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.

Boosting Hourly Pay is One Way to Ease School Bus Driver Shortage

Nov 21, 2019

For most people, the yellow school bus has a straightforward purpose: to get kids to and from school safely and in a timely manner each day. The concept is so simple it borders on mundane, but ask any school transportation official, bus driver, or school principal and it will be clear that the yellow school bus is perhaps the most crucial component of the school day for many kids.

Even in large organizations like WCPSS focusing on finer details contributes to overall success

Oct 29, 2019

It can be easy to overlook details that tell a larger story while running a $1.6 billion organization with more than 19,000 employees, but as the saying goes: the devil is in the details.

Desegregation Efforts Taking an Important New Direction in WCPSS Schools

Sep 25, 2019

Wake County has been a national leader for its desegregation efforts for more than 40 years, and the Board of Education is poised to continue that leadership with a new approach to improving integration in its 191-and-growing schools

Slowing Enrollment Growth Emerges as Opportunity for WCPSS

Jan 17, 2019

A national trend has caught up with Wake County Public School System that has caused district leaders to change the way they think about the future.The U.S. birth rate has declined in recent years, and it hit a 30-year low in 2017, according to...

Funding is Key to Achieving Success for Public Schools in 2019

Dec 19, 2018

Looking back over 2018, it was a good year for advancing good public education policies. Teachers received another raise, a compromise was reached which will reduce class sizes in kindergarten through third grade, and most importantly Wake County voters overwhelmingly...

WakeEd Urges Voters to Support the WCPSS Bond Referendum on Nov. 6

Oct 26, 2018

The schools will be built no matter what. The schools will be built If the bond referendum passes, and taxes will go up if the bond referendum passes. The schools will be built If the bond referendum fails, but taxes will go up even higher if the bond referendum...

Three Ways to Improve North Carolina School Report Cards

Sep 24, 2018

The recent release of the North Carolina public school performance report cards is a timely reminder that school grading is here to stay, so our state has a responsibility to make sure the formula is adequate and the grading system is equitable. North Carolina’s...

Law of Averages: There Are Better Ways to Measure Teacher Salaries Than State or National Averages

Aug 22, 2018

With the election season on the doorstep, it is reasonable to think that public school funding will be among the top issues raised at candidate forums, and specifically teacher pay will be one issue that is likely to receive the lion’s share of attention. Teacher pay...

Class Size Relief is Welcome, But Tough Choices Still Loom

Feb 14, 2018

The class size reduction compromise passed by the General Assembly this week is a mixed bag for local school districts. Among the positive outcomes are a multi-year approach to reducing class sizes, adding funding for program enhancement teachers, and eliminating the waiting list for pre-kindergarten classes.

Wallace Foundation Grant Helps WCPSS Cultivate New School Leader Development Continuum

Jan 16, 2018

Imagine and organization with more than 20,000 employees and 183 locations of varying size. Each of those locations requires a general manager, a small team of assistant managers, and leaders among the rank-and-file. In addition, each location is rated annually based...

Public School Choice Can Be Found in WCPSS Magnet Schools

Nov 20, 2017

Parents in Wake County have a wealth of options for public school choice within the Wake County Public School System through the magnet school program that has been a cornerstone of the school system for more than 35 years. WCPSS has over 50 magnet schools across its...

Open Source Curriculum Shows Promise for WCPSS

Sep 12, 2017

Of the many changes that occurred with the shift to teaching Common Core State Standards perhaps the most noticeable to students, parents, and teachers alike was the move away from using textbooks in English Language Arts and Mathematics. It wasn’t by design that...