Is the Wake County school board looking for a backdoor in case it loses accreditation from AdvancED?

The school board is set to discuss and vote today on its 2011 Legislative Agenda, which lists the issues it will lobby the General Assembly on. One of the items in the draft agenda is to "review the state accreditation process and provide clarification to the school system."

During the AdvancED fight, school board attorney Ann Majestic has broached to school board members the possibility of seeking state accreditation. The problem is it no longer exists in the form that Wake would want.

UPDATE

One issue that will likely wait two weeks is adding allowing the board chair to vote on all issues. The Democratic members objected to voting today, saying they want more information first on why the prohibition was added to the merger law.

Wake County school board members might still sing Kumbaya after all during the two-day retreat today and Saturday with Superintendent Tony Tata.

As noted in today's article, Tata says a big chunk of the retreat will be focused on how to build consensus. He said the retreat will also provide an opportunity for board members to better get to know him and each other.

“I’m not saying that we’ll agree on everything,” Tata said. “My intention is to discuss with them the best practices for high-functioning boards.”

UPDATE

The Friday meeting has been moved to a third-floor conference room.

Some of you guys may have had a chuckle over Saturday's Triangle Politics item about Wake County school board member Chris Malone lobbying for an extra exit in the new school board room in Cary.

Malone and board vice chairwoman Debra Goldman had lobbied the board last week to reconsider the Jan. 25 decision to stick with the staff-recommended design. They were lobbying for changes that could have added anywhere from $1,200 to $60,000 more in costs.

The end result last Tuesday was a one-hour discussion on the shape of the table, members' sightlines, security, audience access and places for the superintendent and board attorney to sit.

Is it time for the Wake County school board to revise its dress code for students and teachers?

It's one of the discussion items on the agenda of today's policy committee meeting. They'll review the dress codes to determine if revisions are needed.

The student dress code dates back to 2002. It focuses on what students should not wear, including sagging pants, excessively short garments and bare midriffs. Principals can add additional restrictions.

Could the Wake County school board still be slapped with a preliminary injunction accusing it of violating the state's Open Meetings Law?

As noted in today's article, the N.C. Court of Appeals will hear Thursday the appeal of the lawsuit that accused the school board of violating the Open Meetings Law back in March. Wake County Superior Court Judge Bill Pittman dismissed the suit in May.

At issue is how Pittman found that the school board had acted unreasonably during the March 23 board meeting. But he dismissed the lawsuit after determining Wake had changed its practices and was now acting reasonably to accommodate crowds.

Citing financial costs, the Wake County school board has rejected today going with a new design for the board meeting room that will be built in Cary.

Staff had presented last week a design that drew concerns from some board members, notably Debra Goldman, because it would result in some audience members facing the backs of board members. The board table was closer to the middle of the room.

Staff presented a new plan today that would put the board table at the back of the room so that everyone in the audience would face the board. It would also have provided 260 seats, 30 more than the one presented last week.

Would you be offended if Wake County school board members sat with their backs to you during board meetings?

That's what the blueprints now have in place for the school board room that will be located at the Crossroads complex in Cary that will be the new home for Central Administration. That design can be changed but it would cost money and further delay the move from Wake Forest Road in Raleigh.

But the changes could occur because some board members don't like the design of the new board room.

UPDATE

The discussion of the board room layout has been added to Tuesday's work session agenda before the discussion of the student reassignment plan.

From correspondent Virginia Bridges

Superintendent Eric Becoats says the strategic plan he will launch next Wednesday will improve the local education system through “transformation and innovation.”

The 6 p.m. presentation at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center is not open to the general public due to limited space but will be streamed live on the DPS Web site: http://www.dpsnc.net. Meetings to discuss the plan will be held throughout the community later.  

DPS spokesman Jeff Nash said the Research Triangle Park location provides an opportunity to display some of the technology the school system will be using.

The foundation of the plan stems from four goals that the Board of Education adopted in August, which include developing: 1) high academic achievement for all students 2) an effective, district-wide leadership team 3) effective and efficient business systems and 4) a culture and a climate that fosters positive relationships and the well being of staff, students, the community and the Board of Education.

Becoats would not reveal details of the plan but said the community will be able to monitor progress via a software system. “We will do the work. Then we will check what we are doing along the way,” he said. “And then we will take the appropriate action ... as we move forward.”
 

Wake County school board members will hold a two-day retreat with new Superintendent Tony Tata on Feb. 25-26.

School board chairman Ron Margiotta said Tata had requested the retreat. Margiotta said Tata will provide a trained facilitator.

Margiotta said he doesn't know for sure what will be discussed. But he said he thinks Tata will cover all the concerns the board has, including student assignment.

The Wake County school board's finance committee will still meet Wednesday even though the policy officially restoring it hasn't been passed yet.

The committee meeting had been added to this week's schedule in anticipation of the board giving final adoption today to a policy to restore the standing committees. The board couldn't agree on adoption tonight during a tortured and at times confusing discussion.

Based on the need for the finance committee to meet, the board agreed to give a special waiver for finance to meet tomorrow. The committee will meet to discuss the latest budget news.