The Wake County school board has a lot crammed on its agenda today, including student assignment, school bus routing, the math placement policy and selling the Noble Road property.
That doesn't include the other items that may crop op, such as revisiting the mediation issue with the school board protesters and extending Superintendent Tony Tata's contract.
Let's start with the work session agenda, where we'll see if the new Democratic board majority heeds calls from its supporters to change the student assignment plan. Staff will give an update on the plan.
Supporters like Bob Geary say the board needs to make changes before the close of the first round of applications on Feb. 24. Add in calls from groups like the state NAACP and the Great Schools in Wake Coalition.
Also during the work session, Tata will reveal the plan he mentioned last week that would "transform" school transportation. Staff will make a presentation on a proposed bus routing system for the 2012-13 school year.
The extent of the routing changes could also have an impact on the assignment plan.
There will also be a discussion during the work session on reallocating money from the 2006 bond issue to pay for the single-sex leadership academies. Considering how they've already named principals and conducted the application process for the leadership schools, members of the new majority who've raised concerns about the program would seem to have little choice but to approve the funding today.
You've also got, time permitting in the work session, discussion on a board vote to allow speakers to have three minutes and on board committee structure.
During the regular meeting, the board will vote on the math placement policy, selling the Noble Road site and hiring Michael Alves' consulting firm.
During public comment, expect speakers to urge the school board to reconsider the decision to not seek mediation with the protesters. Also look for speakers who want to expand the pool of students who'd be eligible for the top math tracks in middle school.
At the very end, the Republican board members may get a closed-session discussion on extending's Tata contract.
Comments
Hilarious
Tue, 02/07/2012 - 23:03 — FSandYOUFrom top to bottom, beginning to end and side to side, this NEW majority and those who supported them, but are now whining like little girls, are all just hilarious.
Maybe Judge Judy should step in!
what happened to the 2nd math placement audit
Tue, 02/07/2012 - 17:36 — rogueyankeeI remember hearing at an ED task force meeting that a 2nd math placement academic audit was being completed on this years placement decisions. Anyone know if the results of that audit were ever presented to the board before they vote on the policy?
Almost an hour
Tue, 02/07/2012 - 16:57 — truthBtoldinto the meeting and Goldman's yammering is beginning to sound like the teacher in the Charlie Brown cartoons...wa, wa, wa, wa, wa.
With all the important issues to deal with, her nit picking is a joke.
She has to build her resume
Tue, 02/07/2012 - 18:32 — ruthlissShe has to build her resume in some way. I wonder if she'll add her new title of "watchdog"?!