Officially, the Great Schools in Wake Coalition has been silent about the firing last week of Wake County Schools Superintendent Tony Tata.
But individually, GSIW members have been writing letters to the editor praising the Democratic school board majority's decision to fire Tata. Click here, here and here for examples of letters to the editor written by GSIW members such as Karey Harwood, Sharon Eckard, Swain Wood, Heather Koons and Adrienne Lumpkin.
One piece was written by GSIW member Jason Langberg, an attorney for Advocates for Children's Services. His piece appeared Friday on the website of Parents Across America, a national group that supports diversity and opposes the expansion of high-stakes testing and charter schools.
Great Schools is a local affiliate of Parents Across America.
In his piece, Langberg writes that Tata's firing "proves that at least some school systems will still resist significant influence by big money and market-based deformers when it is in the best interests of families, teachers and the community." Much of the piece is critical of Tata having been trained by the Broad Superintendents Academy.
"Usually someone losing his job would not be occasion to celebrate, and typically I wouldn’t find happiness in another’s misfortune," Langberg writes. "However, as an education justice attorney, the partner of a public school teacher, and soon-to-be father of a future public school student, I can’t help it."
UPDATE
Swain Wood says he's not a member of Great Schools. He's on Yevonne Brannon's email action list and is the husband of GSIW activist Karey Harwood. He worked on board member Susan Evans' campaign last fall and was the lead attorney in the Open Meetings lawsuit filed against the school board in 2010.
Comments
I don't understand the point of the update
Sun, 10/07/2012 - 12:53 — ForEquityWhen I read it, I got an image of Tricky Dick saying, "I'm not a crook" in my head.
Let's see - he's on the email action list of a duck, he's married to a duck, he campaigned for a duck, and he was the lead attorney in a lawsuit filed by ducks, but made a point of saying he's not a duck.
Why? I really don't understand the point of him making the distinction that while he has numerous close ties to GSIW, he's not a member of it.
OK - Mr. Swain, sure you're a swan and not a duck, just like in the fairy tale.
Since the BOE conducts all
Sun, 10/07/2012 - 13:10 — DrActualFactualSince the BOE conducts all their lawsuit business in closed session, will the public ever know if the lawsuit involved any monetary damages, did GSIW pay for his services or did he work pro bono, and did the GSIWers BOE reps recuse themselves if there was a conflict regarding the disposition of the lawsuit. I too wondered about the update, not that I blame him for not wanting to be associated directly with GSIW.
Would be interesting to know as it isn't his legal speciality
Sun, 10/07/2012 - 13:38 — ForEquityIt would be interesting to know if they paid him or he did the work pro bono. He's a commercial and intellectual property rights attorney. I don't see the connection between that field of law and an open meetings lawsuit involving a public school district. Seems the only connection is his connection to GSIW.
If one doesn't want to be publically associated with a group, then one shouldn't associate with that group - period. He made his bed...
Welcome aboard ForEquity
Mon, 10/08/2012 - 01:33 — FSandYOUThe truth is always refreshing. Thanks for sharing.
GSIW is being uncovered for who and what they are. More people need to have this group on their radar. They are destructive to our families and our community.
...
Sun, 10/07/2012 - 13:07 — SideburnsMany people on that infamous email are back-pedaling and trying to disassociate themselves with GSIW.
I don't doubt it
Sun, 10/07/2012 - 13:46 — ForEquityThey got caught unduly influencing a public board for their private gains and to others deteriment. Now they want to try to avoid the @#$% coming back off the fan. What I don't get is does he really think that he can disassociate himself just by saying, well, I'm not technically a member? What's that saying - I was born at night, but not last night...
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Sun, 10/07/2012 - 14:05 — SideburnsWhat I don't get is does he really think that he can disassociate himself just by saying, well, I'm not technically a member?
Well, that's what Evans and Kushner did.
Sophisticated 'sounding' rhetoric but what the &*^^ does it even
Thu, 10/04/2012 - 20:30 — neverindoubtmean?
"In his piece, Langberg writes that Tata's firing 'proves that at least some school systems will still resist significant influence by big money and market-based deformers when it is in the best interests of families, teachers and the community.'"
What is a "MARKET-BASED DEFORMER"?
What is "SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE BY BIG MONEY"?
How exactly, was Tata's firing in the best interests of families and the community? I'd like some facts to back that one up.
I have no idea what this even means? Who were the people with "BIG" money? Bunch of crap that stupid people will think sounds important so they'll latch on to, get behind it and start drinking the kool-aid.
disappointing
Thu, 10/04/2012 - 19:50 — snordoneJason knows the reality of the lives of children who don't receive an education.
I was disappointed in his
Thu, 10/04/2012 - 20:24 — jenmanI was disappointed in his comments as well. "Deformers"? If Hill can do it, he will remove all objective data in math placement. It will once again be up to solely the teacher's recommendation.
For so many people who put
Thu, 10/04/2012 - 20:50 — DrActualFactualFor so many people who put their time and effort into trying to improve some of the huge WCPSS system deficiencies this entire reversal seems to remove opportunity for so many kids. Tata seemed to be the impetus for much of the actual positive change that occurred. The direction we are headed is beyond disappointing. To think that he celebrates Supt. Tata's removal is just bizarre.
Tata had some good ideas but
Sun, 10/07/2012 - 14:03 — EdcationA lot of things being claimed because of him like global stem, renaissance, evaas , etc were started before he got here. Improvements that occurred this past year are the result of multi years of initiative, more comfort with past changes in standards, changing "personality" of the students etc. kind of like Presidents claiming huge success after a year or two of being in office.
EVAAS would have never been
Sun, 10/07/2012 - 18:00 — jenmanEVAAS would have never been used for math placement if the Reps hadn't won in 2009. Tata had to push staff to give accurate data on the use of EVAAS. Tata also supported changing the way we view our low income and minority students. Hill and Burns would have continued with the deficit model.
It takes two
Sun, 10/07/2012 - 17:34 — nmoskalIn order for an improvement to occur, you must have two things: 1) the idea and 2) willingness and support to implement the idea. While 1) may have existed before Tata, he was a big part of 2).
Yes, the idea of using evaas was around before Tata. However, it wasn't until after Tata started that reports generated by wcpss that supposedly used EVAAS actually agreed to the data in EVAAS. Also, before Tata wcpss was still using their old definitions of "at risk" based on demographics to define schools, rather than looking at how schools were actually performing in terms of academic growth based on EVAAS data. I've heard that during the Burns era people had to keep use of EVAAS on the down low for fear of retribution. Hill fought getting rid of the Effectiveness Index and moving to EVAAS every step of the way. Why was that?
When did the idea of Renaissance schools start and who started the idea? They were announced in March 2011, which was after Tata started. How long were they in the works before being announced and how far into the process were they before Tata started? Same question for STEM/Global, their launch, according to wcpss announcement, was in June 2011, after Tata started. So, when were they started and by whom?
What does changing "personality" of the students mean?
...
Sun, 10/07/2012 - 16:55 — SideburnsYes, when (if) they open the vocational high school, I'm sure everyone will thank Horace Tart.
We don't have a problem in this county with rambling on and on about new ideas - the problem was actually doing something them. That is what Tata did.
To Some Extent..
Sun, 10/07/2012 - 18:21 — JanisTangoThat is true, but the people that are happy about Mr. Tata being gone want to ignore what he really brought to this county and that is trust. Many parents, teachers, and schools that had been ignored by the previous administration had trust that he would listen to them and their issues. He never once implied that he knew better than any parent what was best for their children. People had trust that he really cared about ALL children in this county. People had trust that he was looking for a way to make it better for all schools in this county instead of just a select few. He was here for 20 months so yes many of us do give him credit for the positive accomplishments we have seen because not all of them are related to test scores. We do believe there was a direct correlation between the overall tone he set and what we saw in the classroom. With him gone and the lack of leadership at the board level we are headed back to the old days I fear. Kevin Hill is the biggest disgrace of all. He will not listen because he already knows how he wants things to be. He needs to go.
I agree, he does need to go.
Sun, 10/07/2012 - 18:47 — woodstockI agree, he does need to go. He does not and never has represented his district. I don't think that was ever his intention. He is there to advance far left-wing social enginnering initiatives. Period. If anyone thinks this assignement fiasco is over, they are mistaken. The majority are just biding their time until the dust settles. Then, watch out!
Biding their time
Sun, 10/07/2012 - 19:12 — jenmanYes, they are waiting until after the elections to see if they can replace any of the Republicans. Then they will plow through with their "achievement diversity" reassignments.
GSIW is "supporting" the
Thu, 10/04/2012 - 19:27 — woodstockGSIW is "supporting" the decision to fire Tata?! Isn't the story that they ordered the execution?
What the hell....
I'm confused....I thought
Thu, 10/04/2012 - 19:25 — shearertwI'm confused....I thought GSIW is who fired Tata?
Keung, didn't we already know what they thought? How 'bout a few words from Nancy?
Mr. Hui?? Isn't GSIW an
Thu, 10/04/2012 - 18:30 — DrActualFactualMr. Hui?? Isn't GSIW an offshoot group from WakeUP Wake County? Do they receive operating funds from the seminar charges, etc. that the parent organization collects? I wonder if Mr. Langberg enjoys hearing of the incidents of increased violence, like the AP from Athens, since Mr. Langberg convinced school board members to relax/reduce suspension policies that result in less safe schools.
I think the official
Thu, 10/04/2012 - 18:33 — KeungHui (author)I think the official terminology is that GSIW is a "project" of WakeUP Wake. I don't know the exact funding details.
Another Gerrick Brenner situation ??
Thu, 10/04/2012 - 23:58 — AgentPiercehuummmm, sounds like another Gerrick Brenner situation !!
Who?
Fri, 10/05/2012 - 21:43 — woodstockWho?
So...
Mon, 10/08/2012 - 13:49 — Bob_SconceGerrick Achenbrennar, a former reporter for Channel 11 and a central figure behind the PAC that went after Heather Losurdo for things that happened 20 years ago. An utterly contemptuous person.
...
Thu, 10/04/2012 - 20:34 — SideburnsSo, according to guidestar.org, in 2011, WakeUp Wake County had $174,672 in contributions - of which $14,265 was spent on "promoting quality public education".
In 2010, WakeUp had $199,679 in donations. GSIW (which I assume is their promotor of "quality public education") spent $79,517 of that.
This sure sounds like big
Fri, 10/05/2012 - 00:07 — loriacThis sure sounds like big money to me. How does 'just a parent group' get $200K in donations?
I was thinking the same thing when I read about the 200K
Fri, 10/05/2012 - 07:34 — neverindoubtbut interesting, that directly contradicts their statement...'resist the influence of big money" Should probably read more like: "can still be bought"?
Good info, thanks.
Thu, 10/04/2012 - 20:58 — DrActualFactualGood info, thanks.
Does it really matter?
Thu, 10/04/2012 - 20:17 — FSandYOUAs long as you give them their 28 minutes, and the only place they ever get for their hate and backas_wards propaganda, all is well in the world.
Yeah, yeah, I know, it's a conspiracy and I'm paranoid.