There was a lot of data and emotion coming from supporters of Wake County's school diversity policy at Saturday's Great Schools in Wake Coalition forum.

As noted in today's article, researchers presented national and state data on the challenges of high-poverty schools and the benefits of socioeconomically diverse schools. The message presented was that community schools would be the wrong step for Wake to take.

"It's very important that Wake County stay the course on their programs," said Richard Kahlenberg, senior fellow at the Century Foundation, which he called a 'progressive think tank.' "The plans to dismantle the socioeconomic diversity policy would have disastrous effects.”

Three Triangle academics weighed in Wednesday with data they say shows the Wake County school system could have problems if it scraps the diversity policy.

As noted in today's article by Thomas Goldsmith, research was presented at the Great Schools in Wake Coalition press briefing showing that high-poverty schools statewide tend to have lower quality teachers. Those schools have the highest percentage of teachers with less than three years' experience, with lower teacher test scores and with degrees from lower-quality colleges.

"By every measure, high-poverty schools have teachers (and also principals) with weaker credentials than other schools," said Helen Ladd, a Duke University professor of public policy studies and economics.

Thomas Farr is asking a lot of questions that go beyond auditing the school district's legal services as part of his job as the Wake County school board's special nterim counsel.

As noted in today's article by Thomas Goldsmith, Farr has asked questions on topics such as magnet schools, the percentage of free-and-reduced-price lunch students at schools and suspension rates. Some of that data is readily available on the school district's web site.

Farr said his agreement with the board also calls for him to make suggestions if he comes across means to make the system run more efficiently

Is Wake County's racial achievement gap shrinking or growing?

It all depends on how you look at the data, as shown by recent pronouncements from the Civitas Institute and the Coalition of Concerned Citizens for African American Children.

Both groups are taking differing opinions on the achievement gap to based their opinions on the community-based school assignment resolution that will be voted on Tuesday.

Critics of the new Wake County school board majority and their plan to end the diversity policy just hate John Tedesco.

As noted in today's article by Lynn Bonner, Tedesco's name was invoked by protesters at Saturday's 4th annual Historic Thousands on Jones Street rally organized by the state NAACP. Fears about resegregation caused by neighborhood schools was a major theme of the rally.

“Hey-hey, ho-ho, John Tedesco’s got to go,” some shouted, as Duke University historian Tim Tyson led marchers in a chant aimed at Tedesco.

It looks like the world will hear about what's happening in the Wake County school system in the Sunday edition of The New York Times.

The Old Grey Lady has posted the story on its web site today. It isn't nearly as glowing about the school system as compared the 2005 Sunday front-page story about the diversity policy.

“My feeling is that it’s very important for people in Wake to drive over to Charlotte and see what’s happened,” said Gary Orfield, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, who studies school busing, in the article.

Wednesday's Wake County school board policy committee discussion had a lot of emotion and some colorful statements.

As noted in today's article, the committee rejected proposed student assignment policy changes that would eliminate all references to diversity in favor of making neighborhood schools a priority. The action came after a good deal of discussion on the role of diversity in student assignment.

It culminated in committee chairwoman Debra Goldman getting applause from the crowd, which had several members of the Great Schools in Wake Coalition, after she didn't second the motion to recommend the changes.

If Wake County Schools Superintendent Del Burns is ousted early tonight, it won't be because his supporters stayed silent.

As noted in today's article, there's been an active lobbying effort over the past few days by people who want the school board to allow Burns to stay on through his June 30 resignation date. Del's Army, a Facebook group organized by the son of former school board candidate Carlene Lucas, has become a central point for Burns' backers.

"Other parents like myself need to stand up and speak out," Lucas said. "We hope they listen to us and not the elite few."

The Wake County school board's student achievement committee will also not be meeting this month.

School board member Deborah Prickett, the new chairwoman of the student achievement committee, wants the group to meet in the early evening hours. Previously, it has met from 11 a.m to 1 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.

Prickett is looking at a 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. time slot to reduce time conflicts with her day job as character education consultant for the state Department of Public Instruction.

Wake County school board member John Tedesco has approached several African-American leaders to be a part of the economically disadvantaged student performance task force.

Tedesco said he's contacted several people, including Raleigh City Councilman James West, Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association President Daniel Coleman and the Rev. Patrick Wooden, the pastor of Raleigh's Upper Room Church of God in Christ. He said he's been asking people who are leaders and who represent a broad section of the community.

Tedesco said he has not asked the Rev. William Barber, president of the state NAACP, to participate on the task force. Both men have had a war of words over the new school board majority's plan to end the diversity policy.