RALEIGH -- Anthony J. Tata, who will become Wake County’s next schools superintendent at the end of the month, continued his whirlwind tour of the area Friday as he met mayors, visited more schools and spoke with local business leaders and the news media.
In a news conference this afternoon, Tata dodged questions about whether he supports assigning students to promote school diversity. Tata also faced multiple questions about comments he hade made on Fox News and on conservative websites in which he criticized President Barack Obama and praised former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
Tata said he needs more time to study student assignment issues before he starts in Wake on Jan. 31. But he added that he doesn’t support assigning students to promote diversity if it isn’t shown to improve academic achievement for those children.
“I’m not avoiding the issue,” Tata said. “But we have to look at what’s best for the students. If we’re focusing on achieving diversity but not improving student achievement for them, I’m not in favor of that.”
Tata also added that based on his 19 months as chief operating officer for D.C. Public Schools, that neighborhood schools can be strong if given enough resources. The GOP school board majority that hired him eliminated the use of diversity in student assignment to work Wake toward neighborhood schools.
Tata said he won’t be engaging in political commentary going forward as Wake’s superintendent as he focused all his time on improving student achievement. But he defended his right to have done so in the past.
“This is America and people have free speech,” Tata said. “People ought to be able to say what’s on their mind.”
During a meeting earlier today with business leaders, Tata said he had taken the Wake job after turning down offers in other school districts. He didn't identify them. But he said his experience with neighborhood schools in D.C. may help in Wake.
And, in an answer to a question about budget cuts, he said he'd work to protect the classroom.
Tata started today’s slate of meetings with a visit to the Wake County Mayors Association. Tata, a retired Army general, told the mayors that he planned to spend time in every corner of the school system and to bear down on not just the high-boil political issue of assigning students for diversity, but also the brewing school budget crisis.
The school system faces a loss of more than $100 million in federal and state funding, and schools officials have said layoffs are inevitable.
Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker buttonholed Tata before the meeting and emphasized the importance of finding the best way to handle the cash crunch while doing the least harm to the schools.
Meeker's wife, Anne McLaurin, is a member of the Democratic minority on the school board, and he has been an outspoken critic of the school board majority’s elimination of the diversity policy. He didn't dwell on the issue with Tata, though, instead saying that hoped it could be resolved properly and quickly so that the focus could shift to the budget.
Meeker was among several mayors who stressed that the school system’s quality made it an important tool for luring new businesses and jobs to the area, and that it was important for the students and the community to fix the budget without damaging the schools.
Eight of the Wake’s 12 mayors were present. Long-time Apex Mayor Keith Weatherly, who is a supporter of the GOP majority on the school board that picked Tata on Dec. 23 and that ended the policy of assigning students to make schools more diverse, gave the most enthusiastic welcome.
Much of the pressure to end the diversity policy has come from Weatherly’s part of the county. Western and southern Wake County has been under turmoil for the past few years, probably 10 years, and parents have looked for the stability we’ve been talking about, Weatherly said.
“I think it’s wonderful we’re going to have fresh new leadership in the school system. We appreciate you undertaking this task and hope you√ll be bringing your flak jacket with you,” Weatherly said.
The mayors of some of the smaller towns, including Harold Broadwell of Wendell and Russell Killen of Knightdale, said they hoped the school system would make the same resources, such as Advanced Placement classes, available in their local schools as some of the larger and wealthier communities.
Afterward, Tata visited Baucom Elementary School in Apex, one of three schools he’s visiting this week. He said he plans to make frequent visits once he steps down as chief operating officer of the D.C. Public Schools on Jan. 31.
Tata met with students and teachers at Baucom, asking the children what they were learning and the staff whether they have the resources they need.
One of the common responses from teachers is that they can use more technology. While Tata said the budget crisis will pose changes, he said the input he’s getting will help him determine what priorities to protect.
“He’s very open,” said Baucom Principal Tami Jahad, who led Tata on the tour. “He’s very approachable. It’s a good start.”
Following the Baucom visit, Tata met in downtown Apex with business leaders from the different chambers of commerce. The event, organized at the request of school board chairman Ron Margiottta, was coordinated by the Apex Chamber of Commerce.
The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, while it has praised Tata’s hiring, has been a vocal supporter of the old diversity policy.
Tata assured business leaders that he understood the importance that strong schools have on attracting businesses to the area. He cited his work as an Army commander helping local businesses adjust when units deployed overseas.
“I’m going to make sure we do the right thing for students,” Tata said.
Tata’s other publicly announced stops today include visiting Lacy Elementary in Raleigh from 1:45 to 2:45 p.m. and at the school system offices on Wake Forest Road for a press conference at 4 p.m.. The school board will hold a closed-door meeting with Tata at 5 p.m.
On Saturday, Tata will meet with supporters of the old diversity policy at a meeting arranged by school board member Keith Sutton.
Tata’s schedule Thursday had also been hectic and he joked with the mayors that Margiotta has left him a good “90 seconds to two minutes” between stops to prepare for the next appointment.
