Defense of Cathy Truitt's assertions about school board member Ron Margiotta

First, anyone who knows me, knows I am a strong individual guided by faith and passion. I have never been a pawn to anyone, ANYONE, except the children and parents of Wake County. That's a check you can take to the bank.

Second, as I said on air, as God's truth, and as Joe C. can attest, I never had private meetings with RON before being selected as a WSCA Candidate. I am starting to feel jealous and unloved (kidding). But with that said, I do value much of what he has supported, fiscal responsibility, parental choice, and increased quality in education.

Third, from day one I have been in support of the community schools model promoted by US Sec. of Ed. Arnie Duncan. WHY? Isn't that a Democrat plan? Aren't you the endorsed Republican? YES & YES
- So, Why? Because it's the right thing to do, and the only way to take our focus off this false sense of healthy schools and get to targeting students so we can save some of these children who are being swept under the rug or diluted among numbers of better socio-economic data that Wake is fortunate enough to have over all the other large districts. Then these children fall through the cracks at an alarming rate and then we usher them into prisons. WE can not continue to abandon these children.

As someone who lived this life and now lives it for thousands of our kids, why else would I support a move away from policy 6200? Unlike schools in the northeast where revenue is based on municipal tax we do have a county funded system. Thus we can ensure that every school receives equal funding regardless of the neighborhood is it in, and in some cases we can even prop up our most underserved schools with more resources and targeted strategies. This allows us to get to equity in education and raise these children up.

This safety net of the way we fund our schools is why I would not support breaking up the System and why I believe we can get great schools in ALL the communities where we ALL live. Along with the fact that our communities are more diverse than ever; a county wide central administration limited to coordinate funding, policy development, human resources and planning that is aligned with a community schools model that maintains regional controls and local assignment options would be a hybrid of the best of both worlds.

What if some of our schools have high poverty numbers? Then we may actually have to help them! The current 40% F&R number has nothing to do with diversity or success. This is a red herring. It is not a mirror of our county’s true poverty rate, our county’s true racial make-up, or a proven metric of student achievement that bests schools with 38% or 42%. SO why 40%? It’s the tail wagging the dog. This is a grant metric for federal funding models. The goal is to raise children out of poverty and get schools below that number. BUT WCPSS has used it in reverse for their own agenda. A decade ago we had 6 schools that crossed that threshold, today, over 50.

I thought we were such an affluent community and the policy was helping us attract a higher end growth?? Did we grow in so much poverty that fast? No, they shuffled our kids to dilute poor performance and chase dollars instead of targeting poverty with relevant educational tools and raising these kids up – thus condemning many of them for life. THIS must stop.

Next, what is this idea that we need to be divisive with our neighbors? District 2 is a large district and includes parts of Southeast Raleigh (where I was last night with parents upset that they were bussed away from Barwell to Westlake) , and parts of Holly Springs and even a small portion of Cary, as well as Garner and Fuquay. All my money, far less than that of the wealthy developers and real estate folks funding Cathy’s Campaign, came from those areas and in small increments. My effort to help our kids is funded by my neighbors, family, teachers, laborers, and stay at home moms, along with my personal investment. WSCA made a generous donation but it was raised in like manner. And all the people I have met from WSCA have been real parents who care – not power brokers. And I thank them all.

Cathy’s report is controlled by a small number of wealthy Garner folks who think they are power brokers and developers in our community; they think they can push us around with their money. They are joked about in Garner as the Garner Mafia, and tied to a variety of speculative dealings. They are the same power brokers that lost McHenry’s Campaign 4 years ago. They were mad, so they thought they recruited a ringer in Truitt’s 7 page pretentious resume, and she thought it would help her sell her consulting services to sit on the Board of the biggest system in the state. But they will lose again because our children and our communities deserve better.

Cathy, herself told me she promised her husband that she would only serve this one time and then move on to their other endeavors, as she told me how wonderful I was and asked me to wait a turn because I am young and can do it in 4 years after her turn. After she lost every single endorsement, she now claims she is Independent (that’s because no one will associate with her). And the reality is that this is a political board. The way she has escalated this will only marginalize her and hurt the people of District 2, because these people will not work with her now (it’s human nature) – they will box her in, shut her up, and make her completely ineffective. Garner and Fuquay will get passed over for 4 more years.

So to help her she has hired high dollar political guns and is losing to a young man knocking doors and shaking hands. How is this possible she says? Well, I was always taught that the eyes are the windows to your soul. So now she fumes and insults and makes false accusations – and then… wait, Brad Crone wrote a new script last week – she reads it close… and abracadabra. Now she is a sweet grandma with a lab who runs the house.

People just meet me, look me in the eyes, shake my hand and they can see the difference from Dr. Truitt. I am open, genuine, and accessible. My campaign cards have my number on it (919-701-9253, you will actually get Me - try it) and people say what if everyone calls you? I say, that is kind of the point as I am asking them to trust me with their children and their money. People are not looking for miracles out there; they just crave genuine leadership that understands them.

I am me. I am far from perfect and have made mistakes. But I will always be my own man according to God’s grace and my short-comings. I am running my own campaign. Say and write my own stuff (sometimes it’s not all that good, lol). I am using my funds more wisely to compete at the same level as my opponents and in that same manner that I would respect hard earned tax-dollars. I am committed to nothing more than our children. I ask every donor and supporter to pray for me. Those who know me, know I work tirelessly in this effort and am pressing hard for our families. And the bit of ego I do have is for my Steelers (because their number #1).

Ok, it is back to the Campaign trail for me. Press on bloggers – have fun. See you across the finish line on OCT. 6th.

John Tedesco

http://www.wral.com/news/local/politics/story/6110888/
This week: Wake School Board election

Posted: Today at 5:34 p.m.
Updated: Today at 5:36 p.m.

It's election day in Wake County next Tuesday but the vast majority won't vote.

We're On The Record talking about most significant local school board election since the 1970s.

Four seats on the board are at stake; only one incumbent is running.

The election has the potential to change long-standing policies regarding diversity, busing and neighborhood schools.

What is the solution? Is there one that is best? Or just better? When we look at the horizon for Wake County public schools, what do we see?

We'll talk with Ann Denlinger, president of the non-profit Wake Education Partnership. She is a former classroom teacher, principal and superintendent who worked in Wake, Wilson and Durham counties.

Also on the panel, Kathleen Brennan, representing Wake Cares. According to their Web site, the group, which has sued the school district over year-round school policies, believes "current assignment policies are failing our children and our school system."

Brennan has a child in the Wake County public school system.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Share your questions and concerns about school policies below. We'll ask our guests while they are On The Record Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on WRAL-TV.

so is Ms. Mchenry the "witness" at this meeting with Ron? while I CLEARLY understand the difference between a "blog" and an "article" without a NAME as proof, these are clearly unfounded accusations.....IF this is so TRUE, come forth with a name, why hide?

also, why spend so much time, Ms. Truitt et all fighting a battle with a BoE member who is NOT up for re-election? already know you lost your district? or just like to roll around in the mud?

So, can anyone write a letter making unsubstantiated claims and get a blog and a headline here? McHenry essentially just got a free attack ad for her friend Truitt.

That headline is definitely fanning some crazy flames. I trust it was the co-writer and not Keung that came up with that... Keung is principled and has integrity. He wouldn't say that.

It's never, ever been about throwing it ALL AWAY. It's about making reasonable, positive choices that take into account the needs of children, families, schools, teachers and communities. Take what is working and improve upon it. Clearly and objectively look at what is not working and WHY.

Don't be afraid of the issues. Understand them and attack them and RESOLVE them.

I would suggest Ms. McHenry think LONG AND HARD about the implications of dividing this county and pitting district against district with her and Ms. Truitt's divisiveness.

I do not live in District 2 and neither do I live in D8, and I have given support to John Tedesco. I support John Tedesco because I support "at-risk" kids. I grow up in high poverty areas and in successful community based schools that focused on student achievement. I, like Mr. Tedesco, understood that education was my ticket up and out. As a result, I became upwardly socioeconomically mobile. I now donate to Big Brothers, Big Sisters for which Mr. Tedesco is a VP, among other community service organizations that serve more people in D2 than the part of Wake in which I reside.

Ms. McHenry, as you and Ms. Truitt apparantly take offense to support from other portions of the county, should I stop donating to the community service organizations that serve the citizens in D2 simply because I do not happen to reside there???

BTW - you do realize that D8 and D2 adjoin one another correct? In other words, you are neighbors.

Where in that letter does Ms. McHenry say that she's a witness? She says that Truitt has a witness (para 1), but I don't see where Ms McHenry claims to be that witness.