Over at Kentucky School News and Views, Richard Day criticizes Joe Brothers, the head of the State School Board, for moving ahead with the appointment of a new state schools chief in the face of a request from new Governor Steve Beshear to restart the process of hiring a new commissioner.
Now I can see how someone could criticize the school board over this, but I'm not sure I understand how you could do it using Day's argument. His criticism is that the Board is " railroading this choice."
Huh?
The position has been open for almost a year and its functions being performed by an assistant commissioner. The one thing you can't criticize the Board for is "railroading this choice." The only resemblance Brother's actions bear to locomotion as we know it is that Brothers appears to finally putting the cars back on the track after a train wreck.
I was critical too of the Board's Barbara Erwin fiasco, but I have a hard time feeling bad about how the Board has conducted itself since Brothers took the reins of the Board. Finally, there seems to be some real leadership happening on education, and then, what do people want him to do? They want him to stop it.
Just cut it out! Someone needs to put a halt to this senseless leadership!
I don't see where this Board has any obligation under law or conscience to lay down and play dead simply because another governor is about to take over. Every governor gets his chance to select his own members. But, guess what? It's not his turn yet.
And does anyone doubt that when Beshear does get his hands on the Board he's going to fill it with shills for the teachers unions that helped get him elected? Let's hope not, but I'm not hopeful.
Maybe Day could articulate what obligation this board has to scratch everything it has done so far in the selection process because
In fact, one of the reasons I have heard offered for why the board is elected rather than appointed is to insulate it from the shifting winds of politics. Yet now there are some people who want Board members to wet a finger and stick it in the air.
And how much you want to bet these are people who would be having a fit if it was an incoming Republican governor who wanted immediate control over the Board's agenda?