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The WakeEd blog is devoted to discussing and answering questions about the major issues facing the Wake County school system. How much will the new Democratic majority on the school board do to undo the changes made by Republicans since 2009? How will the new choice-based assignment system work now that the socioeconomic diversity policy has been eliminated? How will Superintendent Tony Tata lead the state's largest district through more budget cuts and possible layoffs? How will the board respond to growth and the school construction program?
WakeEd is maintained by The News & Observer's Wake schools reporter, T. Keung Hui. While Keung posts information and analysis on the issues, keep us posted on your suggestions, questions, tips and what you're doing to cope with the changes in Wake's schools.
Called2Action is answering the call to stand behind the new Wake County school board majority.
In an ActionGram sent Thursday, Called2Action leader Steve Noble says the conservative Christian group's members need to support the new school board. He's urging people to pray for the school board, especially chairman Ron Margiotta, and to attend the Tuesday rally being organized by N.C. Americans for Prosperity.
Margiotta is a member of Called2Action.
Comments
A New Problem
Sat, 12/12/2009 - 09:49 — occum_sharpeThe New Board Supporters should be especially careful to take every opportunity to vet the folks who are speaking for them Tuesday. Some of these groups are extremely right wing and very volatile and once they say something really stupid, as some of the right wing groups have historically been apt to do, the whole group is going to get tied to their beliefs, even though most of the folks who support the new board are just fed up with the way things have been and have no religious or class agenda. Be careful! Vet your speakers! Don't let some idiot speak, because, as you know, there will be two opposing groups and lots of cameras and when you say something stupid on TV, you can't take it back and it is going to run over and over on every major news network. Many parents I know are on the fence and the public statements that come out of the next few meetings will pull them one direction or another. Same as in the last election, there were many who were divided about which way to go, but the Palin fiasco steered them away (Most scholars agree that Romney as VP would have turned the election for the Republicans). The new board opponents need to follow the same advice, but they don't have nearly as much to lose. This can easily become a class/race war issue as some of the folks in Call2 have already been associated with class/race movements.
"The New Board Supporters
Sat, 12/12/2009 - 20:04 — Apexter"The New Board Supporters should be especially careful to take every
opportunity to vet the folks who are speaking for them Tuesday. Some of
these groups are extremely right wing and very volatile and once they
say something really stupid, as some of the right wing groups have
historically been apt to do, the whole group is going to get tied to
their beliefs."
In reality, though, they have no control whatsoever about who supports --- or claims to support them. I could dress in chartreuse lycra and come to the meeting and say that I and my fellow members of Ballroom Dancing Necrophiliacs of America support the views of candidate X, and candidate X would have no choice in the matter whatsoever.
I agree with Called2Action in some matters, and disagree in quite a few more. (Among those, I believe strongly in comprehensive sex eduation in schools.) I know and respect a number of members of the group. They certainly are a group that tends to inspire strong opinions on both ends of the spectrum, however. Such groups should realize that their endorsements can be like a red flag to a bull to their opponents, and could do more harm than good.
With nut jobs like Jennifer
Sat, 12/12/2009 - 11:03 — woodstockWith nut jobs like Jennifer Lanane and Diane Bader speaking -- screeching -- out for the status quo and continued failure, I am not too worried about anyone upstaging their lunacy.
Those seeking positive change is Wake County schools do not fit a certain political profile. There are Democrats, Republicans and the politically unaffilitated. What they share is a foundation in common sense and a passion for what his best for their children and familes. I do not fear what they may say. They are intelligent, caring individuals and I have every confidence they will speak from their hearts and deliver a powerful and respectful message that will resonate with the public.
Hey, do you mean Diana
Sat, 12/12/2009 - 13:21 — carson79Hey, do you mean Diana Bader? who is this and why do people keep calling her name out on the blog?
Is she a public figure?
Just a side note, but calling people "nut jobs" is probably NOT going to make you look very good, also when you say "why the hell" and things like that, it makes you look very angry and out of control.
I am neither angry nor out
Sat, 12/12/2009 - 15:06 — woodstockI am neither angry nor out of control, but thank you for your concern.
You don't know Bader, but you know her name is Diana and not Diane? That's interesting.
I don't know her, people
Sun, 12/13/2009 - 12:10 — carson79I don't know her, people just keep posting her name.
Why don't you go by your real name? I am not sure how it adds anything to the discussion to keep saying someone is Diana Bader.
?
Sun, 12/13/2009 - 13:37 — woodstockIs there a point about the subject at hand in all that?
Focus.
huh?
Sun, 12/13/2009 - 13:52 — carson79I was answering your question about knowledge of Bader.
Bader
Sat, 12/12/2009 - 13:25 — RichardAndersonFrom what I have been able to gather, she was had a leadership position in the PTA and was on some magnet advisory board. Don't know if that makes her a public figure or not. I think her picture was in the paper, taken during the recent board meeting where the new leadership was installed. She didn't appear too pleased.
...
Sat, 12/12/2009 - 13:31 — SideburnsShe is the former Wake PTA president. She currently serves on Dulaney's Student Assignment Committee. And she behaved like a buffoon at the 12/1 meeting.
Also worth noting. Both she
Sat, 12/12/2009 - 16:42 — trollwatcherAlso worth noting. Both she and Ron applied for the District 8 slot when it became vacant in 2001. It was ultimately given to Jeff York who was then defeated by Ron in 2003.
Interesting background
Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:26 — jenmanInteresting background info. I didn't know that. For some reason I always thought that Bader lived in a different district in Cary.
Too funny
Sat, 12/12/2009 - 10:42 — Dadof3There's idiots across the political spectrum. Why should only the right worry?
Left or Right
Sat, 12/12/2009 - 10:49 — RichardAndersonLeft or right, it doesn't matter. IMO, people like Called 2 Action are at best a side show. There are way more pressing concerns for the county than things like sex ed, which has been the top line issue for the group in the past years.
It's interesting
Sat, 12/12/2009 - 12:33 — Dadof3I should have a natural affiliation with Called2Action, only I don't in practice. That isn't a knock, but rather, an interesting thing happened to me on the way to Wake Forest Rd. I had my left/right biases pegged, my sense of who were the culprits and the heros, but then, as I become more engaged, I started to see a number of inconsistencies in my weltanschauung. A variety of left-leaning friends were as unhappy as I was with the BoE and WCPSS arbitrary policies as I was, and they had better explanations for the failure than I did. To their perspective, it was an abuse of power, as witnessed by how some schools got more favor than others via powerful connections, and without regards to the explicit diversity policy, than those without these connections.There are countless other examples. Friends and neighbors with whom I have strong disagreement on most political issues have found commonality on how far Wake County education has fallen from a strong focus on education. I know I'm not alone. When you step outside the circus-atmosphere rhetoric on the left and right (and it's only getting worse -- and occam's post seems to be the fruit of that kind of rhetoric) there's a marvelous world of commonality. That's why I see some much mispronouncement and misunderstanding on both sides about the significance of the recent board elections.
This wasn't a political win; it was a successful result of the best democratic-republican based electorial system in the world; and the voters and parents won, as we have even in the years when those with whom we disagree got elected. That view won't get me on Obermann or Limbaugh, but it does make me very contented.
I think that Ron is fully
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 17:29 — jenmanI think that Ron is fully aware that while support for neighborhood schools and against WCPSS's current assignment policies comes from people of all races & political persuasion, many other items supported by Called 2 Action do not.
What "items" are you talking
Sat, 12/12/2009 - 13:14 — carson79What "items" are you talking about?
I don't know all the stances
Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:21 — jenmanI don't know all the stances of Called 2 Action, but I do know that they are against comprehensive sex ed. I would imagine that they support other hot button items that lean conservative, like prayer in school.
I would like to know
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 12:02 — John_Burnsif ROn Margiotta believes that the people voted for C2A's full agenda or just on the diversity issue.
I can't speak for Ron but
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 12:14 — shearertwI can't speak for Ron but why the heck would he think that? Are the new board members also members of C2A? Did any of the new board members run on that agenda?
I believe the people voted for the new board members, not some other groups agenda. The former candidates stated their own agendas. That's what people voted for.
What other dumb questions do you have?
I don't know
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 12:12 — RichardAndersonI don't know the answer, but I do know that Ron is no fool.
Americans for Prosperity
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 11:44 — John_Burnswhat business does a national special interest pressure group have in local schools?
Good question. Why don't
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 14:07 — CaryCurmudgeonGood question. Why don't you ask Billy Barber.
Aren't Americans for Prosperity the ones that
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 13:02 — BWNelsondisrupted all those town hall meetings in August? I remember those people. Some of them were carrying guns at one of the Arizona town hall meetings, and there were kids around. Also, there were quite a few people wearing t-shirts and carrying signs with swastikas on them and also weren't they the ones with the creepy Obama posters? Not to mention getting senior citizens all worked up so the seniors were saying the government should get out of healthcare and by the way don't touch my medicare coverage? We're talking about those people coming to the board meeting?
Called2action is an anti-gay marriage, anti-choice, anti-sex ed group that says its also a Christian prayer group. Why are they getting involved here? Should we expect more impromptu agenda additions that eliminate sex ed in the school district?
This causes great concern to me. My husband, a moderate Republican, is planning on attending this board meeting. He was appalled at how the school assignment policy was originally revised without study or public comment at the last board meeting and was planning on attending this upcoming meeting to see if his concerns could be addressed. I have questions whether this meeting will even be safe to attend. What kind of security will there be? Will I.D. be required to get into the meeting?
What's the relationship with
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 13:25 — shank56What's the relationship with that Chuck Campbell guy who is wanting Esco's case revisited? He is an evangelical who talks on his show like he is best buds with Ron and Tedesco. He also mentioned Malone had been a guest on his show prior to the election and Prtichett called in last week to chat.
I do recall looking at the Called2Action board several years ago when they did post this on their website- and there were more than a few big-name developers on the list of board and advisory members.
There Americans and they
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 11:50 — shearertwThere Americans and they want Prosperity? Good schools are important for Prosperity? Just a guess.
With the exception of schools in WCPSS, most schools are "local". Should they only by interested in "national schools"?
Long Meeting
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 11:05 — mommy59?
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 10:45 — louiselee44What do you mean?
Wow
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 10:06 — supportwcpssSounds like they plan to show up as Ron's bodyguards. This could get interesting...