Could the wording from the Oct. 5 resolution that killed the zone plan come back to bite the Wake County school board during the accreditation review?

As noted in today's article, Mark Elgart, president of AdvancED, said the review team will question how the school board will follow through on the wording in the Oct. 5 resolution to provide “equity and equal opportunity” for all students. It's part of the review of whether the school board is following its own policies and procedures.

“We’re telling them it’s their right to assign students as they wish,” Elgart said. “But when you have a resolution that says you will ensure equality of opportunity, you have to say how you will do that.”

Tuesday's Wake County school board meeting will include the swearing in of new Superintendent Tony Tata, a state of the system address by school board chairman Ron Margiotta and the vote on the 2011-12 student reassignment plan.

Things kick off at 4 p.m. with N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Doug McCullough giving the oath of office to Tata. The Rev. Marion Robinson, pastor of St. Matthew AME Church in Raleigh, will give the invocation.

Tata had met with African American leaders who support the diversity policy earlier this month at St. Matthew.

The majority of new Wake County Superintendent Anthony Tata's questions at a Friday news conference focused on his view of school diversity and his time as a political pundit.

As noted in today's article, Tata faced some pretty pointed questions as he asserted he's his own man. He praised neighborhood schools and questioned how well low-income students were helped by Wake's diversity policy.

Initially, Tata said he's still getting more information on the role of diversity in Wake's schools. But that didn't stop him from getting multiple questions to get him to flesh out his views.

New Wake County Superintendent Anthony Tata is sidestepping giving his opinion on busing for diversity while trying to reach out to supporters of the old diversity policy.

As noted in today's article by Thomas Goldsmith, Tata said he met yesterday with representatives of the Wake Education Partnership and Wake NCAE. Tata spoke with the N.C. HEAT protesters who picketed outside last night's Wake County Taxpayers Association meeting at the Barbecue Lodge,

This morning, Tata met with the Wake County Mayors Association. While he got a warm reception from Apex Mayor Keith Weatherly, it was cooler but polite from Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker.

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.

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.

Should new Wake County Superintendent Anthony Tata continue to appear as a guest on national television news show and be a writer on conservative websites?

As noted in today's article, school board members say that Tata's contract allows him to continue those activities as long as he does it on his own time. Since he's typically in those roles because he's a retired Army brigadier general, he's not supposed to mention he's speaking as Wake's superintendent.

The question, which is splitting along partisan lines on the board, is whether Tata should exercise that right. He's on vacation and didn't indicate to board members one way or the other if he'd continue those activities.

One question today is how much support will Anthony Tata get from the school board in being selected as Wake County's new superintendent.

It's likely Tata will get the support of all the Republican board members. Board vice chairwoman Debra Goldman has broken ranks at times but she's also the head of the search committee that recommended Tata.

Will any of the Democratic board members, who had all opposed efforts to let non-educators hold the job, vote for Tata? And what message will it send if the vote is divided?

UPDATE

The board is back after a 31-minute closed session. Keith Sutton is also not here so seven members are present.

Sutton, in an e-mail message, said he wasn't here because of the lack of ample notice about the meeting. The same reason was given by Anne McLaurin, who has medical duties today, why she couldn't attend.

The meeting was scheduled on Tuesday.

Even though Hill and Morrison voted against Tata, they said they'll throw 100 percent support behind him now that he's superintendent.

Alamance-Burlington school board members are abuzz about hiring former Wake County Superintendent Del Burns to be their new interim superintendent.

Board members say they were impressed by Burns' financial background when he used to run Wake's finance department. They said they also believe his recent experience as a superintendent will help him in the job he could hold for several months.

"Dr. Burns carries a vision that matches our own, which is educating all children," said Patsy Simpson, a member of the Alamance-Burlington school board.

UPDATE

Click here to read the press release on Burns' hiring.

Former Wake County Schools Superintendent Del Burns was named today the interim schools chief of the Alamance-Burlington School System, according to published reports.

The Burlington Times-News is reporting that Burns was hired to be the interim superintendent at this evening's Alamance-Burlington County school board meeting. Burns will start in January as their school board searches for a permanent successor to Randy Bridges, the former Orange County superintendent and the son of former Wake Superintendent Robert Bridges.

Burns announced his resignation from Wake in February, saying he couldn't in good conscience carry out the school board's policies. He was put on paid leave through the end of June by the board for his public criticism of their actions, including ending the diversity policy. 

Alamance has 22,500 students.