Tony Tata is spending more time in the Triangle today. The retired brigadier general is the new superintendent in Wake County.
Tata takes over the state’s largest school district during a challenging time. He faces massive budget cuts and a sharply divided school board. The School Board’s Republican majority voted to hire Tata, while Democrats either missed the meeting or voted against his appointment. But Tata says he won’t let politics get in the way.
"What everyone’s gonna learn real quick is that Tony Tata’s his own man. I’m not going to toe anyone’s line but the one that increases student achievement."
Tata says he will rely on the leadership skills he developed in the Army, as well as the year and a half he spent as the Chief Operating Officer in the Washington DC school system. His first full day on the job will be January 31st.