KEITH SUTTON AND THE WAKEUP WAKE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION ON MANDATORY YEAR-ROUND

"But Sutton said it's unfair to compare the new board with the previous 2009 board. 

For instance, Sutton said, the board realizes that mandatory year-round school assignment "doesn't work."

News & Observer - October 12, 2013

And now? 

News & Observer - January 11, 2016

NEWS AND OBSERVER ON THE ROAD TO A CIVIL DAMASCUS?

Today's editorial by the News and Observer easily puts them in contention for our 2016 Great Hypocrite in Wake of the Year honors. 

Here's some choice quotes from the above:

"... they sat at the board's table ..."

"... stood up to yell chants as the board ... tried to do business."

"In addition to their uncivil behavior, they apparently put up signs ..."

"Protestors who cause this kind of gratuitous disruption do neither themselves nor their cause any favors."

Apostle Saul moment? 

Makes me think back to the last six years and what the N&O has encouraged with the Rev. William "John 2:16" Barber, the NAACP, Moral Monday, Great Schools in Wake, Yevonne Brannon, Susan "the singing CPA" Evans and every other progressive group in Wake County and North Carolina. 

Here's just a sample. This met with the cheering endorsement of the News and Observer:

So congratulations News and Observer Editorial Board. You're our early frontrunner for 2016 Great Hypocrite in Wake of the Year.

OUR GREAT HYPOCRITE IN WAKE OF THE YEAR AWARD GOES TO ...

None other than outgoing WakeUp Wake County Board of Education Chairwoman and Moral Monday protestor Christine Kushner, who came in strong at the end of the year with her bold condemnation of those families and parents in Wake County that would put their children above the good of the whole. 

In a speech at a 2015 Morehead-Cain Alumni forum, Kushner declared:

What I see as the crisis in public education is viewing it as an economic zero-sum game, which is creating a shift toward exclusion—so-called “individual choice” is being used to segment our children, to create “have” and “have not” schools. These dynamics are undermining the overall health of public education and of our community.

The real crisis, in my view, is a growing imbalance between individual choice and community.

We need to push against the growing segmentation of exclusive schooling—whether through vouchers or charter schools or segregated schools—which undermines that balance between the individual and community.

Kushner's remarks drew the praise of Public School's First and Great Schools in Wake Chairwoman (and what other group she decides to create and throw a leadership label with) Yevonne Brannon, who remarked:

“If you didn’t get a chance to see her article about the importance of our school system and how school systems should operate to be fair, to offer diversity and to advocate matters and to care about every child and every school,” Brannon said Monday of Kushner’s speech. “So she’s been living and walking that walk.” 

(News & Observer - November 25, 2015)

"she's been living and walking that walk."

So let's take a look at Kushner's living and walking that walk. 

As Keung Hui with the News & Observer pointed out:

But Kushner’s remarks have drawn crticism from those who’ve pointed to how her children attended magnet schools and her son graduated from the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics, a statewide public boarding school in Durham for gifted high school students.

In an interview Wednesday, Kushner said sending her children to magnet schools and the School of Science and Math did balance choice and community. Her daughter now attends the School of Science and Math.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/wake-ed-blog/article46512700.html#storylink=cpy

(News & Observer - November 25, 2015)

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/wake-ed-blog/article46512700.html#storylink=cpy

The annual tuition at St. David's - an elite within the Raleigh beltline private school runs $18,650 for students grades 7-12. 

So not only did Christine Kushner's children benefit from the forced busing of African-American students so they could partake of magnet goodies, but Kushner also took her children out of the Wake County Public School System so they could finish high school in Durham County - at what is arguably the most elite North Carolina high school. The Wake County Public School System wasn't good enough for her children. 

The cost annually to educate a NC School of Science and Math student? 

Theoretically, North Carolina taxpayers spent $112,000 educating Christine Kushner's children for their final two years of high school. 

Nothing exclusive about that is it? 

The racial makeup of the the NC School of Science and Math? 

If this were a WakeUp Wake County Public School, Kushner's progressive friends would likely label this as an exclusive segregated school. 

Worth noting also, Christine Kushner's home lists at $715,000 in the well-healed Ridge Road area inside Raleigh's beltline. 

Nothing exclusive there also. 

But as we know:

ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS. 

Allison Backhouse, on her My 3 Minutes blog, sums it up well:

So, it is a little surprising to find out that Ms. Kushner chose to send her child to one of the most exclusive publicly-funded high schools in NC. That's right. She made an "individual choice" for her child's education. A choice that was made, I would assume, based on what was best her family and her child - because I don't see how sending her child to a limited enrollment high school with a highly competitive admission process that is fully funded by the state (including tuition, room and board) helps the rest of us. 

Apparently, the common good is your problem to solve...with your children - not hers.

What a patronizing hypocrite.

Let's also not forget Christine Kushner's vehement denials of any involvement with WakeUp Wake County:

Evans and Kushner both fired back later Saturday, saying they haven't been involved with Great Schools in Wake since they were elected to the school board last fall. They took offense to his accusations and said he should have discussed the matter with them privately instead of in a mass email.

(WRAL-TV - February 21, 2012)

Unless, of course, she's appearing in promotional videos for WakeUp Wake County - the "parent" organization for Great Schools (not students) in Wake. 

Or attending all three of Great Schools in Wake's community forums this fall on how to continue to create "healthy" schools (not students) by moving students across the county still:

Kushner received applause at this week’s student assignment forum sponsored by the Great Schools in Wake Coalition. She has attended all three forums held since September as the group works on a vision statement and action steps for helping promote diverse schools through means other than busing for diversity.

(News and Observer - November 25, 2015)

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/wake-ed-blog/article46512700.html#storylink=cpy

So congratulations Christine Kushner. You're our Great Hypocrite in Wake of the Year. You've earned it.

Hispanic/Latino 12 3.5% White 167 49.1% Unknown 1 0.3% Two or More Races 19 5.6%

THE CHAOS COALITION

In a blog post from yesterday, I mentioned the coalition of groups who have pushed using Wake County's children as pawns in a failed socio-economic diversity experiment. While dated, this provides a good idea.

It is also worth noting that the City of Raleigh has also used its public relations office to fundraise for WakeUP Wake County - the "parent" organization of the 54.2% Coalition.

In 2014, the Raleigh City Council also provided WakeUp Wake County with $2500 in taxpayer funds. 

We should also note that Jim Goodmon's Capitol Broadcasting Company - the parent company of WRAL-TV also financially supports WakeUP Wake County.

Come Downtown for Our 2015 Livability Tour by WakeCitizens

GSIW Coalitions by WakeCitizens

YOUR DAILY GREAT HYPOCRITES IN WAKE

WakeUp Wake County's bold pronouncement:

Keung Hui with the News & Observer had this to say about the assignment "hearing":

Tuesday marks the one official time that parents will have to lobby the Wake County school board in person for changes to the 2016-17 student assignment proposal.

The board has scheduled one public hearing on the new enrollment plan at 6:30 p.m. in the board meeting room at 5625 Dillard Drive in Cary. No other public hearings are scheduled on the plan as board members have encouraged people to submit comments on the district’s online forum rather than to contact them directly.

Each speaker will have two minutes for what could be a lengthy hearing.

The assignment public hearing takes place during the regular board meeting.

- News & Observer, 11-3-15

"one official time"

"one public hearing"

"no other public hearings are scheduled on the plan"

"board members have encouraged people to submit comments on the district's online forum rather than to contact them directly."

"Each speaker will have two minutes for what could be a lengthy hearing."

"The assignment public hearing takes place during the regular board meeting."

Of course, Yevonne "the bar is open" Brannon will not signal any outrage, sing at Wake BOE meetings or lead any protests. 

Instead WakeUp Wake County and head chaos creation clown Karen Rindge will simply supply a half-hearted statement that the Wake County Board of Education "listened to parents."

WakeUp Wake County's Karen Rindge. Today's Great Hypocrites in Wake standout member. 

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/wake-ed-blog/article42293184.html#storylink=cpy

YOUR DAILY GREAT HYPOCRITES IN WAKE

In October 2010, when it was politically chic to criticize the Wake Board of Education for moving towards a resegregation of the WCPSS, Tama Bouncer had this to report:

About 47 percent of teachers surveyed felt the biggest problem facing Wake County public schools was the new policy on assigning students. Eighty-one percent also disagreed or strongly disagreed with the board's decision to end the socio-economic diversity policy.

- October 14, 2010, ABC-11

Now the Wake County Public School System has experienced even greater resegregation in their schools. 

The only difference? 

The Wake County Board of Education is dominated by their chaos creation crew coalition members. It's just not as politically chic to go after your left wing progressive allies. 

Tama Bouncer and the Wake NCAE. Today's Great Hypocrites in Wake standout member.