Outgoing school board members Eleanor Goettee, Patti Head and Lori Millberg are backing candidates in at least some of this fall's races.
All three board members, whose terms will expire after November, are backing Horace Tart in the District 2 school board race. Tart is the lone incumbent seeking re-election this fall.
"He's brought great service to that district," Head said of Tart. "He's brought great common sense."
Aside from Tart, Head said she isn't for now backing anyone in the other three races. This includes her District 7 seat, where Deborah Prickett is running against Karen Simon.
Both Goettee and Millberg said they're backing Lois Nixon in District 9. Goettee's endorsement is among several listed on Nixon's web site.
"I am excited about Lois Nixon's candidacy for the District 9 Board of Education seat. Lois is well known and respected in Cary through her activism and participation in the community," Goettee said on Nixon's web site.
She brings the commitment and experience necessary to maintain excellence in the Wake County Public School System. Lois shares my commitment to equality of opportunity for every student and to maintaining healthy schools for all. She will undoubtedly be a strong addition to the Board of Education and I encourage you to give her your support."
Goettee said she hadn't planned on endorsing anyone to succeed her in District 9 but felt compelled to do so because of how strong Nixon is as a candidate.
Other endorsements on Nixon's web site include former school board member Tom Oxholm and Caroline Massengill, Wake's former magnet school director.
Millberg, like Goettee, is backing a successor in her race. Millberg is endorsing Rita Rakestraw to succeed her as the new District 1 board member.
"I know all three candidates and she's the clear choice for me," Millberg said of Rakestraw.
Among the endorsements listed on Rakestraw's web site are former school board member Roxie Cash and Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker. As you guys have noted on more than one occasson, Meeker is married to school board member Anne McLaurin.
Comments
WE MUST ELECT CATHY TRUITT IN DIST. 2
Fri, 08/28/2009 - 22:19 — PJHaving children in the wcpss system and with doing alot of research.....conclusion....Please, please, we must elect Dr. Cathy Truitt for School Board , District 2.
Thank you
Mon, 08/17/2009 - 15:09 — woodstockI am very happy to see these endorsement. I will motivate even more people to get out here and vote ...against the status quo. Thank you quitters...and thank you for being quitters. Buh-bye.
Democrats and Status Quo = More of the same
Tue, 08/18/2009 - 12:07 — Jeff_morseSo since the Wake County Democrat Party and most of the current status quo School Board members are supporting the status quo candidates this should be a easy decision to support the Change candidates.
Tedesco, Malone, Goldman, and Prickett.
We still have many supporters of our status quo school board in elected locations in the county. They will also need to GO!
Are charters schools a price of entry to reform?
Mon, 08/17/2009 - 12:59 — AngelaWhttp://www.wral.com/news/national_world/national/story/5810935/
A quality education for everyone.
Mon, 08/17/2009 - 12:21 — RonBThat simple concept is what the Wake County School Board has strived for over the years.
We need to look no further than Charlotte to see what will happen if proponents of the current economic diversity plan are tossed out -- a lost generation sent to failing schools that cost more to operate, and higher crime from students ignored by the system to focus on the "right" kids in the suburbs and exurbs.
Hmm...
Mon, 08/17/2009 - 15:57 — Bob_Sconce"We need to look no further than Charlotte to see what will happen if proponents of the current economic diversity plan are tossed out."
So, presuming that's true, then if those people are tossed out, then only 31% of F&R students would pass their EOGs and 55% would pass their EOCs. Of course, for WCPSS, those numbers are 31% and 52%, respectively. By your logic, switching to Charlotte's model will make things marginally better.
(Based off '07-'08 figures. '08-'09 stats aren't at the ncreportcards.org site yet.)
I love it when people like
Tue, 08/18/2009 - 07:43 — shearertwI love it when people like RonB come to this blog and just post their "feelings" as if they were fact. I'm sure RonB wishes his statements were true.
The facts sure are inconvenient aren't they Ron...
You could not be more wrong
Mon, 08/17/2009 - 15:07 — woodstockRonB,
You obviously have not done your homework or you would not post such uninformed comments; you must simply be parroting the propaganda put forward by the status quo BOE members and the like-minded BOE candidates that have no interest in individual student as long as they can make the school stats paint a rosey picture. Wake is failing the very students you claim they are helping. In Wake County, the Economically Disadvantaged (ED) students -- the poor kids -- graduate at a pitiful (should be criminal) rate of 54%. How anyone can support that type of failure is a mystery to me and is, frankly, appalling.
Get a clue, Ron, and be part of the solution. More of the same is nothing more than academic genocide.
Just a stab in the dark;
Mon, 08/17/2009 - 13:13 — changewcpssJust a stab in the dark; you do not have children attending WCPSS schools.
Someone is obviously feeding you misinformation. WCPSS is on a downward spiral and unless WSCA candidates get elected the *status quo* board will drive it into the ground.
Facts?
Mon, 08/17/2009 - 12:45 — RichardAndersonNice soundbite, but where are the facts to back those claims up? Look at the data. It shows that CMS has actually been improving their achievement gap while Wake's has widened.
There is no solid data to show that the diversity program has had any real, positive impact on student achievement.
Now we know who not to vote for this October!!!
Mon, 08/17/2009 - 11:33 — avg_joeOur current school board seems to be obsessed with impressing ivory tower education groups in other states, rather than with serving the people who elect them.
We need to vote in a school board that represents parents and students for a change!
The stakes are too great this time around. Let's hope the citizens of Wake County get off their butts this October and make their voices heard at the ballot box.
PARENTS: VOTE THIS OCTOBER IN THE SCHOOL BOARD RACE.
If you fail to vote, and your kids are forced to take a 2-hour bus ride to school, or you find each of your children on a completely different school calendar, you'll have no one to blame but yourself.
Endorsements from quitters
Mon, 08/17/2009 - 11:41 — g88ky07won't mean a thing to anyone with a brain! Head has ALWAYS been confused and if she thinks that WE in D2 think Tart has "brought great service" to us it's just one more thing she never could get right!! As for quitter Millberg, we'd expect nothing less from you other than to back a Stan Norwalk spin-off. For that matter, we expect nothing less from any of you outgoing quitters!
And let's not forget Horace Tart supports "taxing authority"!! Is that what you want D2?
Endorsements from those
Mon, 08/17/2009 - 13:20 — changewcpssEndorsements from those leaving will be the *kiss of death* to those running for office. When someone is known for doing a poor job and failing students and families, you want no association with that person.