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"Having the right information and knowing what to expect has been very helpful," said Sutton, who has three children in the system. "I need that partnership to stay informed."

Access to the policymakers

The Wrights urge parents to attend PTA meetings and school board meetings, and the group has made headway. School leaders have turned to the Wrights for advice on the Wake schools' gang policy to make sure the policy would not unfairly target black children.

One of the coalition's successes is the monthly seminars it hosts for parents covering topics including discipline, testing and suspension and retention data. The Wrights have been able to book top school officials as speakers, including Wake schools Superintendent Del Burns and former schools Superintendent Bill McNeal.

"They have worked hard to create a forum to get parents' questions answered with key decision makers of the school system," McNeal said.

At the forums, which are reminiscent of town hall meetings, parents can bypass the usual chain of command. They meet face to face with key policy leaders of the school system.

They can ask questions specific to their own situations and get contact information for follow-up questions.

State Superintendent June Atkinson is scheduled to speak Jan. 26 on state testing standards.

A passion for education

When the Wrights talk about education, their passion bubbles over. When they talk about the expectations they have set for their two children, Robert, 13, and Moses, 9, they often finish each other's sentences.

"We have put into their minds that education is key," said Gerald Wright, 52, who served four years in the U.S. Army and attended Tennessee State University. "That's their only job right now."

Wright, an orthopedic technologist, said his boys are accustomed to being drilled each day about school. The Wrights are almost like educational auditors when it comes to their children. Calla Wright has organized the boys' grades from tests and quizzes dating back to kindergarten. Any time there is a discrepancy, the Wrights can pull the records.

"When you send your child to school," Gerald Wright said, "you have to be prepared to look after them."

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