This morning we had a story in the paper by Lynn Bonner about Senate Majority Leader Phil Berger's plan to overhaul K-12 education. It occured to me that many folks might wonder why a state senator is involved in figuring out how to make sure kids are reading at grade level, and whether they should get promoted or, as we used to say, left back.

The fact is that public education has many masters, from the state legislature, to the State Board of Education and the state superintendent of public instruction. Don't forget the federal Department of Education, which sees the instruction of youngsters as crucial to our global economic and military competitiveness, and thus sees local education as a matter for Washington. Somewhere in there are the local school boards and superindentents. These are the folks that most citizens at the local level hold accountable for the performance of their kids' schools, but as you can see, it's not that simple.

The General Assembly got very involved in setting education policy during the Great Depression, when many localities were flat broke and unable to pay for decent schools. Today, the state pays for 60 percent of education spending. Public school spending makes up 40 percent of the state budget. So according to the Golden Rule ("He who has the gold, makes the rules"), the legislature feels entitled to get deep into how schools are run because it sends $7.4 billion to the districts annually. So you had the legislature last year getting into how many teacher assistants schools should have.

There are some who believe that K-12 education would be better off if all decisions were made at the local level, along with the mechanisms for funding them. Every school district would be free to experiment with their own curricula. They could test or not test, decide how many days kids should be in school, and set their own requirements for teacher credentials. Heck, they could decide whether or not they wanted to have public schools, or just let the private sector provide.

To do that, there would have to be a fundamental shift in public finance.  The states would have to give back a big chunk of their taxing power - i.e., the income tax and sales tax - because the locals would need more than property taxes to pick up the slack.

It sure would be interesting. A certain amount of the current system involves sending tax dollars to Raleigh and Washington where bureaucrats and politicians then redistribute them back down to the counties without, it could be argued, adding a significant amount of value in the process, but certainly adding a lot of rules and regulations about how the classroom teacher should teach.

It is entirely understandable that Phil Berger feels an obligation to get deeply involved in how the classrooms should operate and casts a skeptical eye on the way education has been run so far, because, for now, he and his colleagues in the legislature are having to pick up most of the tab.   Maybe it would be a good idea to revisit this 80-year-old system, but until that happens, you're going to have the legislature as a super school board.

Claim: "The terrible thing we've all seen this time around is the Republicans taking us to 49th nationally in education spending."

Speaker: Bill Faison, Democratic candidate for governor, at the N.C. Association of School Administrators forum in Raleigh

Keep NC Beautiful, in partnership with the N.C. Coca-Cola Bottlers Council, is now accepting grant applications for projects to be completed in 2012 that address litter prevention, cleanup, waste reduction, recycling and beautification.

Schools, youth and civic groups, nonprofits and KNCB affiliates are eligible to apply. Three $500 awards will be issued for each category, along with an individual category that is open for one winner at $500, or two for $250 each.

Priority will be given to applications that highlight programs or projects that coincide with the annual Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup, which runs from March 1 to May 31, and America Recycles Day, which is celebrated in November. Public educational initiatives focusing on enhancing cleanup and beautification efforts and increasing waste reduction and recycling behaviors are also of importance.

Applications can be downloaded at keepncbeautiful.org and are due by Feb. 15. Winners will be announced March 1.

For more information, contact KNCB Program and State Leader Brenda Ewadinger at (704) 442-0791 or bewadinger@keepncbeautiful.org.

Want to help your school show its true green spirit and environmental leadership? Step up and get your school to sign up for the Great American Can RoundUp School Recycling Challenge.

AND THE HIGHEST BIDDER IS...: Heidrick and Struggles. The Wake School board went with the highest-bidding search firm to find its new superintendent. The Illinois-based firm will cost a hefty $82,500. Keung Hui and Tommy Goldsmith have the story this morning.

CHIME IN: The public can chime in this week on a $1.5 billion plan to clean up polluted Falls Lake, the source of drinking water for Raleigh and more than half of Wake County. The N.C. Environmental Commission will hold two meetings this week - one in Raleigh and another in Durham. Report's Sarah Ovaska has the story later this week The Raleigh public hearing will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Campbell Lodge in the Durant Nature Park, 3237 Spottswood Street.

BACK HOME: N.C. State has hired a new athletic director - Debbie Yow, who grew up rooting for the Wolfpack with her sisters. Her lone goal: win.Check out the photo gallery.

BUMMER FOR BUSINESSES: Delayed construction along a torn-up section of Glenwood Avenue is hurting business owners in Five Points and elsewhere, report Mark Hensch and Bruce Siceloff. Construction will be restricted between Five Points and Wade Avenue until at least late August.

COUNCIL: No meeting this week.

COMING WEDNESDAY: In the North Raleigh and Midtown News sections, read about the public Capital Boulevard workshop, a formerly overweight woman who now leads local fitness efforts, and the latest on the House Creek Greenway - an important connection that eventually will connect two major Raleigh corridors.

The biggest night of the year is upon us in eastern Wake County.

If you feel like eating out on March 23, your appetizers and entrees will help keep students in school.

Communities in Schools of Durham is having its annual "Dine Our For Kids Durham" event. Participating restaurants will donate a portion of their sales that day to CIS. The group provides food for impoverished families, reading programs during the summer and runs a non-traditional high school with Durham Public Schools.

"This meal can help make a difference for some of Durham's most vulnerable students," said Bud Reiter, CIS Durham executive director, in a written statement. "We like to see everyone go out and have dinner and desert on March 23 to help out kids."

Below are the participating restaurants:

Blu Seafood and Bar - 2002 Hillsborough Rd.

Blue Corn Café – 716-B  Ninth St.

The Broad St. Café - 1116 Broad St.

Carino’s Italian – 6709 Fayetteville Rd. and 8101 Brier Creek Pkwy.

Carolina Ale House - 3911 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.

Elmo’s Diner- 776 Ninth St.

Mad Hatter's Café & Bakeshop- 1802 W. Main St.

Mez Contemporary Mexican - 5410 Page Rd.

Mount Fuji Asian Bistro, Sushi & Bar- 905 W. Main St., Suite 21-B

Parker and Otis - 112 S. Duke St.

The Original Q-Shack - 2510 University Dr.

Rue Cler - 401 E. Chapel Hill St.

Saladelia – 4201 University Dr.

Satisfaction Restaurant - 905 W. Main St., Suite 37

Spartacus - 4139 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.

Thai Café - 2501 University Dr.

Toast - 345 W. Main St.

Tosca Ristorante Italiano – 604 W. Morgan St.

Tyler's Taproom Durham - 324 Blackwell St., Suite 400

Equipped with a $200 router and a $60 monthly contract, some lucky Arizona school kids have a rolling internet cafe.

A driver's ed class is scheduled from 6:30 till 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, in the cafeteria at Smithfield-Selma High School, 700 Booker Dairy Road, Smithfield. The class is for ninth-graders who are at least 14 1/2 years old. A parent or guardian must accompany the student. For more information, call Charles Woodard at 252-236-8669.

Academic progress among black males was not specifically reflected in the Durham Public School's State of the Schools Address, given this afternoon during a joint meeting between school board members and county commissioners, but it was among the main topics of discussion afterwards.

African-American reading and math scores for grades 3-8 increased by 13 percent and 11 percent, respectively, between 2007-08 and 2008-09. The achievement gap between blacks and whites decreased by four percent for reading and six percent for math during that time. 

Improving the academics of black male students was a problem when County Commissioner Chairman Michael Page, who raised the issue, was a school board member between 2000 and 2004.

"How do we address this crisis we still have with this particular population in helping them to achieve and stay in school and not drop out," he said.

Outgoing schools Superintendent Carl Harris, who agreed with Page's description, said the district recently applied for a grant to address academic and other issues surrounding black male students.

The list of problems are many, said Minnie Forte-Brown, school board chairwoman.

"Finances, someone has a baby, reading levels, feeling like you're isolated and no one cares," she said. "The reasons are vast. Social workers have gone door to door to bring kids back." 

The school system have met or exceeded their own goals in 8 out of 15 benchmarks, according to the report.

End of grade test scores for third, fifth and eighth grade, yearly progress goals, vocational testing scores, the percentage of students in the district's academically gifted program and the number of parents who think positively of the school system were among standards that meet or exceeded expectations.

The district's end of course composite scores, cohort graduation rates and the number of students taking advanced placement classes have increased but were below target.

The district's SAT scores were below the national average and average daily attendance and teacher working conditions survey results were below target.

“There is a greatdeal to celebrate in the annual system report,” Harris said. “While there is much to celebrate, there’s this recognition that there’sa great deal work that needs to be done in order for the school system to bethe school system we want it to be. But we feel we’ve done some work that willset the stage for us to continue to make progress.”

Parkwood and Fayetteville Street elementary schools had the highest percentage increase in the number of total goals met - over 40 percent each. Oak Grove and Parkwood had the highest percentage of goals met, each with 73.5 percent. Lakewood, Merrick-Moore and Southwest elementary schools each had 10 percent decreases.

Lowe's Grove Middle School had the highest percentage increase with 42.8 percent. Rogers-Herr met 75 percent of its goals. Hillside High School had the highest increase at 11 percent. Southern and Riverside high schools each had a 20 percent decrease or more.

The district has struggled with determining the number of highly qualified teachers due to budget cuts, Harris said. It is believed that about 98 percent of the district's teachers will be highly qualified, a one percent increase from the 2007-08 school year.

County commissioners, while they enjoyed the presentation, wanted to see more numbers on the academic progress of kindergarden students and a stronger focus on increasing school attendance. County Commissioner Ellen Reckhow noticed that elementary and middle school test scores have improved but not as much in the high schools, which she believed is a reflection of the district's attendance rates.

"We need to focus on this because if kids aren't physically in school, they're not necessarily  going to do well in tests," she said.