Tata Takes Over

Wake County’s new school superintendent takes office officially today. Tony Tata takes the reins of a school system facing major challenges.

Tata’s background is already well-known to those who pay attention to the Wake Schools. He’s a retired brigadier general with less than two years experience in education, hired by a deeply divided school board. He made positive impressions even on his detractors during a series of formal and informal events earlier this month. And even with a looming budget crisis, Tata will likely be judged on the issue of student assignment.

" It is possible in my view to have good strong neighborhood schools where you have good resourcing and you are building that environment of pride and excellence. So in my opinion, what I’ve seen in Washington DC public schools, is that neighborhood schools are working."

Over the next few months, the Wake School Board will design and vote on a student assignment policy that focuses on proximity and not socio-economic diversity.