So with all the “rancor” following the election of the Republican majority on the Wake County Board of Education in 2009, just what got accomplished?

Here is the list for this past year:

• Balanced the budget that had a $110 million shortfall;
• Balanced the budget without cutting a single teacher or teacher assistant;
• Completed an in-depth search for a new superintendent;
• Hired Superintendent Tata;
• Revised the responsibilities for the office of the superintendent;
• Started changes to the Student Assignment Policy to support stability, proximity, and choice;
• Revised the Student Transfer process to speed up action for parents;
• Saved $200,000 on transportation costs last year by adjusting less than 5% of the nodes and through approved assignment changes.
• Greatly reduced the number of appeal hearing from families complaining about student assignments;
• Change board meeting times to allow parents and WCPSS staff to attend;
• Created on-line public comment sign-up for action meetings;
• Created opportunities for strategic planning and for defining District Mission, Vision, and Core Beliefs;
• Revised the Student Code of Conduct to reduce suspensions and offer more alternative seats;
• Established monthly work sessions for the board to increase participation;
• Targeted low-performing schools using the Renaissance Schools turn-around model, and a pilot pay-for- performance using Race to the Top funds;
• Launched Wake County Global Schools;
• Launched the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Schools Collaborative Network;
• Worked with NC State University to initiate STEM high school;
• Graduated the first class from the Wake Early College of Health and Sciences;
• Supported reorganizing the Central Office to increase alignment and instructional support for schools;
• Developed an inter-local agreement between the Board of Education and the Wake County Commissioners to lower costs for the district;
• Supported early childhood programs including the continuation of Project Enlightenment and 26 pre-school programs started by ARRA funding;
• Established the Economically Disadvantaged task force with broad community representation.
• Reinstated institutional time for students on Wednesdays while maintaining PLTs through other methods;
• Approved a new cellular phone contract for the district that saves $400,000 annually;
• Directed staff to continue to reduce costs when re-negotiating contracts;
• Opened four new schools, and completed renovations to two others;
• Started construction of Rolesville Middle;
• Purchased a site for Rolesville High School;
• Planned for the 2011-2012 opening of STEM high school and Walnut Creek;
• Completed a strategic analysis of administrative space, which consolidated operations into fewer buildings;
• Reinstated the elimination of after-school activity buses, which had created inequities in after-school education opportunities;
• Instated the EVAAS system for evaluating individual student performance;
• Used EVAAS data to place students in Algebra 1 classes;
• Started re-evaluating grading policies;
• Embraced the Common Core State Standards and intensified teacher training this year:
• Completed the redistricting process creating new voter districts.

And on Tuesday October 19th the Wake County Board of Education Approved the new School Choice Plan!

The new school choice plan was passed with a vote of 6 – 2, with outgoing Democrats Dr. Anne McLaurin and Carolyn Morrison joining the current Republican members in supporting it.

Kevin Hill, who is facing Heather Losurdo in a November 8th runoff election, voted against the plan. Heather supports the plan.

New Board members Susan Evans, Christine Kushner and Jim Martin are vocal supporters of busing for socio-economic diversity. If Kevin Hill is elected in the November 8 runoff, Democrats and their agenda will control the Board.

All Republicans in Wake County that believe in school choice and high achievement for all students must help to elect Heather and retain the majority. Please take a few hours between now and November 8 to help. Go the www.heatherlosurdo.com to volunteer now!

http://www.heatherlosurdo.com/volunteer