Wake County has a new School Superintendent. Anthony Tata was confirmed Thursdaynight in a 4-to-2 vote by the Wake County School Board.
Tata is not your every day public school administrator. He’s a West Point graduate and former brigadier general who writes Tom-Clancy style thrillers. Most recently, he was Chief Operating Officer at the Washington DC schools, in charge of purchasing and operations. The year and a half he spent in that job is his only experience in education.
Tata is also a highly political figure. In a review of Sarah Palin’s first book last year, he wrote on a conservative website that Palin "was far more qualified to be president of the United States than the current occupant of the White House."
Tata takes over the Wake County School System at a challenging time. The current School Board is locked in a dispute over student assignment and facing significant budget cuts.
The School Board vote was controversial, as well. Anne McLaurin was unable to attend due to a work commitment and Keith Sutton boycotted the meeting, saying he was not given ample time to review and prepare for it.