New Wake County Superintendent Anthony Tata announced today that Donna Hargens has agreed to stay on as the district's chief academic officer.

Back when he was hired two weeks ago, Tata said his first human resources action would be to ask Hargens to stay "to provide contiunity." Hargens has been simultaneously staying serving as chief academic officer and interim superintendent.

Hargens' decision to stay on could ease concerns from some about Tata's limited educational experience. During the Dec. 23 meeting, school board members repeatedly pointed to how Tata would be backed up by experienced educators such as Hargens.

How about playing a game of where's Tata instead of where's Waldo?

As noted in today's article by Thomas Goldsmith, Wake County school board chairman Ron Margiotta is not releasing new Superintendent Anthony Tata's full schedule even though media outlets requested it under the public records law. Only bits and pieces are being provided.

What's not being provided is the names of the elected officials who Margiotta says will be meeting with Tata.

New Wake County Superintendent Anthony Tata will get a "welcoming party" from some of the same protesters who've targeted school board meetings over the past year.

As noted in today's article, protesters plan to be outside the Barbecue Lodge on Thursday night when Tata speaks to the Wake County Taxpayers Association during his tour of the area. The organizers for the event's Facebook page are Monserrat Alvarez, a leader of N.C. HEAT; and Seth Keel, a Middle Creek High teen arrested earlier this year at a school board meeting.

"Anthony Tata was named the new Superintendent of the WCPSS," says the event website. "Join us as we voice our opposition to this decision at his first public appearance in which he meets with the conservative group: Wake County Taxpayers Association."

The State of Things will tackle the Wake County school board's hiring of Anthony Tata as superintendent on today's radio show.

Among the guests expected on the show will be N&O reporter Thomas Goldsmith, Kathleen Brennan of Wake CARES, former school board member Beverley Clark of the Great Schools in Wake Coalition and Steve Parrott of the Wake Education Partnership.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

CORRECTED TO SAY THAT STEVE PARROTT WILL APPEAR FROM THE WAKE ED PARTNERSHIP

CORRECTED TO SAY THAT BEVERLEY CLARK AND NOT YEVONNE BRANNON IS REPRESENTING GREAT SCHOOLS IN WAKE

Can and will critics of new Wake County Superintendent Anthony Tata be able to support him when he officially starts his new job Jan. 31?

As noted in today's article, vocal critics of the hiring such as school board member Carolyn Morrison and Great Schools in Wake Coalition chairwoman Yevonne Brannon say the community will need to rally behind Tata at some point.

For Brannon, that means when Tata is officially on the job. But for now, including today's board meeting, complaining about the search process and Tata's qualifications are still okay.

The Wake Community Network is accusing the Great Schools in Wake Coalition of making "dubious" claims in criticizing the way the Wake County school board hired Anthony Tata to be the new superintendent.

In a press release today, Joey Stansbury, director of the Wake Community Network, challenges the Dec. 23. claim from GSIW chairwoman Yevonne Brannon that the public met with prospective finalists in past searches.

This is a case where it may depend on what superintendent search you're discussing.

You still might have a chance to line up a visit this week with new Wake County Superintendent Anthony Tata.

As noted in Friday's article by Thomas Goldsmith, Tata will speak with the Wake County Taxpayers Association while he's in town this week. But school board chairman Ron Margiotta, who is organizing Tata's itinerary, said today that he's nowhere near completing the schedule for the rest of the Thursday and Friday trip.

"We're trying to reach out to elected officials, to the (Greater Raleigh) Chamber (of Commerce), to Wake Ed(ucation) Partnership...," Margiotta said.

UPDATE

Simmons also said they'll also help out with the Jan. 14 reception for Tata that's being sponsored by the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce.

Rob Schofield is calling this connection between new Wake County Superintendent Anthony Tata and conservative political commentator Glenn Beck "a worrisome sign."

According to this post today on the Progressive Pulse blog, run by the liberal N.C. Policy Watch, Schofield writes that Beck is the first person that Twitter suggests that followers of Tata might also enjoy following.

Most of Tata's recent twitters have promoted his appearances on Fox News to talk about military issues and his unsuccessful bid to win the Washington Post's "America's Next Great Political Pundit" contest. If he had won, Tata would have gotten a contract to write 13 political columns for the Post.

The biggest response from Tuesday's Wake County school board meeting may come from something that's not on the agenda.

A large turnout is expected of critics of the hiring of Anthony Tata as the new superintendent. During last week's meeting, a small but vocal crowd groaned at statements made by GOP members while cheering on Democrats who opposed hiring Tata.

If the board had passed Carolyn Morrison's motion last week, they would have delayed the vote until after Tuesday's public comment section.

Wake County school board member Keith Sutton is dissing the way the superintendent search was handled that resulted in the hiring of Anthony Tata.

Sutton said the board's search committee had given the full board the names of three finalists. (He's not naming the other two people, sticking withe board's policy of keeping names confidential.)

Sutton said Tata and another finalist were far superior than the third person.