Who’s blatant?
In these amped-up political days, it is easy to succumb to seeing everything through a political lens. Despite that distraction, it is pretty clear that partisan politics was not the top priority of the majority of the school board in making their decision to release Superintendent Tony Tata.
If that were the case, they could have done so when the superintendent was insubordinate earlier this year or just waited until after the election, like two days before Christmas when he was hired.
As a self-confessed political hack who worked with all the board members who won last year, that is what I would have advised if they had asked. If this were, as Commissioner Paul Coble claimed, blatant partisan politics, doing so in the heart of a campaign would be the last thing to do.
Personnel decisions are never easy. The board has been following personnel law and respecting Tata’s rights, but it is clear the public wants and deserves a more detailed explanation of their decision.
That said, when considering who may be motivated by politics, remember that three of the four board members who are disgusted by this decision are on the ballot in November looking for their next office.
Perry Woods, Raleigh
