Former Orange County School Board Member Dennis Whitling is now on probation and owes $106,138.24 in penalties after being convicted of embezzling funds from a former employer. His jail sentence was suspended but he'll also have to do at least 100 hours of community service.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools just released a statement saying that the School Board selected a new principal for Carrboro High list night. Parents at the brand new school have been feeling shafted as their students have less advanced courses available, and their last principal was let go rather swiftly and unceremoniously. I wonder if people will be more satisfied after this new principal gets settled in.

I just saw Minister Robert Campbell and he reminded me about this annual event coming up again this year to support the kids of the Rogers Road neighborhood. Their goal is to give out 100 bags filled with school supplies for students returning to school this fall. You can donate bags, school supplies, or money to support the effort.

The event on August 9th will be a big party with fun stuff for kids and, as always, an opportunity to learn more about the community that has hosted our landfill for over three decades.

From a press release:

CARRBORO BICYCLE PLAN WORKSHOP #2

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 2008

4:00 – 7:00 pm (DROP-IN FORMAT)

On CARRBORO TOWN COMMONS (at the Farmer’s Market)

Thank you for attending the first public workshop for Carrboro’s bicycle transportation plan, back on April 10^th. The second workshop will be held on July 23, 2008 on the Carrboro Town Commons, at the Farmers’ Market. Please stop by anytime between 4:00 - 7:00 PM to learn about preliminary recommendations (this will be new information from the consultants), talk to Town staff and project consultants, and provide more of your input to the process.

Yesterday's Chapel Hill News was full of items complaining about a change in the grading policy that the Chapel Hill Carrboro City School District is contemplating. They led me to go find and read the proposed policy itself.

Among other things, the proposal would limit the bottom score for schoolwork (whether completed or not) at a 61.

I was really quite stunned by the pervasiveness of teacher discontent with the proposal -- and the fact that the district would consider proceeding with such a change in the face of such broad dissatisfaction. (Scroll about halfway through the pdf of the proposal to see the collected teacher comments from various schools in the district.)

The County Commissioners have received the proposed budgets from both school systems. According to the Chapel Hill Herald, the city schools are requesting $61.2 million, a %12.56 increase in last year's budget. The county system is requesting an %8.35 increase to $23.8, which is actually less than they asked for last year.

The county school board recognizes, "the fiscal realities of the day," said school board Chairman Ted Triebel.

"[The budget] is well-researched, fully-debated and it is lean, very lean," he said. "This new fiscal approach, this minimal budget, comes with high expectations and confidence that you, our board of county commissioners, will favorably respond to the citizens of our district and look at this responsible budget to provide the necessary opportunities for our county's youth."

With the Orange County School Board (OCSB) elections looming (among others), and the frustration of the last year lingering with many parents and concerned citizens, we have a real chance to make a change.

What say you – we always have that opportunity?

Yes, of course you are right – the right to vote is fundamental in our society. And a right we should willingly act upon at every chance.

So – I have a confession to make...

There is an extremely high likelihood that I voted for a much maligned outgoing member of the School Board four years ago. For those of you who have not attended OCSB meetings this past year, let me just say that this woman and I have VERY different viewpoints on the process of educating our children.