WakeEd

The WakeEd blog is devoted to discussing and answering questions about the major issues facing the Wake County school system. How much will the new Democratic majority on the school board do to undo the changes made by Republicans since 2009? Will the new student assignment plan be a hybrid of the last two models or primarily be a return to the use of busing for diversity? Who will replace Tony Tata as the new superintendent of the state's largest district? How will voters react to a likely request in 2013 to borrow potentially more than $1 billion to build and renovate schools?

WakeEd is maintained by The News & Observer's Wake schools reporter, T. Keung Hui. While Keung posts information and analysis on the issues, keep us posted on your suggestions, questions, tips and what you're doing to cope with the changes in Wake's schools.

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Rev. William Barber calls Wake school board election results "a major step forward"

Submitted by KeungHui on 10/12/2011 - 08:29

The Rev. William Barber, president of the state NAACP, is cheering the outcome of the Wake County school board election results.

"While there is still some more voting to be done in the days to come, tonight we believe, marks a major step forward on the Highway of Justice and Love," Barber said in a statement released this morning. "Children of all colors, we pray, can once again feel welcome in their schools and at their School Board."

Barber said he hopes the election results "marks the beginning of a tune up on the Public Education engine, making sure that the new commitment to ending the school-to-prison pipeline remains strong and at the same time moving toward the Gold Standard Plan student assignment plan which will build upon the great and noted success of Wake County rather than destroy the progress we had made."

Barber also took aim at the campaign mailers that Wake County school board chairman Ron Margiotta sent linking him to candidate Susan Evans.

"We noted with disgust and dismay, that the Margiotta/Tedesco/Pope group of ideologues condoned the use of racist mailers and internet images, one featuring an unflattering photo of me with Mr. Margiotta's opponent," Barber said. "Those who used racist propaganda and dirty tricks seem to have forgotten that the education of our children is a sacred thing — our teachers are sacred, our schools are sacred and our school leaders have a sacred duty to be responsible for all our children. Tonight we thank God the people didn't forget.

1318422911 Rev. William Barber calls Wake school board election results "a major step forward" The News and Observer Copyright 2011 The News and Observer . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Highway of Justice and Love?

Wed, 10/12/2011 - 11:31 — trianglenative

The words of Mr. Barber -- "While there is still some more voting to be done in the days to come, tonight we believe, marks a major step forward on the Highway of Justice and Love,"

These are the kind of words that only serve to further divide our community. Wanting to give parents a choice (I could not get my child into the magnet program or year-round program because he was in a school with 45% F&R numbers and was needed to help balance the ever-important 'numbers' game) and wanting to stop constant reassignments (my oldest children were assigned to 3 different high schools in 5 years, and our neighborhoods had to take the time to fight it) is not about being against justice and love. Anyone who thinks in such extremes is gullible and doesn't understand the reality of the situation. What hyperbole! Colbert, are you listening?

2 years ago it was clear that people were tired of dealing with such issues as I listed above, in addition to dealing with a condescending school staff assignment director who downplayed our concerns every time we tried to voice them. The problem is that the ones voted in two years ago got way off track on HOW to go about making these changes. It became a battle of egos. It made me lose interest in the voting process. I still believe there are problems with the old School Board's policies, but I really don't know what to do about it any more. I do know such comments as Mr. Barber's are way of base and almost comical in nature. Look at the drop out rates and test scores. There were problems under the old Board and there have been problems under the new board. The bottom line is that kids are giving up and dropping out, or once they do graduate, they aren't able to get decent paying jobs right out of high school; perhaps they spent too much time struggling to get a D in Chemistry or Algebra II instead of spending the time learning a marketable trade. Perhaps those young people will take the initiative and apply to a community college, but our community colleges are in such demand now, many applicants are turned away.. So what do these young people do if they have no job and don't go on to further their education? We need some better alternatives for students who are not on the college track curriculum.

To be caught in this whole Republican versus Democrat battle when we need to glean good ideas from BOTH is ridiculous.Perhaps someday we will be able to get all this behind us and start focusing on the important things like why grammar is not being taught in our elementary schools.

There will be no shortage of further dividing

Wed, 10/12/2011 - 13:46 — FSandYOU

our community. It will continue to be rampant as it has been for at least the last two decades.

OHHHHHHHHHH, I woke up in 'da moanin' and Susan Evans had my back, singing and a clappin' and holerin' loud, wonderin' which school gonna get bussed next ...

Evr'body now.

So..just asking

Wed, 10/12/2011 - 12:32 — choice4all

Will they spread the academic opportunities of the magnet schools to the outer rim schools on this "Highway to justice and love" road? Or will they continue to spread the children to the schools that have NO electives and NO opportunities and keep all the perks innerbeltline all in the name of diversity.

...

Wed, 10/12/2011 - 12:36 — Sideburns

How ironic that he uses the term "highway". That's exactly where all the poor, black children will soon be again -- for hours each day.

And one last Question

Wed, 10/12/2011 - 12:35 — choice4all

If my children wear a pirate hat and sing "hey hey ho ho" or join everyones hands and sing "we shall overcome" will they then get the same opportunities as the Enloe crowd? Just askin'

Of course not

Wed, 10/12/2011 - 13:43 — FSandYOU

but you already knew that answer didn't you.

Maybe you can ask Susan Evans in between her clapping & singing and doing taxes.

Took all of what

Wed, 10/12/2011 - 09:40 — FSandYOU

20 minutes for the fat guy to surface again?

Oh, i woke up in 'da moanin', holding' hands with Susan Evans, she gonna wreck Apex and the county and you can say this is yo' woanin'.

Enjoy the misery you've now created for yourselves victorious ones. Your bus ride has only just begun.

Maybe that's the plan the new Board members are bringing in -- with Barber's blessing. He doesn't have to disrupt Board meetings anymore. He now has a direct line.

WakeEd

Rev. William Barber calls Wake school board election results "a major step forward"

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Highway of Justice and Love?

There will be no shortage of further dividing

So..just asking

...

And one last Question

Of course not

Took all of what

YES, LUKE...

What The Heck Is This?

...

Heaven Forbid...

...

Yep, and folks better get

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Rev. William Barber calls Wake school board election results "a major step forward"

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