New York Times covering Wake school situation

Amazing why no one has brought this up...this is about a school in Harlem, here is the article link, and here is a direct quote from the article:

"It never crossed Ms. Kenny’s mind that a rich and abiding intellectual life was out of the reach of kids growing up in a tough urban environment."

Here is the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/opinion/23herbert.html

AND NO MENTION OF BUSING AS A SOLUTION!!! Now are you going to accuse Bob Herbert of being racist???? Haha...

It is time to drive home the point that the statistical "Enron-style" fraud of "healthy schools" where at-risk children are "swept under the rug, across the county" to make a bureaucrat's "school system statistics" look good are no longer acceptable. I could go on, but...

So, the real question is: did any reporter from New York show up? Does he recognize that what's going on right now is partially attributable to his newspaper?

While many of the speakers regarding whether Leesville should be year round or traditional calendar addresssed the board, the reporters and cameramen were sitting on either side of the stage, listening, but just taking notes and hanging out. When an african-american man addressed the board about how the board didn't give sufficient notice of the community engagement meeting in Southeast Raleigh, the reporters jumped up, and especially the camerman on the left, began to actively fiddle with the camera to be sure he was getting it. I don't disagree with the speaker's concern about the notice, but his comment was not the general theme or message reflected by the speakers at the meeting. My dollar is on his statements being "the soundbite" on the news tonight, rather than a soundbite reflective of the majority of comments, pro or con year round, about the Leesvile situation.

Who is the reporter assigned from the NY Times? Do we have a name aor maybe an e-mail address?! Please let me know.

Both the N&O and the NY Times should ask Dr. Paul Biting of NC State if the College of Education videotaped yesterday's forum on Neighborhood Schools & Busing. It was the ONLY forum/discussion where the audience heard a dispassioned opinion that was not clouded by personal agendas. Panelists included Principals Marcia Alford (Lacy Elem) and John Wall (North Garner MS) and Mrs. Kathleen Brennan of Wake Cares, the longtime parent advocacy organization. While some of the statements made me inwardly shudder (like using average bus ride number of 10 miles rather than the REAL 18+ miles that many inner city minority students travel), it was a start.

Disappointing as it would be for the press, I think the board members need to be much more deliberate and measured in what they say publicly. Recent comments have been great political theater, but they've also generated far more heat than light, and that's going to get in the way of reforming the district.

It's perfectly OK for a board member to be angry at Del Burns -- Burns' acts last week were a stunt intended to make the board look bad. But, the right response would have been "Dr. Burns is the Superintendent of the district and will continue to have our support until he leaves that position. Beyond that, we don't discuss personnel matters in public and would ask that you refrain from speculation."