In Context

WakeEd’s In Context newsletter is a monthly deep-dive into education issues impacting the Wake County Public School System.

A new report titled, “The Economic Impact the Wake County Public School System” released by WakeEd Partnership and Wake County Public School System, in collaboration with NC State University, assesses the value-add of the state’s largest school district to its region, and the results are good for taxpayers and WCPSS graduates alike.

WCPSS School Board Approves Pay Raises for Non-Certified Staff

Dec 5, 2016

Salary bonuses may be coming for thousands of essential Wake County Public Schools employees who haven’t had a raise in years. The school board recently reviewed a plan to pay a one-time $500 bonus to hourly employees such as teacher assistants, custodians, child...

Parent Input Aids Student Assignment Planning

Nov 10, 2016

The last phase of the latest student assignment will be the result of parent input and student data. Wake County Public School System plans to open one middle school, two elementary schools, and one application-only high school for the 2017-18 school year. The parents...

Principal Pay Plan Calls for End to Pay Scale

Nov 10, 2016

The initial plan to restructure the way school principals are paid in North Carolina calls for an end of the complicated pay scale. In its place, lawmakers propose giving superintendents the power to negotiate salaries with principals, and to provide performance...

WCPSS Enrollment Plan – Year Two Draft 1

Aug 21, 2015

Staff presented the first draft of the WCPSS Enrollment Plan for 2016-17 at the Board of Education work session on Tuesday. This is the second year staff has implanted a draft process. The top order of business is to fill five new schools that will open next fall. ...

State Budget Update

Aug 21, 2015

The conferees working on the state budget have agreed on the amount they will spend: $21.74 billion. This is $265 million more than the budget passed by the Senate, and $420 million less than the budget passed by the House. The House budget funded Driver Education and...

Budget Consequences Emerge for WCPSS – Driver Education Suspended

Aug 21, 2015

As we noted earlier this week in a WakeEdge alert on budget consequences, WCPSS will suspend driver education at the end of this week. Offering classes during the months of July and August have cost the district $500,000. Chief Business Officer David Neter noted on...

Academic Standards Review Commission Shares Draft Recommendations

Aug 21, 2015

The Academic Standards Review Commission (ASRC) met on Monday. During the meeting, draft recommendations for Math and English Language Arts standards were shared. The recommendations for Math standards are primarily: Repeal current K-8 math standards and replace them...

I Want To Know What Common Core Is…And I Want You To Show Me

Aug 7, 2015

by Zachary Hodges, WakeEd Intern I stumbled across Common Core during my first week as an intern here at WakeEd and knew that understanding this set of standards was important to understanding the climate of education in Wake County and North Carolina. Common Core...

You Will Be Right There Waiting For Me: For Teachers Everywhere

Aug 7, 2015

Year-round teachers are already carrying them around. Traditional calendar teachers see them on the horizon. Stacks of student projects, writing assignements, and homework waiting to be graded. This classic Richard Marx tune from 1989 goes out to all of you... They...

Don’t You Forget About Me: Let the Wake Delegation Know Your Support For Budget Decisions NOW

Aug 7, 2015

Almost 40 year-round schools in WCPSS have been in session since July 7th. Educators at the remaining 130+ schools will receive students on August 24th. This is just over two calendar weeks away. And WCPSS is still operating on an interim budget. We need budget...

Our House – In the Middle of our State: House Bond Proposal Provides for School Construction

Aug 7, 2015

On Thursday, the House passed a bond proposal that includes $500 million for school construction. Wake would be eligible for a share of $150 million equal to its proportion of statewide students. It would also be eligible for a share of $70 million going to counties...

Ultimately, You Get What You Pay For

Jul 24, 2015

There is much discussion around what drives economic development. Many WakeEd supporters believe that taxes provide necessary and appropriate funding for operating our schools. We polled our investors and board members. These individuals are business owners and...