School Board District 8

[Rich]

I have not been able to find an online copy of the release, thus the need to paste like Stan rather than use a link like someone with more than three braincells.
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Begin Release -
Contact: Tim Inglis, Campaign Coordinator FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mobile: (919) 225-3122
Email: ReelectRon@gmail.com
www.ronmargiotta.org

RON MARGIOTTA FILES FOR REELECTION TO WAKE COUNTY’S DISTRICT 8 SCHOOL BOARD SEAT

APEX, N.C. (July 9, 2007) It’s official. District Eight Wake County School Board member Ron Margiotta filed for reelection Monday morning, citing the widespread support and encouragement of parents, families and citizens in his district and throughout Wake County. District 8 covers Apex, Holly Springs and Southwest Cary.

Many District 8 citizens believe Margiotta exemplifies what a Board of Education member should be, and feel abandoned by his fellow Board of Education members, mainly due to their support of the mandatory year-round school conversions, which are heavily concentrated in Margiotta’s district.

During his term, Margiotta has been responsive to his constituents. He is not afraid to stand up for what is right and will continue to ensure citizens’ concerns are being heard.

“People in our district really need strong representation because we’re still so far away from what our local schools need. School issues and parents’ concerns need to be addressed,” Margiotta said. “The WCPSS has displayed an attitude of indifference towards community opinion, and under the banner of ‘we know better,’ they continue to advance policy that is unresponsive and contrary to the wishes of parents.”

Margiotta opens his campaign with endorsements from N.C. State Representative Paul Stam, N.C. State Senator Richard Stevens, Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison, Apex Mayor Keith Weatherly, Holly Springs Mayor Dick Sears, Holly Springs Commissioner Hank Dickson, Holly Springs Commissioner Peter Atwell, County Commissioner Tony Gurley, Citizens for Excellence in Education, Assignment By Choice Political Action Committee and the Wake County Taxpayers Association.

“As a board representative, I will continue to visit with my constituents, meet with citizens and organizations, reach out to the local municipalities in a spirit of partnership and be a very visible board member” Margiotta said.

Those interested in volunteering to help with Margiotta’s campaign can log onto www.ronmargiotta.org for more information on how to get involved, or contact the Campaign Coordinator at ReelectRon@gmail.com.
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Areas of Cary are served by Ron, as well as all Apex and most of Holly Springs.
http://www.wcpss.net/Board/maps/board.jpg
His website (http://www.ronmargiotta.org/) shows endorsement by the mayors of Apex and Holly Springs, but not Cary. If you live in Cary, please urge the public support of Ron by your other elected officials.

[Wuptdo]

Rich - thank you for the posting.

It is indeed true that Ron Margiotta is one of the last few good politicians left in Wake County. Even though I was not in his district, I always found him to be a willing ear and the same desire to do the "right thing" vice "status quo." Given the treatment that Mike Joyce had to endure in dealing with the Cary Town Council, it is no wonder they prefer the sleaze that Ms. Goettee and her friends from "inside-the-beltline" represent.

Wuptdo B-)

[kd]

Does anyone know if there is a more detailed map of the districts? I want to vote for Mr. Margiotta, and he is representing over the school my children attend, but from that map, it looks like we are right on the line.

Edited to add that I realize that in the screwed up world of WCPSS, you may be voting for someone not representing your school and vice versa, so that is why I was posing the question.

[Rich]

Wake Gov link (http://msweb03.co.wake.nc.us/bordelec/Waves/WavesSearch.asp) to find all districts by home address. Once you punch in yours, it should list you by your voter reg, then clicking that will get you a screen that includes your BoE district.

[DarylB]

Wouldn't that be a great day, if all the SW Wake county parents got to vote against the BoE rep that represents the location of the school where their kids gets bused to? All that ITB "good ole boy" back-slappin' could become a boot in the *** instead, like it oughta' be....... Seems that there should be some sort of lawsuit brewing such that parents should get a say in the running of the school they are assigned to, since voting on the rep for the one next door to where they live means nothing to these folks.....maybe we need to have BoE members representing bus routes instead of geographic districts, so as to "promote voter diversity"? After all, it's for the children! :?

Totally agree, having Ron Margiotta on the BoE is the only firing synapse in the mix, but with all the families with kids in these other districts, that would force them to listen. Never happen, I know (too much concentrated power and too much money from too many shady kick-back school real estate deals), but I can dream.

[Brent]

Go Ron!

One of the good guys.

[Don]

I doubt very seriously you will see ernie McAlister endorse Ron Margiotta unless "asked" to do so. You figure out who does the asking.

You see, Ron believes Cary should be taking a more proactive approach to the shools crisis - Ernie doesn't. Ernie does believe that Ron's beliefs make Ernie look bad. End result - no endorsement. Make sense?

[dhyatt]

I doubt very seriously you will see ernie McAlister endorse Ron Margiotta unless "asked" to do so. You figure out who does the asking.

You see, Ron believes Cary should be taking a more proactive approach to the shools crisis - Ernie doesn't. Ernie does believe that Ron's beliefs make Ernie look bad. End result - no endorsement. Make sense?

Some of Ron Margiotta's comments behind the scenes re Mayor McAlister have been downright nasty. I doubt you will being seeing an endorsement from Ernie - whether "asked" or not.

[kd]

Thank you for that link. Fortunately, we are in district 8. Last year, our kids were bussed over to a district 5 school, and we applied to get in year round, which is less than 2 miles away, this year and were accepted, fortunately. That one is in his district so it is now at least balanced for us, but many are in the same boat as not having adequate representation. Why would Susan Parry have cared about anything she was asked to do if we were not her electorate? She obviously wouldn't and doesn't. The system is in such a mess and really I can't see how anything but deconsolidation will help it.

I'll go back to lurking now. Thanks again for the link.

[Wuptdo]

KD - Lurkers with very valid points are always welcome. The more people realize that actually people are affected by these elected officials, the better.

I also live in one of those strange nodes. I get to vote for a District 9 representative (but in the case of Ms. Goettee, lack of), but 2 of my base schools are in District 6, and my base high school is in District 7. So guess what kind of responses I get these last couple of years.

What we need is at least four of the school board members have "at-large" seats. Then maybe the folks out in 'burbs might get some actually respect and a little clout, especially since we are the "cash" tax cows.

Wuptdo B-)

[Rich]

Link to N&O district map (http://www.newsobserver.com/content/news/education/story_graphics/20070706_schoolboard.jpg). This contains more information than the one above I ganked from the WCPSS site.

[Rich]

Real Player Video (http://video.cgi.cbsnews.com/vplayer3/play.pl?type=rm&width=480&height=360&feat=vplayer&adtype=pre&arena=video&prod=vplayer&adv=b&id=3055109n&ord=54385.01529544043) of Ron on the CBS Early Show, today, July 13. Please excuse the annoying ad that precedes it. I apologize sincerely for subjecting anyone to Ty Pennington.

[Wuptdo]

Rich - thanks for the video.

Stupid reporter, Arrgghhh! (the price we pay for a "sound-bite" society) And where did they drag that Carla Wright from? Where was Goettee, Gill, or Head, since they are the primarily cheerleaders of MYR? And when did WCPSS every care about students, student achievement, and other things that Wright mentioned? It has always been about the "social agenda" and not education.

I am sure glad that Wright mentioned over a 100 families a day moving to Wake County. Hopefully, that will discourage other carpetbaggers, from moving on down.

Perhaps we can put signs on all the major roads into Wake County: "Sorry, No Vacancy!"

Also, Ron is sounding more and more "native" everyday! :-D :-D

Wuptdo B-)

[Rich]

Although I have no hard evidence, I have been told that no one from the MYR side would accept CBS's invitation to appear. So, presumably, they decided to try and make any objections to MYR as difficult as possible by making that fight through the facade that their position would be in some way racist. Of course, Ron advocates that everyone should be able to choose YR, and the plan he and he alone opposed gave very little choice for YR to the people Ms. Wright claims to represent. YR schools, particularly those forced to convert, are overwhelmingly in areas where African Americans are underrepresented.

Of course, as you pointed out, this particular segment was almost Norwalkian in its aversion to facts.

[Wuptdo]

Michael Evans, Director of Communication (PR FLAK) for WCPSS, should of been sitting next to Ron. This is what he is paid to do. so why wasn't he there? At $180,000 per year, we should except a lot more from an employee in Wake County.

Rich wrote:

Of course, as you pointed out, this particular segment was almost Norwalkian in its aversion to facts.

:notworthy: :notworthy: :sign5:

I hereby nominate the above into the CP quote "Hall of Fame!"

Wuptdo B-)

[Rich]

Once again, I apologize for the lack of a link, but this an advanced copy, thus none yet exists.
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Begin Release -
Board of Education Representative Ron Margiotta Appears on CBS’ “The Early Show” Today

CBS News’ “The Early Show” featured a 4-minute segment on the Wake County Public School system’s year-round controversy this morning at 7:30 a.m. during the program’s broadcast on Raleigh’s Fayetteville Street. District 8 Board of Education Representative Ron Margiotta and Calla Wright, a spokeswoman for the Coalition of Concerned Citizens for African-American Children, answered questions from CBS’ Hannah Storm about why some parents are for and why others are opposed to the year-round system.

Margiotta explained that year-round schools have only worked well in this county when they have been voluntary, and pointed out that mandatory year-round schools have failed in more than 500 school districts across the country. You can link to the broadcast here:
www.cbsnews.com/sections/earlyshow/main500202.shtml.
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Like Mike³, I too wonder why we as taxpayers provide a salary to a communications director who doesn't appear on national television.

³ Yes, I know you will have that ad stuck in your head for a couple of hours. You're welcome.

[Rich]

Ron will be running unopposed. If he will remain alone on the Board of Education as a voice against staff recommendations remains to be seen. Whether I agree with it or not, it would be nice to have at least the appearance that the WCPSS staff answers to the BoE rather than the reverse.

[Brent]

Ron will be running unopposed. If he will remain alone on the Board of Education as a voice against staff recommendations remains to be seen. Whether I agree with it or not, it would be nice to have at least the appearance that the WCPSS staff answers to the BoE rather than the reverse.

Agreed.

And ditto for the Town of Cary, while we're at it.