What do Wake County school board meetings and the Cartoon Network have in common?

The New York Times thinks both have a lot in common according to this article that was posted online Sunday night and will appear in Monday's print edition. The Times article notes the more recent developments in the Wake school diversity controversy and how the Wake School Choice Plan could be the solution.

"The (school) board is split five Republicans to four Democrats, and for the last 15 months meetings have looked like a Cartoon Network special, featuring in the lead role Mr. (John) Tedesco, 36, the most verbal member of the majority," according to the article. "He is single with no children and has lots of time on his hands to stir things up."

UPDATE

No front page this time. The article appeared on pg. 11 in the A section of Monday's New York Times.

Add Richard Kahlenberg to the list of those who are praising the student assignment model for Wake County that was proposed by the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and the Wake Education Partnership.

In a guest blog column in today's Washington Post, Kahlenberg writes that the new controlled-choice plan "presents a credible third way between the constant reassignment of students under the old system and the tea party’s proposed re-segregation of Raleigh’s schools." He also calls it a "a politically palatable model for preserving diversity in our schools."

Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at the liberal Century Foundation, was one of the most outspoken national supporters of Wake's old socioeconomic diversity policy. After the 2009 school board elections, Kahlenberg called for using controlled choice as a way to still maintain diversity in Wake's schools.

The response has been generally positive, especially from Wake County school leaders, about using the student assignment model from the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and the Wake Education Partnership.

It doesn't mean that Superintendent Tony Tata and school board members say they love everything about the new model. But as noted in today's article, Tata said he was impressed by the new model and expects his new task force to meld it into whatever is ultimately recommended.

"It seems to have a lot of community support," Tata said of the chamber plan. "It could be a good foundation."

Here's the short version on the new student assignment model presented today by the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and the Wake Education Partnership.

Under the “controlled-choice model” developed by Michael Alves, every Wake County family would be offered a choice of at least 10 elementary schools, five middle schools and five high schools. That list would include at least two magnet schools, two year-round schools and two traditional-calendar schools.

It's being billed as a compromise that would allow more students to go to schools closer to where they live while allowing some diversity in schools by trying not to overload them with too many low-achieving students.

UPDATE

Click here to read the online story.

BTW, school board vice chairwoman Debra Goldman is here at the press briefing. I don't yet see any of the other board members here.

In case you missed the link in the post to view the proposal, click here.

Tweaked wording to say at least 10 elementary, five middle and five high schools.

Here's a statement from Superintendent Tony Tata on today's proposal:

This is a highly complex and emotional challenge that requires input and discussion from the entire community in order for us to craft a solution that truly meets the needs of all families in Wake County.   The Chamber and Wake Ed Partnership’s proposal today will contribute to our planning process as we develop our student assignment plans in the months ahead."

Instead of singing Kumbaya today, some Wake County school board members will discuss school funding.

The agenda for today's school board finance committee meeting will largely focus on county funding in the last three years. It was at $316.2 million in 2008-09 but has been at $313.5 million since 2009-10. The funding will be contrasted with the growth in schools and students.

With county funding likely to stay at $313.5 million, per-pupil spending would drop again. The meeting is scheduled to run from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the school board conference room, 3600 Wake Forest Road in Raleigh.

The consensus-building work session on student assignment scheduled for today was canceled. The cancelation of both work sessions is the reason why the Alves plan is being presented on Friday. The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and the Wake Education Partnerhsip had wanted to let the board hold the work sessions first.

The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and the Wake Education Partnership will release Friday the new student assignment model developed by education consultant Michael Alves.

Alves was hired by business leaders to develop an assignment model that factors in student achievement along with stability, family choice and proximity. The school board has not decided whether it will use the Alves plan, which some critics argue is an attempt to revive the old diversity policy.

Under Alves' controlled-choice plan, parents would rank which schools they'd want their children to attend. School staff would use various factors for determining which choice to give to students.

For now at least, the Wake County school board still plans to hold two half-day work sessions on Feb. 4 and 9 on board member Kevin Hill's consensus-building approach to student assignment.

On Tuesday, school board chairman Ron Margiotta suggested "holding in abeyance" the work sessions. But the board agreed to go ahead with them after vice chairwoman Debra Goldman and the Democrats objected.

Margiotta suggested postponing the meetings until after a Feb. 15 meeting with Laura Evans, senior director of growth and planning, and the Feb. 25-26 board retreat with new Superintendent Tony Tata.

New Wake County Superintendent Anthony Tata is sidestepping giving his opinion on busing for diversity while trying to reach out to supporters of the old diversity policy.

As noted in today's article by Thomas Goldsmith, Tata said he met yesterday with representatives of the Wake Education Partnership and Wake NCAE. Tata spoke with the N.C. HEAT protesters who picketed outside last night's Wake County Taxpayers Association meeting at the Barbecue Lodge,

This morning, Tata met with the Wake County Mayors Association. While he got a warm reception from Apex Mayor Keith Weatherly, it was cooler but polite from Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker.

The State of Things will tackle the Wake County school board's hiring of Anthony Tata as superintendent on today's radio show.

Among the guests expected on the show will be N&O reporter Thomas Goldsmith, Kathleen Brennan of Wake CARES, former school board member Beverley Clark of the Great Schools in Wake Coalition and Steve Parrott of the Wake Education Partnership.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

CORRECTED TO SAY THAT STEVE PARROTT WILL APPEAR FROM THE WAKE ED PARTNERSHIP

CORRECTED TO SAY THAT BEVERLEY CLARK AND NOT YEVONNE BRANNON IS REPRESENTING GREAT SCHOOLS IN WAKE

We'll now have to wait until February to get our first glimpse at the student assignment model being developed by Michael Alves.

In a joint statement today, the leadership of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and the Wake Education Partnership say they want to hold off until the Wake County school board begins holding February work sessions on how to develop a new long-term plan.

The board will look in those work sessions at a consensus-building model being advocated by board member Kevin Hill.