, but it has to be in the right place doing the right thing.”

The Wake Education Partnership is saying that "the district’s desire to tightly control school capacities" is the cause of most of the complaints about the new student assignment plan.

In the latest issue of In Context, the WEP's e-newsletter, the group says that failure to control capacities was "a significant problem in prior years that often led to severe overcrowding and frequent reassignments."

"Because the current plan promises families they will not be reassigned, Superintendent Tony Tata has been extremely reluctant to over-enroll schools," the WEP writes. "Instead, he has emphasized new programs to attract families to schools that have space."

The spin from both supporters and critics of Wake County's new student assignment plan is well in progress.

As noted in today's article, critics like the Great Schools in Wake Coalition and some parents dispute Superintendent Tony Tata's assertions that the first round of the selection process was a success.

But Michael Alves, who is being paid by Wake to consult on the plan's implementation, and Wake Education Partnership Vice President Tim Simmons say the results are encouraging.

Allison Backhouse now has her own blog and her focus today is on AdvancED's  accreditation investigation of the Wake County school system.

Backhouse criticizes the "ridiculous complaint" by the Rev. William Barber of the state NAACP that led to the review. Noting the recent positive AdvancED report, she writes that the organization's concerns were addressed "due to the hard work of the previous Board and Supt. Tata."

"But, what has really changed – besides the political majority on the School Board?" Backhouse writes. "Are our high schools and their students better in some way? Even the Wake Education Partnership came to the conclusion that accreditation is just a public perception issue. We think it’s important only because we’ve been told it is."

The issue of Michael Alves' unannounced private meeting with the new Democratic members of the Wake County school board won't seem to go away.

The issue was revisited with some heated comments during Tuesday's board meeting. The discussion, more of which is detailed later in the post, shows the continuing wariness between the Republican and Democratic members.

More recently, Terry Stoops, director of education studies for the conservative John Locke Foundation, brought up the issue in a Thursday blog post.

Who will the Democratic majority on the Wake County school board side with on the new student assignment plan?

As noted in today's article, different influential groups have taken opposing sides on the plan. Will the Democratic board members side with the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and the Wake Education Partnership who want the plan to be implemented for this fall?

Or will the new majority side with the Great Schools in Wake Coalition's call for the plan to be delayed a year?

The Republican members of the Wake County school board are not happy that they weren't notified that education consultant Michael Alves was holding a private meeting with the new Democratic board members.

Word about the meeting because public during Tuesday's board work session after GOP board member Debra Goldman asked about the references that the Democratic members were making about having talked with Alves.

"Did I miss a meeting where Mr. Alves came and talked to the board?" Goldman questioned Democratic board chairman Kevin Hill.

UPDATE

CLARIFIED THAT IT'S THE GREATER RALEIGH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE THAT HAS RETAINED ALVES TO HELP WAKE WITH THE PLAN

KEVIN HILL AND JIM MARTIN NOW SAY THAT THE MEETING WITH ALVES TOOK PLACE DEC. 7, THE DAY AFTER THE NEW MEMBERS WERE SWORN IN.

The review team from AdvancED will begin today the interviews that will help determine whether Wake County's high schools remain accredited.

The interview schedule for today includes seven current school board members and the three newly elected board members. Also on tap today are Superintendent Tony Tata, teachers and high school principals.

Wednesday's interview schedule includes two school board members, Deputy Superintendent Cathy Moore, the chief officers, area superintendents, the student assignment task force and the student body presidents.

Tomorrow's interview schedule also includes several community members and groups, including the state NAACP, the Great Schools in Wake Coalition, the Wake Schools Community Alliance, the Wake PTA Council, the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and the Wake Education Partnership.

In a near duplicate of its robocall, Civitas Action is urging voters in this campaign mailer to tell Wake County school board member Kevin Hill to support the new student assignment plan.

The mailer from the conservative advocacy group says Hill voted no "on a bipartisan plan for stability, proximity and academic achievement." It also says he voted no "to parents having choice in where their children go to school."

The mailer also says that "Democrats, Republicans, the Chamber of Commerce and Wake Education Partnership support the choice plan."

"Tell Kevin Hill he should support the bi-partisan plan and parental choice — not long bus rides," according to the mailer.

Wake County student assignment will be the topic of a panel discussion Thursday night at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Tim Simmons of the Wake Education Partnership, Terry Stoops of the John Locke Foundation and "parent activist" Neil Riemann will be the panelists. Brenda Berg, a member of the Great Schools in Wake Coalition, will be the moderator.

"Come to hear from expert panelists who will explore the complexities of school board politics and the topic of busing for diversity as they apply to this current and local issue," according to this flier for the event.

The forum starts at 6:30 p.m. in Gardner Hall, Room 105 at UNC-Chapel Hill. It's sponsored by the UNC chapter of Students for Education Reform and the Roosevelt Institute Education Center.