Wake County school board vice chairman John Tedesco was a guest last Thursday on "Free Markets With Dr. Mike Beitle," an Internet radio show.
Normally I listen to the whole interview before blogging but things are a bit backlogged right now. From what I did hear, Tedesco touches on topics in this interview such as the 2009 and 2011 elections, the change in the student assignment policy and the hiring of Superintendent Tony Tata.
Tedesco stumped for Heather Losurdo in the runoff election. He was critical of school board member Kevin Hill, saying he's "been part of the problem for 35 years, not part of the solution."
"If they bring him back, what he'd like to institute is a new busing system for student assignment based on busing for test scores and quotas at every one of the schools and restrict choice for our families," Tedesco said of Hill. "That's just not what we're about so it's going to be a battleground here the next couple of weeks in Wake County. We'll see how that plays out."
Comments
Tedesco's conduct
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 20:17 — prescott2Tedesco's conduct continues to be extremely unprofessional and partisan. His comments regarding Kevin Hill, along with his verbal attacks about Goldman's pink hair and her refusal to follow Ron and John's game plan have no place on this school board. Now or Ever. Bashing 30 years of service as a teacher and a principal is disrespectful to every teaching professional in this county. Tedesco needa to apologize- or better yet resign.
2013 can't come fast enough
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 12:36 — Mariagerwin2013 can't come fast enough
Why, do you hope
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 17:50 — FSandYOUto be able to sell your house by then and move?
I agree
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 17:10 — SatchHHJT can't be gone soon enough. He is a huge embarrassment. JT is an active board member and is supposed to be working cooperatively with all members, including Kevin Hill! This is totally unacceptable and unprofessional behavior. On top of it all, Kevin Hill was teaching in WCPSS and serving as a principal in WCPSS (Wake County principal of the year one year) during the past 35 years. Where was JT? He just moved here recently (within the past 5 years, I think) and doesn't even have a real day job. What has he done for WCPSS except for embarrass us? I'm tired of his teacher bashing. He's ruining our school system - Mr. Tea Party needs to move on to his next election. At least he should be honest like Chris Malone and admit that the school board is just a stepping stone.
Interestingly, I ran into a
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 18:28 — loriacInterestingly, I ran into a former neighbor the other day. One of her kids went to a school where Mr. Hill was principal at the time. She still remembered clearly how they went to Mr. Hill with a request for their special needs child, and he did NOTHING. He told them to their face that he would not help their child because it may impact another child who comes later (ie a kid off the street who may or may not end up enrolling at the school) He was stonewalling then, and continues to stonewall today.
We should all thank John Tedesco - with his perseverence, the inequity in the math assignments would not have come to light. I still can't believe this institutional discrimination that was sanctioned by the former board has not made national headlines. Someone ought to clue Arnie in.
What are you saying
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 21:22 — Solon77Interestingly, I ran into a former neighbor the other day. One of her kids went to a school where Mr. Hill was principal at the time. She still remembered clearly how they went to Mr. Hill with a request for their special needs child, and he did NOTHING.
So was this request outside of what was allowed ?
no, it was a reasonable
Fri, 10/28/2011 - 00:34 — loriacno, it was a reasonable request.
Reasonable request
Fri, 10/28/2011 - 20:17 — Solon77The question was not "was it a reasonable request" but was the request within what is allowed by the rules and policy ? There is a big difference. If the request was outside of what is allowed, then Hill made the correct decision for failure to do so sets a precedent and opens the door for problems down the road.
Yes it was both reasonable
Fri, 10/28/2011 - 21:39 — loriacYes it was both reasonable and within all written rules and policies. In this case Mr. Hill could have helped a student succeed, but he chose not to.
I am pointing this out because someone else mentioned that 'a leopard can't change his spots'. In this case, it's just yet another example of Mr. Hill not working for his constituents.
JT on market share
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 16:58 — Solon77So in the interview JT talks about market share giving the impression that the school system was in a free fall until the new board came in in 2009. Aside from the fact market share has been relatively consistent over 20 years adjusted for the introduction of the charter schools, let's look at how this board has done.
Students leaving by demographic
2009-2010 2008-2009
Home 255 98
Private 826 451
Charter 411 243
Drop outs 567 126
So in their first year the new board managed to drive away twice as many students/families as the year before. The 2010-2011 numbers should be out anytime, looking forward to seeing if the board continued the trend.
Doesn't this guy have a day job to go to.
...
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 18:33 — SideburnsYou conveniently left out the incoming numbers:
826 left for private/religious schools at the end of 09-10 but 1,102 entered back into WCPSS from the same in 10-11
255 left for homeschooling in 09-10 but 294 entered in 10-11
411 left for charters yet 433 entered from charters in 10-11
Also, of those who left in 09-10, almost 55% of them left to attend public schools outside of the US, outside of NC or outside Wake County. (They moved.)
It seems this Board is doing a good job of bringing families back into the public school system. With parental choice, stability and no more forced calendars, it is obvious why.
http://www.wcpss.net/demographics/reports/Students%20Leaving%20and%20Entering%20WCPSS%20In%202010.pdf
Left out incoming
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 21:08 — Solon77And you conveniently left out the incoming from the year before which was basically the same. 08-09 showed a net gain of 865 - Private,Charters and Home school less drop outs. The first year of the board was -230. Yes the board did a fine job especially the 450% increase in drop outs from 126 to 567.
NOW SHE SPEAKS
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 19:07 — Just_ask_RonThe entire time you were running Margiotta's campaign, they never let you post. Now that you are not working for Ron, you can post again? If Heather Losurdo wins, will they let her talk at the board meetings or will she be told just to nod silently and smile whenever Tedesco is speaking?
Mansfield never would have let the Tea Party hold her back. That is why Pope, Luddy, Eberly and all of the others were so afraid of her. They were right. She is dangerous.
Is there a write-in candidate line on the recall ballot?
...
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 19:40 — SideburnsYou might want to have the vision in your left eye checked. You missed 1/2 the pertinent data in your previous post -- as well as all of my posts over the past few months.
I have no idea what the rest of your rambling means.
To be fair, the 2009 report
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 18:21 — KeungHui (author)To be fair, the 2009 report shows that 3,597 of the 5,997 students who left after the end of the 2008-09 school year went to unknown destinations. In the 2010 report, 593 of the 5,867 students who left after the 2009-10 school year went to an unknown destination. With so many students unknown it's tricky making an apples to apples comparison.
RM has done his job
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 17:14 — SatchHHThe board majority's friends in private schools and charter schools (Luddy) must be well pleased with Ron and John and crew. They're doing the job they set out to do. A strong WCPSS is not their goal at all. They've made that very clear by their actions - ignoring all good educational research and advice to the contrary. Thank goodness the voters in District 8 realized the damage RM is doing to our school system and got rid of him!!!!! JT is next out, but I doubt he'll run again. He's looking at the next step in his political career with the Tea Party.
Yes, thank goodness the flaccid in D8
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 17:49 — FSandYOUcame to their senses and elected a woman who has anger issues, is unaware of what she actually does for a living, today I'm a CPA tomorrow I'm not, has disrespected our elected board for more than 2 years as she stood side by side with the loons and a so called man of the cloth ... But yes, thank goodness the flaccid voters in district 8 came forward to save us all.
consider the
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 12:09 — xmarkspot62consider the source:
http://thecashroc.blogspot.com/2011/10/chairman-tedesco-seen-as-district-3.html
Wow - you consider Cash
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 12:14 — NoRalNerdWow - you consider Cash Michaels a reliable source? That dude is to journalism what Bernie Madoff is to investing.