Awakening in Wake County: Be There Today, March 20

Great Schools in Wake Coalition - Every Child, Our Child

March 20: Great Schools In Wake Neighborhood Forum

Come Celebrate Mr. Rogers' Birthday: Won't You Be My Neighbor?

YOU ARE INVITED to our Forum Featuring National & Regional Researchers

8:30a-12:30p- Forum Speakers

Join us after lunch for Community Action Sessions 1:30 - 3:00pm

McKimmon Center: 1100 Gorman St. Corner of Western Blvd. and Gorman St.
(919) 515-2277

Speakers: Dr. Gerald Grant (Author of " Hope and Despair in the American City: Why There Are No Bad Schools in Raleigh), Mr. Richard Kahlenberg (Senior fellow at the Century Foundation) , Benita Jones, Esq. (UNC School of Law), Amy Hawn Nelson (UNCC Dept. of Sociology), Mr. Bill McNeal (Former WCPSS Superintendent) and many other community leaders.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS SO FAR!!!

Dean Debnam & Stephanie Fanjul, John Wilson, Metametrics Inc, Anna & Josh Stein, NC Justice Center, Wake NCAE, NC Social Justice Project, Brian & Michele Goldman, Cynthia Ball & David Aspens, Beverley Clark, John & Susan Gilbert, Greg Flynn, Peter Crow, Elizabeth Levitas, Dr. Ruth Heuer & William A. Allen III, Ron & Nancy McFarlane, Matthew Brown, Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Johnston, Patty Williams, Rita Rakestraw, Stan Norwalk, Gerda Stein, Brian Holland, Suzanne King, Adrienne Lumpkin, Tammy & Richard Cook, Wray Stephens, Kirk Kuhns & Alisa Nagler, Diana Levey, Joe Murray & Stacey Ainbinder-Murray, Mack & Julie Paul, Susan Parry & John Montgomery, Carol Parker, Dov Pinker & Bonnie Rochman, Alan Segal & Anne Yeager, Anne Siegle & Jerry Watson, Laura & Eric Goulian, Toddi Steelman & Joe Sinsheimer, Stuart Levin & Sondra Panico, Jeannine & Kevin Chignell, Cynthia Coffman & Pat Arose, Tom Oxholm, Sharon Eckard, Lucinda MacKethan, Miranda Miller, Arlene and Michael Pike, Erin Black, Amy Lee and many more! BE A SPONSOR!

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The agendas for Tuesday's-March 23-- Board of Education meetings are now online. The Committee of the Whole meeting starts at 11 am, and it is a packed agenda, including adjustment of nodes in the 3-year plan (without holding reassignment public hearings--last month's CEMs were on stated to be on calendar choices), and "Status of 2010 Applications for Magnet & Calendar Schools & Changes to Magnet Selection Process." See the full COW agenda online. No details are available on these proposals online. Yesterday's Student Assignment Committee meeting changed the current 3-year plan for more than 500 students. (Again, without Community Engagement meetings/Public Hearings to include all parents and the community.) I've listed the nodes affected below.

The 3 pm meeting agenda also is online and includes the Directive on Community-Based Assignment, which is altered from the first meeting, although that version does not appear to be online. Again, public comment is scheduled for 4 pm and the sign up sheet goes up at about 2 pm. It is expected that Chair Ron Margiotta will be closely enforcing the rules, so please review them if you wish to speak.

"Changes to Magnet Selection Process" is listed on the COW meeting agenda, but that phrase is not on the main meeting agenda. I have no idea if the Board is going to change that process, and there's been no discussion around those issues in public meetings.

One thing to note, as part of its rules on public hearings, the Board's rules claim: "Special public hearings will be called for student assignment issues. If the Board formally proposes any change that includes families not affected by the original proposal, then those families will be given an opportunity to speak at a new public hearing. As a rule, the Board does not hear comments on student assignment at regular meetings."

Nodes approved for changes in yesterday's Student Assignment Committee meeting:
368.2--parents wish to remain at Reedy Creek Elementary, not move to Alston Ridge ES
707.0--Stonegate students moved from Knightdale HS to Heritage HS
Multiple nodes in Brier Creek--remain at Panther Creek and moved from East Cary MS and Daniels MS to Mills Park MS
539.0--remain at Turner Creek ES not move to Salem ES
416.0, 632--moved from Apex MS to Holly Ridge MS

Student Assignment Simmers...read more http://www.wakeedpartnership.org/In%20Context%2003.18.10.html

Upcoming Neighborhood School Events:

March 20, April 15 & April 22 - CLICK HERE for more details

Wake's Dropout Rate Lowest Since 2003-2004 http://www.wcpss.net/news/2010_march4_dropout/

Wake Board Majority Ends Diversisty Policy: Listen Here: http://wunc.org/programs/news/archive/NDD0303.mp3/view

View Press Release 3/10/2010 click here

View Press Release 3/11/2010 click here