Should the Wake County school board move quickly to extend Superintendent Tony Tata's contract?

As noted in today's article, Tata is generally getting good reviews as he hits the one-year anniversary mark of his tenure on Tuesday. But he also faces some challenges, including potentially from members of the new Democratic school board majority.

Republican school board members are talking about wanting the board to take action next month to extend Tata's contract past the June 30, 2014 end date.

Former Wake County Superintendent Del Burns apparently has a lot to say about the school system in his new book "Preserving the Public in Public Schools."

But, as noted in today's article, Burns' new book isn't officially about Wake. Instead, he writes about the fictional Crestwich Public Schools, which is Wake in all but name.

The book talks about Crestwich/Wake's merger, adoption of magnet schools, busing for diversity, student reassignment, the impact of a new majority sweeping into office and a lot of other things.

Wake County Superintendent Tony Tata is losing another member of his leadership team.

The Pender County school board announced today that Terri Cobb, the Wake County school system's Chief of Staff, will become that district's new superintendent. Cobb used to be principal of Lockhart Elementary School in Knightdale.

Tata inherited Cobb, who was appointed Chief of Staff five years ago by Superintendent Del Burns. Several members of Tata's leadership team have left since January with some leaving on their own and others being forced out.

Former Wake County Superintendent Del Burns is reflecting on the recent school board elections and the purpose of public schools "to preserve our democratic republic."

In an op-ed piece today, Burns writes about the lessons he learned during his 36 years working in Wake. He also writes about how school board elections are about resolving public values conflicts.

"The current Wake County Board of Education owes much to the previous board," Burns writes. "The new board that will be seated on Dec. 6 will owe much to the current board. It is my hope that as the newly elected board takes office its members will focus not on winning or losing, and that they will move from campaigning to governing, focusing on the purpose of public schools."

Burns, who donated money to Kevin Hill during the campaign, is the co-author of the new book "Preserving the Public in Public Schools: Visions, Values, Conflicts, and Choices."

As you can imagine, the reaction to tonight's re-election victory by Wake County school board member Kevin Hill over Heather Losurdo is getting varying reaction.

I'll go into more detail tomorrow. But here's a taste of the excitement from Hill and the other Democrats about gaining control of the board for the next four years. (Only Republican-held seats will be up in 2013.)

"It's great, but it's not about me," Hill said. "I think the vote shows that we care very strongly about our schools in Wake County."

Wake County school board candidate Heather Losurdo is still saying that Superintendent Tony Tata could be out of if incumbent Kevin Hill defeats her, but she's changing how it could happen.

Also during her interview today on the conservative Frank Roche Show on WRDU, Losurdo pitched the benefits of why a parent like her should be on the board instead of a non-parent like Hill. She also charged that a Hill victory could lead to busing of high-achieving students to low-achieving schools.

On her radio ad, Losurdo has charged that a Hill victory would create a Democratic majority with enough votes to fire Tata. With Hill repeatedly saying he would not support firing Tata, Losurdo implied today that Tata might emulate Del Burns and resign because of philosophical differences with a new majority.

Wake County school board candidate Heather Losurdo has raised a record total of more than $80,000 in her bid to unseat incumbent Kevin Hill.

New campaign finance reports made public today show that Losurdo had reported raising $82,357 through Oct. 24. The prior record was the $79,500 that conservative businessman Bob Luddy had raised, largely out of his own pocket, in his unsuccessful run for the school board in 1997.

Hill’s new report shows he’s raised $42,748 through Oct 24. While Hill has almost half of Losurdo’s total, outside groups not connected to his campaign have spent tens of thousands of dollars on mailers and television ads attacking Losurdo.

SEE END OF POST FOR REACTIONS FROM BOTH CAMPAIGNS

Wake County school board candidate Jennifer Mansfield is praising the actions of the new school board majority while also warning that things have become too politicized.

In an interview Thursday on the Rick and Donna Martinez Show on WPTF, Mansfield highlighted he tightrope she's walking on of trying to get people who disagree with incumbent Kevin Hill to vote for her instead of Heather Losurdo.

"District 3 for the last four years has not had a voice for parents and students so that's first and foremost is to be a voice for District 3 residents," Mansfield answered when asked why she's running. "And we need somebody who's in there whose experienced and I've been doing this for over six years, been involved in school issues."

Former Superintendent Del Burns is among the contributors in Wake County school board member Kevin Hill's latest campaign finance report.

Hill's new report, filed today, shows that had raised $9,395 as of June 30. New donations include $100 from Burns and several other small-scale donations from other retired Wake educators such as Walt Sherlin, Steve Takacs and Roy Teel/.

Hill, a former principal, worked with those educators before he retired from Wake.

It looks like the question of reducing autonomy for Wake County principals is something that Superintendent Tony Tata will be pushing for as he continues to put his stamp on the school district.

Tata has questioned the extensive level of autonomy that principals have in both of the school board retreats, including the one on Saturday. He said he wants Central Office to have more authority while still preserving some autonomy for principals.

"A theme today is that there needs to be a higher degree of accountability between Central Office and the schools," Tata told board members Saturday.