N.C. HEAT says the recent election results show that "the people of Wake County spoke loud and clear that the political nature of the Wake County Board of Education would no longer be tolerated."

In a press release Monday, the liberal youth advocacy group says that to move Wake County forward the new school board majority should work "to create schools that are diverse in nature and allow for all students to learn and grow from such diversity."

The group says "the following actions are essential to creating equitable education for all students:

Rick Martinez and Donna Martinez are calling the Wake County school board election results a rejection of education reform and another reason for minority parents to pull their children from the school system.

On their show this morning on WPTF, both conservative talk show hosts said giving back Democrats control of the Wake school board means a return to policies that resulted in low graduation rates for black, Hispanic and low-income students.

"That is what Wake County has voted for, and I think you get what you vote for," said Donna Martinez.

Can you imagine Wake County school board member Kevin Hill as a hippie?

That's the approach in this new campaign mailer sent late last week by Civitas Action that works on the theme that Hill supports failed policies of the past. The group photoshopped an image of Hill wearing a tie-dyed T-shirt and making a peace symbol. It also shows a drawing of a VW bus.

"Just like shag carpet and leisure suits, Kevin Hill's policies were bad, and belong in the past," says the mailer from the conservative advocacy group.

Cash Michaels is defending himself against Wake County school board vice chairman John Tedesco's charges that his recent Carolinian article had "so many lies."

In a blog post Friday, Michaels says it's his job "to expose the record" when writing about the implications of Tedesco potentially becoming board chairman after the runoff election.

"To be blunt, Heather Losurdo isn’t the 800 lb. gorilla here," Michaels writes. "John Tedesco is."

Wake County school board vice chairman John Tedesco is accusing Cash Michaels of spreading lies in his new article in The Carolinian newspaper.

In the article, Michaels speculates on what could happen if Heather Losurdo wins the runoff election and Tedesco becomes the new board chairman. Michaels rips into Tedesco for things such as his firing as borough administrator in New Jersey, calling himself a family man, speaking at Tea Party rallies and his public war of words with board member Debra Goldman.

In a letter written today after the story was published, Tedesco tells Michaels "try not to use so many lies with only a sprinkle of truth."

The conservative Wake Community Network is calling U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan "dumb" for his latest comments on the Wake County school board elections and the old diversity policy.

In addition to saying the recent election results were "very positive," Duncan said Tuesday he "would hate to see Wake County lose that mantle" as "a national leader in diversity."  

"Does he know about how effectively these diverse, 'integrated,' magnet schools like Enloe graduate socio-economically disadvantaged children?" Joey Stansbury wrote today in his Wake Community Network Daily Journal. "Does he know that under the old failed diversity busing policy, graduation rates for those children bottomed out at 54.2%?

Another outsider coming into Wake County to speak about something they know nothing about."

"The Ron Margiotta Record" is the focus of this recent campaign mailer sent by the incumbent Wake County school board chairman.

Margiotta says in the mailer that during his two terms on the board "student achievement has steadily improved" and "today Wake County Public Schools ranks as one of the top districts in the Nation." He cites things such as the first gain in graduation rates in seven years, 95 percent of schools meeting or exceeding state ABC growth goals and the increase in placement among qualified middle school students in advanced math classes.

Margiotta also touts things such as no teacher layoffs in the face of $100 million in budget cuts, how he "protected all magnet programs across the county after federal support dollars ended" and the Broad Superintendents Academy audit showing the leanness of the district's operations.

The Wake County Republican Party is trumpeting in this new radio campaign ad the school system's high average SAT score and improving graduation rate to say the school board majority has been a "spectacular success."

It's part of a theme being used by members of the Wake County school board majority and their supporters heading into the election next week. The Wake County Democratic Party is objecting, such as in this blog post last week from former Deputy State Schools Superintendent J.B. Buxton accusing the Republicans of taking credit for efforts begun by prior boards.

Here's the text for the radio ad:

The Wake County Republican Party is calling votes for Democratic-backed school board candidates support for "the failed policies and programs of the past."

Today in the latest issue of The Elephant Express, Wake GOP Chairwoman Susan Bryant pushes heavily on the diversity issue as being a difference between the Wake County school board candidates backed by both political parties.

"The only certainty a parent has that their child won’t attend 3 schools in 5 years will come by not going back to the policies of the old board!" Bryant writes. "Let’s just call it like it was. These people (Democrats), who claim to be concerned for the students, were trying to bus children all across the county to balance out the family incomes of the children attending any one school."

We've got more squabbling between Republicans and Democrats about this fall's Wake County school board elections.

In the latest issue of the Elephant Express, Wake County Republican Party Chairwoman Susan Bryant responds today to the Wake County Democratic Party's blast at last week's edition. Democrats had called last week's attack by Bryant as focusing on "two year old debates regarding student assignment" instead of discussing the board majority's record.

"We will stand on our record of the past 2 years – show us yours!" Bryant fired back at Democrats today. "Also, since the Democrats are so eager to move on to other issues, let us remind you:  Not so fast - the work to change the student assignment process is still not done. Here is a lesson for all: If you want quality, you have to finish what you start."