The Durham Public Schools' board of education plans to talk about individual school improvement plans and Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate classes at their monthly instructional services committee meeting today.

They'll also be discussing contracts for supplemental educational services (SES), or the mandatory extra tutoring supports that must be available for students when schools don't pass federal testing standards.

The meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. at the school system's headquarters, located at 511 Cleveland St. Committee meetings are open to the public.

The entire agenda for today's meeting can be viewed here.

Orange County Schools will present its annual financial audit report and individual school improvement plans to the board of education tonight.

The board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the school system's headquarters, located at 200 E. King St. in Hillsborough.

This is the board's only meeting this month. View the full agenda for tonight's meeting here.

The outgoing school board delves back into the world of magnet schools and the new Forest Ridge High School today.

During today's facilities committee meeting, board members will talk more about changes to the magnet and year-round selection process, focusing particularly on how the current system has affected Fox Road Elementary. They'll also discuss whether to continue going ahead with construction of Forest Ridge High.

The board is moving forward on both issues even though it's likely the new members will go the other way after taking office Dec. 1.

Today's meeting is open to the public. It begins at 9 a.m. in the board conference room, 3600 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh.

Here are a dozen more letters on the issues in the Wake County
school board race, including one about a Garner group's endorsement of
Cathy Truitt and one about Truitt's spat with school board member Ron
Margiotta over whether she was "vetted" by him.

Find more letters on tomorrow's Other Opinion page and in Sunday Forum on Sunday. Also find some opinion pieces on the main Opinion Shop blog page.

The Orange County Democratic Women hosts the second public forum for school board candidates tonight.

All six candidates will be present at the forum, held in the OWASA Community Room located at 400 Jones Ferry Road in Carrboro. The forum will run from 7:30-9 p.m.

There are six candidates vying for three seats on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools board.

All six candidates for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board plan to attend the first candidate forum of the season Monday night.

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP plans to pose questions for the candidates on the achievement gap, budgets, retention rates and accountability. There will also be an opportunity for audience members to ask questions.

There are six candidates vying for three seats on the school board.

The forum will be held Monday from 7 - 8:30 p.m. at St. Paul AME Church on 101 N. Merritt Mill Road. 

A scaled-back reception was held for Carolyn Morrison after she was sworn into office today as the newest Wake County school board member.

Today's fare of punch, nuts and small pastries cost $184, according to Greg Thomas, a school district spokesman. That compares to $487.50 that was spent last month at Keith Sutton's reception, where hot hors d'oeuvres were served.

Among the guests at today's reception were State Superintendent June Atkinson, Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison, Wake County Commissioners Stan Norwalk and Harold Webb and former school board member Beverley Clark.

Stimulus funds and dessert are among the items on today's Wake County school board table.

During the committee of the whole meeting that starts at 1 p.m., staff will update the board on how Wake is using federal stimulus money. Wake is still hearing from people who feel the district should more aggressively use stimulus money to save jobs.

It was an interesting coalition of school board members who helped put Carolyn Morrison on the board last week.

In the 4-3 final vote, Morrison got support from Patti Head, Ron Margiotta, Keith Sutton and Horace Tart. Christine Kushner, an active PTA member and chairwoman of the District 4 Board Advisory Council, got votes from Eleanor Goettee, Anne McLaurin and Lori Millberg.

Retired Wake County principal Carolyn Morrison was the school board's choice this afternoon to fill the vacancy caused by Beverley Clark's resignation.

Morrison was picked in a 4-3 vote over Christine Kushner, a parent and community volunteer. Seven people had applied for the job, including retired Broughton High Principal Diane Payne, who fell out of the running after making it into the final three.

Morrison will finish out Clark's term, which expires November 2011.

(I won't officially be back at work until Wednesday so I'll try to get caught up with your questions and updating things such as campaign finance reports after then.)

UPDATE

Click here for today's article by Ray Martin.