Stimulus funds and dessert are among the items on today's Wake County school board table.
During the committee of the whole meeting that starts at 1 p.m., staff will update the board on how Wake is using federal stimulus money. Wake is still hearing from people who feel the district should more aggressively use stimulus money to save jobs.
During last week's District 1 school board candidate forum, Rita Rakestraw cited how Winston-Salem Forsyth schools used stimulus funds to save jobs. She said Wake "needs to work tooth and nail to get every teacher back to reduce class sizes."
We might get an update today on how many of the 1,496 teachers and other school employees who were let go after June 30 have been rehired. The district expected to bring back more folks after the 10th-day of traditional-calendar schools. Before the start of school, 911 had been rehired.
At 3 p.m., Carolyn Morrison will be sworn in as the newest school board member. Then a dessert tray and punch will be served at a reception for her.
Comments
Wake School Board: Stimulus To Save 558 Jobs
Tue, 09/15/2009 - 14:16 — AngelaWhttp://wake.mync.com/site/wake/news/story/41814/wake-school-board-stimulus-to-save-558-jobs
The positions saved are in specific locations, mainly special educaton and Title I schools.
Who are school board members anyway?
Tue, 09/15/2009 - 13:48 — CottonelleOh, so today, they're having a tea party to discuss use of federal stimulus funds after they didn't air the president's speech, a decision that was made without full public disclosure of the accusations surrounding what turned out to be a very motivational speech? Will the public have disclosure and say in use of the stimulus funds? Probably not, since the WCPSS website doesn't identify school board members. For them and the superintendent, there is only one catch all e-mail contact that says it's for questions about Wake Country Schools. I wrote many school boards and superintendents regarding decisions not to air the speech. Without fail, every school board I looked at across the country had individual school board members' names, pictures and e-mail addresses, as did the superintendents. WCPSS not identifying their administrative body says a lot.
Try a liiiittle bit harder
Tue, 09/15/2009 - 14:03 — shank56Click a few links and you can see all WCPSS administrators and read their job descriptions. Making false accusations says a lot too.
http://www.wcpss.net/superintendent/
REALLY?
Tue, 09/15/2009 - 13:53 — AngelaWlooked long and hard didja?
http://www.wcpss.net/Board/boeinfo.html
Nice Letter
Tue, 09/15/2009 - 12:59 — CaryMomof4http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/letters/story/1689604.html
OT - question for Mr. Hui
Tue, 09/15/2009 - 11:17 — gunfamHow can I find out when the new principal of Salem Elementary will be decided? Will it be posted in the board agenda at some point and I just have to keep checking? I was trying to get thru the info on the website but didn't see it. Thanks!
They don't post in advance
Tue, 09/15/2009 - 11:39 — KeungHui (author)They don't post in advance which principal appointments are made at each meeting. If you're in the know at the school, a few of the people may get a heads up. But for the most part, you just have to wait until after the school board discusses it in closed session and then announces it publicly.
Thanks
Tue, 09/15/2009 - 11:43 — gunfamI was afraid that was the answer, but I'm eager to find out. Guess I will try to find some friends in the know! :)
Try the PTA president.
Tue, 09/15/2009 - 14:16 — KeungHui (author)Try the PTA president. Depending on the person's relationship with the school admin, the president has a decent chance of knowing if the principal's opening will be voted on at that day's' board meeting.
another reception
Tue, 09/15/2009 - 10:21 — loriacI will be sending another note to Kevin Hill - I hope they come up with punch and a desert tray for the valedictorians this year. But - why spend any money at all on a reception? Show some leadership around this budget crisis!
Great, another unelected
Tue, 09/15/2009 - 08:07 — woodstockGreat, another unelected official takes the reigns of an elected position. Now, over 20% of the BoE seats are held by appointed individuals. Ain't democracy wonderful?
Mr. and Mrs. School Board Member:
Tue, 09/15/2009 - 07:21 — churvullAre the consequences of class size going up say 10% significant enough to warrant diverting stimulus funds away from creating blue-collar jobs for parents struggling to pay their electric bill? What would happen if you only taught Algebra on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with an algebra lab on Tuesday and Thursday for those kids who can't keep up with the pace?
?
Tue, 09/15/2009 - 11:31 — Bob_SconceThat's really a question you should be directing to the President and Congress, not to the school board. The school board doesn't have authority to create those blue-collar jobs. (Besides, as somebody else pointed out, why are "blue-collar" jobs more important that teaching jobs?)
Was stimulus money ever directed toward creating blue-collar jobs? Does it even make sense for the government to try to do that? You can't improve the economy by employing people in make-work jobs. But, if you improve the economy, those people will find jobs all by themselves.
Dreaming
Tue, 09/15/2009 - 10:41 — SDR256What if instead of paying for some of the comparably heaviest administration in the country we spent that money on teachers? Oh, sorry I was dreaming that I lived in a place that put education first.