Here's a recap of today's first meeting of the Wake County school board's superintendent search committee.
It looks like a split is emerging between majority and minority members over whether to hire a search firm and to conduct a national search. Committee chairwoman Debra Goldman said it could cost $75,000 to $100,000 to pay a search firm to conduct a national search.
But Goldman and Chris Malone are arguing for hiring a firm and conducting a national search to bring the best possible candidate.
But Carolyn Morrison and Anne McLauarin, who is not a committee member but attended today, are questioning spending the money to hire a firm when they could pick an internal candidate. Based on today's and Tuesday's discussion, it looks like minority members want to hire someone from within the district.
Majority members have said they'd consider internal applicants.
No recommendation was made today on the search firm. The board would have to conduct an internal search first before going national unless they could muster a two-thirds vote to waive the policy requirement.
Committee member did agree on an this initial list of characteristics that was developed by Goldman.
The next meeting is May 19 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. in the board conference room, 3600 Wake Forest Road in Raleigh.
Comments
Did any BOE members care that 19 schools failed?
Sat, 05/08/2010 - 16:36 — user12345It looks like Wake County will notify families earlier about their options for transferring out of schools not meeting federal No Child Left Behind requirements. School administrators will present to the school board today the transfer options for 19 Title I schools that may have to provide school choice under NCLB for the 2010-11 school year. Since potential profile basically means impact on socioeconomics, we'll see if board members raise questions today.
The board approved the list without any changes.
Newbies too busy working on zones, bell schedules, node changes for donors? This would not happen at affluent schools ... now poor kids have to go across town to find a decent school. Where is the 5-4 five when it really matters? Not enough donors $'s from these families? Woodstock the 54% starts right here and your team was not on the field.
$$$$$
Fri, 05/07/2010 - 22:31 — MarvinSchwartzLet's see, since the ruling junta assumed power in December:
$50 K for their own attorney, since they don't trust the board attorney;
$100 K to search for a new superintendent;
$150 K to make Del go away;
$748 K so that elementary schools will dismiss at 3:45 instead of 4:00; and
$?? MILLION to delay and relocate a high school.
How many of those 68 mostly lower- and mid-level jobs cut last month could be paid for if not for the ruling junta's hubris?
These were all excellent
Sun, 05/09/2010 - 08:18 — woodstockThese were all excellent decisions and money well spent:
The board needed a new attorney -- especially now that it appears that the Tharrington Smith attorney may have been consulting with the folks bringing a a frivolous lawsuit against the board.
A new superintendent is an absolute necessity and money well spent. Burns left a legacy of faliure that could no longer be tolerated. He also was insubordinate in refusing to do his job.
There was bi-partisan support for the school start times, so you have no point there.
The new high school should never had been proposed to be built in Raleigh next to another existing high school to serve Rolesville. The blame for that is on the old status quo board who made the idiotic and short-sighted decision.
See my update to the e-mail
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 12:39 — KeungHui (author)See my update to the e-mail post. Majestic was not supposed to have received that message. She got it accidentally along with the school board members.
Pardon me, but without
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 14:52 — woodstockPardon me, but without having more detail that sounds a lot like hearsay. Who was supposed to receive the message and what message went to the board that Jeff Shaw would be copied on?
So...
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 15:26 — Bob_SconceKeung didn't point it out specifically, but I suspect that the email being replied-all to was originally used to send out notification of the lawsuit. It makes sense that it would go to the school board members and to the school board's attorney.
As to the idea that Ann Majestic was an intended recipient of this email, I suppose it's remotely conceivable that these people thought she was actually on their side even though she's the attorney for the people they're suing -- a few of them clearly are 40-watt bulbs in a 60-watt socket. But, even if they did think that, that doesn't mean that they were correct.
If it were discovered that Ann Majestic was actually helping people sue the school district to overturn actions made by the board, she would probably (1) be fired [both by the board and by her law firm], (2) be publicly disgraced and (3) be disbarred. It would be professional suicide.
I don't know Ms. Majestic personally, I know folks who have worked with her and against her. I suspect that if you were to propose your idea to any of them, they would think you had gone off the deep end.
Bob, you're right on the
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 17:51 — KeungHui (author)Bob, you're right on the ball. Swain Wood, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said he e-mailed to Shaw, all the board members and all the attorneys a copy of the lawsuit. Shaw says he hit reply all on the wrong message, doing it to this one instead of another he meant to send to only the attorneys for the plaintiffs.
Woodstock isn't the only person who is suspicious. Deborah Prickett sent Shaw a message questioning why Majestic had been part of the message.
This easy to prove, just
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 18:30 — woodstockThis easy to prove, just proivde the original email and the email list Shaw replied to.
I am sure many are concerned. Everyone I talk to thinks the implications in the email and the linkages it shows is shocking.
...
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 18:48 — SideburnsI agree with you woodstock. So much reporting has been done on John Locke, Art Pope, Luddy, etc. but there has been zero effort to tie "the other side" together.
Keung, will you publish the whole email? And please explain the connections with the groups involved in the lawsuit.
What is the premise here?
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 18:09 — Dove314Is the premise that Ms. Majestic is to be considered incompetent? subversive? or is she being accused because some GOP mouthpieces don't like the firm itself where she works -- Thearrington is it -- which is purportedly subversive? or incompetent?
Does this play into the veiled aspersions about why Mr. Farr's hiring was necessary -- to highlight how some democrat leaning firm was and is playing political games. It that the "swift boat allegation" in play here?
Why don't you go ahead and put the premise out there straight up and the data supporting the premise instead of veiled allegations? Or is that what Mr. Farr is really doing whilst "auditing"?
So...
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 18:22 — Bob_SconceI don't know what Woodstock's point is, but there is some distrust because of Wade Smith's outspoken support for the previous board (Smith is the managing partner of Tharrington Smith) and because of Majestic's defense of the previous board's mandatory year-round policy, among other things. There is a certain view that she is more aligned with the current minority than with the majority. She is in a tough position -- as the board's lawyer, it was her job to defend MYR.
As for Farr, IIRC, Margiotta complained about the district's legal costs long before the election. Now he has the ability to do something about it. I suspect this was his deal and the other members of the majority just went along. Farr's report should be out before very long, so it will be interesting to see what he comes up with.
What you say may be entirely
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 17:38 — woodstockWhat you say may be entirely true, but in the interest of transparency, I think we need to see emails in question. Considering everthing that is transpiring, I don't think making assumptions and taking Jeff Shaw's word for what occured is sufficient.
thanks
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 14:00 — Dove314Thanks for clarifying that and not letting Woodstock's claim go uncorrected.
I am not convinced I have
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 14:55 — woodstockI am not convinced I have been corrected. I find it very curious that the linkages and tactics exposed are not being discussed in the media. Remove your blinders for a second and you will wonder too.
No blinders
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 16:28 — Dove314In this case, I'm not the one with blinders. That honor goes to you.
I am not sure any
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 17:32 — woodstockI am not sure any conclusions can be made. Besides, the questions surrounding the email go much deeper than who was on the email list.
I strongly believe a new
Sun, 05/09/2010 - 10:51 — HJ2ss2I strongly believe a new superintendent should be found from outside the system. If they choose from within they will be getting a Del Burns clone. He is the one who selected the Assistant Superintendents.
I've been pleased with Dr.
Sun, 05/09/2010 - 10:59 — woodstockI've been pleased with Dr. Hargens so far and respect her, but I agree that we new blood untainted by the sustained wrong-mindedness and failure of the status quo.
I believe I read that she
Sun, 05/09/2010 - 11:04 — HJ2ss2I believe I read that she has been using Burns as a consultant. That does not sound good to me.
That is a valid point.
Sun, 05/09/2010 - 11:09 — woodstockThat is a valid point. Although I lost all respect for Burns, I have to say he was probably effective at the administrative/management side of his job and this is probably -- hopefully -- where Hargens seeks his advice.
Hopefully, but my experience
Sun, 05/09/2010 - 11:17 — HJ2ss2Hopefully, but my experience with his administrators has been that they are very passive- aggressive and vindictive......maybe a reflection of him?
I met with one a couple months ago. It took two minutes to realize that his agenda was different from mine.
Well, if you showed that
Sun, 05/09/2010 - 22:58 — danofncWell, if you showed that administrator the same type of "ax to grind" mentality that you demonstrate here, I'm sure the administrator was a little defensive.
I believe you are reading
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 06:18 — HJ2ss2I believe you are reading affect into my words. I was very cordial with him. He was the one who started getting accusatory toward me....to which I calmly replied, "I think this meeting is over.
Rather than "an ax to grind", I wanted answers to some very unusual circumstances that ruined my career. You might feel similar if you worked very hard all your life to excel at what you do.......then someone decided you were a threat. Pathetic part is that I would have never revealed what I learned about the administrator.
Hiring internally is
Sun, 05/09/2010 - 10:56 — red_balloonHiring internally is anointing another avatar of Dr Burns. WCPSS does need an external candidate, preferably one with a track record of improving academic achievements and employee satisfaction.
Perspective
Fri, 05/07/2010 - 22:52 — jeffrey1Excluding the relocation of the school, your list totals about $1 million. Since WCPSS is about a $2 billion business, $1 million amounts to 0.05% (five-hundredths of one percent).
To put that in perspective, consider a family making the the median household income in Wake County -- about $75,000. If that family were to have some questionable spending amounting to 0.05% of their household income, that would amount to $37.5.
If you spent an extra $37.50 during the year on some things that others around you might find questionable, would you refer to that as hubris?
I choose to use a different math
Sat, 05/08/2010 - 13:46 — MarvinSchwartzOne million dollars equals:
--29 first-year classroom teachers at the WCPSS starting salary, when the system has implemented a hiring freeze;
--25 central services jobs at $40,000, given that 68 employees, mostly entry-level, secretaries, and mid-level employees were laid off last month;
--nearly half of the supposed savings from reducing by 30% the extra-duty pay of coaches, athletic trainers, band directors, department chairs, student council advisors, newspaper and yearbook advisors - some of the hardest-working people in any school - on a pay scale that has not been adjusted since 1987, because the budget is so tight.
So yes, when people are not being hired, laid off, or having their pay cut because of a tight budget, I consider wasting a million dollars because of the ruling junta's tantrums wasteful hubris.
So, it is ok to waste money
Fri, 05/07/2010 - 23:08 — user12345So, it is ok to waste money ... just as long as it is not too much relatively? I worry about the newbies because they are not careful with the small thing and so can not be trusted with the big things.
Perspective
Fri, 05/07/2010 - 23:17 — jeffrey1The point of the post was perspective -- something severely lacking by many of you on this board.
Have you ever spent $37.50 unwisely? Has your spouse ever spent $37.50 unwisely? Did you hound him/her with neverending claims of wasteful spending?
But the problem is that the
Sat, 05/08/2010 - 00:56 — Tony_LucasBut the problem is that the money that the money the people are spending unwisely in your example was their money. The money that is being wasted by the new board is taxpayers' money - BIG DIFFERENCE. Also, the new board all campaigned on fiscal responsibility.
???? Money has not been
Sun, 05/09/2010 - 09:14 — woodstock????
Money has not been spent unwisely. All the expenditures listed by Marvin were necessary and prudent. If you insist on being critial because your Mom only received about 1% of the vote in the election, you will have to find another area for your complaints, otherwise it just sounds like sour grapes.
Woodstock, as usual you do
Sun, 05/09/2010 - 13:09 — mom2teensWoodstock, as usual you do not address the question but rather debate the points with the same tired old argument: we are right,you are wrong .
Where's the data? Where's the funding? Where is the plan? Where is the experience to develop a plan? Oh yeah, you don't have any of that.
Take a look into one aspect of our future:
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/05/09/1424619/acclaimed-cms-magnets-face-new.html
Just another piece of data to be discarded by the board majority and their disciples because it doesn't fit their model. Again, the taxpayers will have the last word, and this 'shoot first, ask questions later' "educational" approach will tell it's own story.
Are you sure?
Sun, 05/09/2010 - 22:40 — red_balloonThe URL you provided talks about magnet benefits accruing to the disadvantaged. You will have the Enloe parade in fits.
Is this the data you are
Sun, 05/09/2010 - 18:45 — woodstockIs this the data you are referring to?:
Only $1500 per magnet seat?
Sun, 05/09/2010 - 22:48 — red_balloonIf, say, $1500 is spent on sending a NED to an ITB 'diversity' petri dish, what is the cost of sending the displaced ED student to an OTB school? This merry go around doesn't sound like it tops out at $1500 per magnet seat. And this is just the overhead for transportation.
Correct. So the magnet
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 08:02 — woodstockCorrect. So the magnet students not only get the benefits of the special courses and electives other students do not have access to, they suck money out of the classroom and burn it on fuel so they can be carted around the county to enjoy their privileged status.
Considering the tight ecnomic times, magent transportation is something that MUST be looked at.
I want to thank mom2teens for providing the information that so clearly highlights this matter.
You are welcome,
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 10:00 — mom2teensYou are welcome, Woodstock. And I want to thank YOU for being so predictable to stay out of the conversation when it involves data and substance and then jumping in to throw a dart.
Moving students ANYWHERE costs money, whether to their nearest school or a magnet. I am not sure why CMS is paying 4x per kid to send to magnets; I do know from living there that since the 'neighborhood schools' model was introduced there have been many, many, many "exceptions" made for parents for various reasons, many of these suburban and more affluent but some not. These exceptions often result in specialized transportation arrangements, much like our out YR opt out bus patterns someone mentioned. This particular change in CMS will hurt ED students who have been attending magnets, as they typically don't have the luxury of having a parent at home to get them to school or for the high schoolers, have a car at their disposal.
When my children attended magnets, we had the express bus option. It worked for middle and the first year of high school. After that, it became more expedient to car pool because of after school sports. The bus was okay; 'express' is a misnomer because as someone pointed out they often combine schools so it's a long ride. But it was nice to have the option, and I did have the luxury of car pooling.
So magnet transportation is certainly an issue worth optimizing. Most of us who support assigning students in an equitable education manner agree the current system needed work. However, to throw out that entire system--or as some have implied here- to throw out the magnet system--because of some needed changes is just stupid.
But these are strange time indeed in Wake. Who would have thought we'd have an out of work guy with no kids, no education experience and who dismisses any data he doesn't like in charge of assigning our 140K kids??? It would be funny if it weren't so important.
"Who would have thought we'd
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 10:18 — woodstockMethinks he doth protest
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 10:33 — magnetParentMethinks he doth protest too much...
She was talking about Tedesco, not you. Or are you Tedesco?
Now I'm Tedesco? This all
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 10:38 — woodstockNow I'm Tedesco? This all just getting too damn funny.
I do see now what she was feebly attempting to reference; it was difficult to discern through all the anger and bias.
No way .... While I am not
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 11:16 — user12345No way .... While I am not sure I agree with what John will do I know you are not open minded nor have the life experiences John has ... you are one dimensional and repeat the party line from the script they pay you to repeat ......
No, I don't think so... It
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 11:05 — magnetParentNo, I don't think so... It was just a question because you jumped all over mom2teens inferring something she did not say. Talk about funny.
Perhaps it was your own anger and bias that got in the way of understanding her intent. I understood what she meant.
woosstock is paid to
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 11:22 — user12345woosstock is paid to intimiate the people on the blogs to "shape" opinion to the party line adn keep alternate views from being discussed ..... he has no personal experience with the school system and only looks at the BOE as a lever to get politial power for his employer ... you really can not take anything woodstock says as logical or based on personal or life experence because his job is to quiet and intimitate people who oppose the party not find the best solution.
There you go again...making
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 11:34 — woodstockThere you go again...making stuff up. It is really quite amusing and I greatly enjoy the lunacy of it all.
I must set you straight, however. I have a tremendous amount of experience dealing with the school system over the years. I've personally experienced the arrogance, short-sightedness and downrigtht stupidity of the previous board's decision making process -- thankly most of the worst offenders are gone. I do not work for or answer to anyone even remotely connected to a political party and I certainly have never been paid by any organization to post on this or any other forum or blog (if you know of an opportunity, please let me know : ). That you think I am is a source of great entertainment, so please do not discontinue your paranoid pursuit.
np
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 11:27 — magnetParentI'm not intimidated - he's on my virtual ignore list. I just thought that last response was comical.
CMS does not use express
Sun, 05/09/2010 - 19:51 — magnetParentCMS does not use express busing - something that will change next year.
www .cms.k12 .nc.us/cmsdepartments/transportation/magnetinfo / Pages/default . aspx
Most of Wake county magnets already express bus. I expect more will within the next year.
I think the paragraphs that are more notable are:
"From 1993 to 2007, federal magnet grants pumped in millions. The most recent award, in 2004, brought in $5.6million to cover a three-year stretch.
But when CMS applied for another three-year grant in 2007, the feds said no. The reason? The grants were created to support desegregation. When federal courts overturned CMS's race-based plan, the magnet quotas disappeared and diversity faded."
express busing: most?
Sun, 05/09/2010 - 22:33 — red_balloonBelow are the numbers I could pull from the WCPSS magnet site (expect a few typos since it was a manual effort). Looks like you are right in claiming that most magnet schools use express busing. But if you look at the table below, it looks like WCPSS has quite an
expensive transportation tab on account of the magnet students.
School
Non-Express Routes
Express Routes
Elementary
Conn
7
2
Joyner
3
1
Bugg
5
5
Douglas
4
2
Wendell
4
1
Brentwood
6
2
Powell
10
0
Underwood
7
1
Washington
19
1
Fuller
21
0
Farmington
8
5
Hunter
24
0
Smith
10
4
Millbrook
6
1
Wiley
6
0
Combs
4
2
Poe
5
5
Brooks
1
4
Middle
Martin
23
0
Zebulon
13
0
Carnage
56
0
Ligon
50
0
East Garner
28
1
East Millbrook
18
2
Moore Sq
34
1
Centennial
38
0
High
SERH
37
0
WEC
41
0
Enloe
76
0
Garner
37
2
Millbrook
29
0
Total
630
42
* Includes routes common to multiple schools.
I didn't check every school,
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 07:52 — danofncI didn't check every school, but Conn only has 7 routes total. Only 2 of them have more than 5 stops. One of the other five is a shared route with Powell that only has 2 stops for Conn. Just because a route isn't listed as "express" doesn't mean it's a normal bus route.
Also, Garner HS shouldn't be on this list at all. It is a magnet in name only as far as assignments. In 08-09, 2172 kids out of 2319 total attended Garner by assignment.
And Millbrook's Route 7, 8, 11 and 26 have two stops each. I don't know the definition of "express", but that has to be close. Route 29 has one stop. A bunch of other routes have 3 or 4 stops.
I noticed that so I can't
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 08:44 — red_balloonI noticed that so I can't say what defines "express" for WCPSS. You would think having just a couple of stops qualifies it as "express' but it isn't noted as such by WCPSS.
As an example of express
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 09:27 — magnetParentAs an example of express routes, look at Moore Square (which is a shared bus with Southeast Raleigh and Centennial)
Moore Square has a number of bus routes labelled "SE, CENT, MS MAGNET RT x" or a variety of that.
These are express routes. Actually any of them that say MAGNET are. You can tell which schools have express routes by looking at their "2008-2009 Student Assignment Information" web page. Most of them are one-stop, usually picking up at some other school and then going directly to Moore Square. These include:
Rt 8: CONTINENTAL WAY & BARWELL RD to Moore Square
Rt 17: Wendell ES to Moore Square
Rt 18: PINEWINDS DR & VESTA DR to Moore Square
Rt 19: Davis Dr ES to Moore Square
Rt 23: Penny Rd ES to Moore Square
Rt 28: Holly Springs ES to Moore Square
Rt 30: HILLCREST DR & PLAINVIEW DR to Moore Square
Rt 37: CARDINAL GROVE BLVD & SOUTHALL RD to Moore Square
etc.
Some have 2 stops, which is still an express bus, but stops at 2 locations on the way. For example,
Rt 35: Wake Forest HS to Jones Dairy ES to Moore Square
Others have more than one stop, picking up on the route toward the school.
An example of this is RT 11:
...http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=La+Costa+Way&daddr=Battle+Bridge+Rd+to:Rock+Quarry+Rd+to:Rock+Quarry+Rd+to:Moore+Square,+Raleigh+NC&hl=en&geocode=FZQlIQIdFO9R-w%3BFcQTIQIdQKVR-w%3BFVBkIQId4gNR-w%3BFWRpIQIdqPZQ-w%3B&mra=ls&sll=35.741793,-78.577566&sspn=0.013341,0.016286&ie=UTF8&ll=35.747905,-78.580399&spn=0.106719,0.130291&t=h&z=13
These are all express routes. They are not walkable routes for all magnet students in the area. The students have to be brought to the stops by their parents. If they were neighborhood routes, the stops would have to be placed at locations where all students could walk to them.
I don't know where you got
Sun, 05/09/2010 - 23:23 — magnetParentI don't know where you got your data, but it is incorrect.
For example, the 37 non-express routes for SERH are for their BASE assignment area. SERH only offers EXPRESS busing for the magnet students. Here is the rundown by SCHOOL:
Brentwood Elem
Brooks Elementary
Bugg ES
Combs ES
Conn ES
Douglas ES
Farmington ES
Joyner ES
Millbrook ES
Partnership ES
Poe ES
Smith ES
Underwood ES
Wendell ES
Centennial MS
East Garner MS
East Millbrook MS
Moore Square MS
Broughton HS
Garner HS
Millbrook HS
Southeast Raleigh HS
Wake Early College HS
Bugg Es
Conn ES
*Fuller ES
*Hunter ES
Poe ES
*Powell ES
Underwood ES
*Washington ES
*Wiley ES
*Zebulon ES
*Carnage MS
East Millbrook MS
*Martin MS
*Zebulon MS
*Enloe HS
Brooks Elem
Combs ES
Joyner ES
East Millbrook MS
So only 11 magnet schools (denoted by the asterisk) provide neighborhood busing only for their magnet students. 5 schools provide both neighborhood and express. Some even require parent provide their own transportation. Out of 34, 23 schools have express busing for their magnet students. There are some on both lists because they provide neighborhood busing for their closer students and express busing for the ones further away. So yes, MOST magnet schools use express busing.