Apr 14, 2015 | Newsletter
A little more than a month ago, Wake Education Partnership officially rebranded as “WakeEd Partnership.” We’ve updated collateral, printed new business cards, and have even installed new signs in our office. (You really should drop by to see them.) All of these...
Apr 14, 2015 | Newsletter, Teacher Innovation Grants
Schools need money. As a 30-year veteran of the Wake County Public School System, I know that far better than most. In the last 7 years, spending on students in North Carolina has dropped by 13 percent per student, according to the Center on Budget and Policy...
Apr 10, 2015 | In Context
At Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, Supt. Merrill released his proposed 2015-2016 budget for the Wake County Public School System. The $1.4 billion budget includes a local funding request increase of just over $48 million. This results in a total local funding...
Apr 10, 2015 | In Context
The superintendent’s proposed budget assumes that the state will fully fund student growth. In prior years, student enrollment growth was automatically included in annual budget formation. That is no longer the case. A state budget must be adopted before districts...
Apr 10, 2015 | In Context
I watched my fair share of Schoolhouse Rock as a kid. Remember How a Bill Becomes a Law? Poor Bill…he languished in committee and waited in line to be signed. I’m not so sure that Bill would even recognize this bill’s journey. Introduced on March 4, made law on...
Apr 10, 2015 | In Context
At the Board of Education work session on Tuesday, staff presented proposed bell schedule changes for the 2015-2016 school year. Bell schedules were proposed for the three new schools. Abbotts Creek Elementary and Scotts Ridge Elementary will both operate on the...
Mar 20, 2015 | In Context
On Monday, the Academic Standards Review Commission met to hear testimony from two well-known, outspoken critics of the Common Core, Dr. Sandra Stotsky and Dr. James Milgram. Testimony given by the two did not differ from what they’ve issued before. Both take issue...
Mar 20, 2015 | In Context
As a former educator, there is nothing quieter to me than a school hallway at night. Maybe it’s the contrast to the volume of life and activity found there during the day. Wednesday night, the hallways at East Wake High were just that quiet. But behind the door to...
Mar 20, 2015 | In Context
The NC State Board of Education’s Task Force on Summative Assessment met on March 13, 2015. At this meeting, the task force presented a draft framework of assessment that included two models. The first model, for grades three through eight, eliminates NC End-of-Grade...
Mar 20, 2015 | In Context
On Monday, a county commissioner work session on budget priorities featured Supt. Jim Merrill and Chief Business Officer David Neter, and school board chair Christine Kushner. They shared information on priorities the school board and school system are considering for...
