Tata Sworn in as Wake County Superintendent of Schools
February 1, 2011 - Anthony Tata was sworn in as the new Superintendent of the Wake County Public School System today. NC Appeals Court Judge Douglas McCullough administered the oath of office as Tata placed his hand on a Bible held by his sister, mother and wife. |
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NC Appeals Court Judge Douglas McCullough administered the oath of office as Tata placed his hand on a Bible held by his sister, mother and wife. His father watched from the audience.
Wake County can be the center of the universe for educational leadership and student achievement throughout this country, Tata told the crowd gathered for the ceremony.
“All the pieces are here: an engaged community, involved parents, superb teachers and principals, eager and diverse students, excellent administrators and a very rich history,” said Tata. “My vision for Wake County Public Schools is both ambitious and achievable – to parlay all of its already existing components into a world class school system as evidenced by high student achievement, excellence in athletics, music, arts leadership and other extracurricular programs and a nationally recognized and respected workforce.”
“We will get there by continuing to seek a path of excellence that captures the essence of this community,” said Tata. “Good decisions will come from good information. I intend to listen very carefully - as I have been doing - over the next few months.”
“I understand the full breath of the public trust that has been placed in me, and I promise to handle it with care,” said Tata. “I join the Wake County Board of Education in our collective commitment to serving all the children of Wake County.”
Tata graduated from the US Military Academy in 1981 and retired after 28 years of uniformed service on June 1, 2009 as a Brigadier General in the U.S. Army. Among his many assignments, Tata commanded a paratrooper battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division and an air assault brigade in the 101st Airborne Division. In 2006-07 he served as the Deputy Commanding General of the 10th Mountain Division and Combined/Joint Task Force-76 in Afghanistan. Tata deployed on combat missions and operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Macedonia, Bosnia, Panama and the Philippines. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge and Bronze Star, served as a Master Parachutist and graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School.
Tata served as a National Security Fellow at Harvard University's JFK School of Government, earned an M.A. in International Relations from the Catholic University of America, and has a Master's of Military Art and Science from the Army's School of Advanced Military Studies. He is listed as a distinguished member of the 502nd, 504th, and 505th Parachute Infantry Regiments.
Tata is a graduate of the 2009 Broad Superintendent's Academy, which focuses on preparing executives around the country for service as senior leaders in large urban school districts. Prior to accepting the Wake Superintendent’s job, Tata served as the Chief Operating Officer of Washington, DC Public Schools where he was a member of the management team that brought transformative change to DC Public Schools.
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