The Independent has announced its endorsements for Wake County school board and is warning what could happen if the opposition wins.
In today's Indy, the weekly is backing Rita Rakestraw in District 1, Horace Tart in District 2, Karen Simon in District 7 and Lois Nixon in District 9. The list is identical to the endorsements made by Wake NCAE, BiggerPicture4Wake and, except for Tart, for the Wake County Democratic Party.
The Indy doesn't have kind things to say about the candidates endorsed by the Wake Schools Community Alliance and the Wake County Republican Party. They warn of the end of the diversity policy and underfunding of schools should that slate win.
"Bumper-sticker solutions won't do for Wake County's schools, and party politics freighted with the Republicans' tax-cut ideology and disdain for the poor really wouldn't do when the subject is the education of all children" the Indy writes.
The Indy takes a swipe at critics in Western Wake.
"But if diversity is a root cause of the region's success, it is nonetheless a cuss word to some angry parents in western Wake County," the Indy writes. "They want neighborhood schools, with their children assigned to the closest school, diversity be damned."
In District 1, the Indy praises Rakestraw as "a community leader in Knightdale who promises a fresh perspective and an open mind on school quality and diversity in her eastern Wake County district."
In District 2, the Indy didn't back Tart in 2005. But the liberal weekly notes how he's changed his views since then.
"In this field of three Republicans, Tart is the only one with the candor to say that while the school system's not all good, it isn't all bad either," the Indy writes. "We think he's earned a second term."
In District 7, the Indy says Simon is "staunchly pro-diversity" while also supporting "constant review of the magnet schools and assignment policies used to achieve diversity." The weekly calls it a "reasonable formulation."
In District 9, the Indy says Nixon has an "indendent minded" view of the school system. The weekly also says Nixon is "smart, energetic and highly qualified for this tough assignment."
UPDATE
Click here to read the Indy endorsements.
Comments
What a joke. Another waste
Thu, 09/17/2009 - 23:29 — changewcpssWhat a joke. Another waste of paper. To add to the humor, while NCAE and the Democratic Party are good sized groups who can throw votes around, who really cares about endorsements from a coffee clutch of 5 people calling themselves the Bigger Picture 4 Wake? That is an even Bigger Joke 4 Wake. Like saying *the Jones family in downtown Raleigh endorses the status quo candidates too.* Who cares? I did some sleuthing of my own. Even armed with names I only found 1 person who knew the members. If they are unknown in their own school community why would Wake County voters care who they endorse?
I'm not sure the NCAE has
Fri, 09/18/2009 - 08:47 — CaryCurmudgeonI'm not sure the NCAE has that many votes to throw around. Most teachers in Wake County are not members. The NcAE was ineffective in preventing 1,500 teacher cuts. And many teachers are still ticked off about wacky Wednesdays, which the NCAE rammed through without discussion among the ranks.
Quotes from the dog rag!
Fri, 09/18/2009 - 13:46 — g88ky07Here's some quotes that stood out to me as I read through this trash. Just before I put it on the ground and had my dog soak it!
"diversity's critics have gathered under the banner of WSCA"
"If all 4 win, they'd "seize" control"
"diversity be damned"
all daggers being thrown at good people and parents! I am making a list of advertisers and will boycott ALL of them for good! I never really kept up with this "Nat'l Enquirer" wannabe, but if I need to know who's having drink specials or which pierced nose band is playing at the local hell hole I won't be using this GARBAGE to figure it out!
Something tells me
Fri, 09/18/2009 - 21:55 — TrailerParkGirlSomething tells me that your are not in their target readership :-)
You're actually being generous calling it a "Nat'l Enquirer" wannabe. The Nat'l Enquirer has more investigative reporting than this junk.
Let's see quote Gerald Grant but no mention that his son works for WCPSS and his grandchild(ren?) go to magnets. No mention that the school districts in Onondoga County, NY are separated and thus Syracuse City School district is 75% F&R. The surrounding districts are 23%-26% F&R (not far off from Wake's 28%), so obviously the demographic and district structure situation there is very different than Wake County.
Again, with the Western Wake. No mention that the majority of contributors to WSCA were from Raleigh.
No mention of or concern for the fact that WCPSS has the largest achivement gap in the state, that only 54% of ED kids are graduating or that they've been losing ground compared to state average.
Their BS act about giving a crap about the poor makes me want to puke. The sad thing is that uninformed people are going to believe this load of absolute garbage.
I use the Indy
Wed, 09/16/2009 - 20:56 — g88ky07for my dog to squat on. Their endorsements are predictable and meaningless! If they think Mr. Tart's views have changed, that's the biggest laugh I've had today! How many times has he voted to force things down our throats over the past 4 years Indy? Why don't you print how he's voted in those 4 years!
But that is exactly why they like him
Wed, 09/16/2009 - 22:47 — TrailerParkGirland think he's changed his views, because he has voted for the liberal elitist agenda for those 4 years.
I wonder if they kept waving the CTE carrot. If you support us on this Horace, we'll take that trip to GA... Vote for the reassignment plan with all those undercapacity MYRs in D2 forcing track changes and we'll look into more CTE we promise...
Of course, if he thinks Wacky Wednesday is saving families money, he probably didn't think about the fact that being undercapacity would result in YR schools with collapsing tracks or that it is much harder to balance class sizes in YR especially when they are only running one class per grade on some tracks. He probably thinks running a school YR that is using less capacity than traditional capacity isn't costing extra money either.
University of North Carolina
Wed, 09/16/2009 - 17:23 — AngelaWUniversity of North Carolina President Erskine Bowles said Wednesday that improving public education in the state must start with fixing the state's elementary, middle and high schools.
"Our standards are too low," Bowles said, citing statistics that show 60 percent of graduating high school students who can't read at grade level
http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/6010662/
"...disdain for the poor
Wed, 09/16/2009 - 17:21 — woodstock"...disdain for the poor really wouldn't do when the subject is the education of all children" the Indy writes."
That is as irresponsible a comment as one can make. Currently, economically disadvantaged students -- "the poor" -- are dismissed and dispersed by Wake Sounty schools to hide the ugly fact that only 54% of these struggling students graduate. Anyone with sincere motives would find that appalling.
The Independent apparently values politics over addressing student needs. I find their comments and endorsements disgusting.
By no stretch of the
Wed, 09/16/2009 - 17:10 — woodstockBy no stretch of the imagination is this news. I could have called their endorsements ten seconds after candidate registration ended.
consistency
Wed, 09/16/2009 - 16:59 — im4unc23Seems I remember you saying not long ago that you not only labeled conservatives as conservatives but liberals as liberals. Then why not say "the liberal Independent weekly tabloid?"
Did you read in the
Wed, 09/16/2009 - 17:00 — KeungHui (author)Did you read in the post:
In District 2, the Indy didn't back Tart in 2005. But the liberal weekly notes how he's changed his views since then.
Mr. Hui?
Wed, 09/16/2009 - 17:03 — AngelaWI do believe you are the latest target of a "troll" attack, do not "feed the trolls" :>)
WakeUp
Wed, 09/16/2009 - 16:00 — InTheArena"In District 2, the Indy didn't back Tart in 2005. But the liberal weekly notes how he's changed his views since then."
For once, the Independent got it right.
Well there's a shocker - yawn
Wed, 09/16/2009 - 15:58 — TrailerParkGirl"Distain for the poor"?
Does the Indy mean unlike those positive, uplifting and respectful messages about the poor from the status quo crowd like "too many of them make a school unable to be healthy," "we can't have schools inundated with them," and "their parents won't be involved even if the school is close by"?
Those thoughts are what I consider "distain for the poor" and with 'friends' like those, who needs enemies. Hey, how about not stereotyping the poor as a lower form of life for a change? Now, that would be real diversity.