Great Schools in Wake Coalition urging people to speak out at board meeting

The Great Schools in Wake Coalition is slamming the new Wake County school board majority and urging people to speak out against the community-based school assignment resolution.

In a press release today, Yevonne Brannon, the chairwoman of the group, says the new board members are "failing the students of Wake County" with the resolution. She's urging people to attend Tuesday's board meeting to "speak out against the Board’s newly elected majority and its proposed resolution."

"With reckless disregard for the facts, their resolution calls for ‘suggestions’ only in support of their policies—which will lead to massive reassignment for thousands of students, less school choice overall, and ultimately the resegregation of our schools," Brannon says in the press release.

Brannon is accusing the new board majority of "playing political games."

The coalition says it represents more than 10,000 parents, students, business leaders, taxpayers and civic organizations With all the liberal groups among its members, the coalition is attempting to position itself as being more broad-based by quoting Keith Shearin in the press release.

"As a Conservative and registered Republican, I am very disappointed in the actions of the four newest members of the Wake County School board," Shearin said in the press release. "With a promise to hear parents' concerns as a platform for their election, they have acted with total disregard for anyone but themselves and their personal political agenda. Their attitude has brought nothing but harm and distrust to the school board and the political atmosphere in Wake County."

Shearin's statements put him at odds with Wake GOP Chairman Claude Pope, who has urged supporters of the new board majority to speak out in their defense Tuesday.