School reform - tough new Superintendant

While many communities spent 2008 cutting budgets to meet the requirements of HEA 1001. And then during the legislative session this year many officials have taken the trek to Indianapolis to testify to hold up reforms proposed by Governor Daniels.

• Trustees don't want to eliminate townships, they are concerned that no one else can provide poor relief and fire service.
  
• Treasurers, Auditors, and Assessors don't want to be merged into one Chief Financial Officer because ... that would shut down at least two associations and make it a lot easier to figure out who isn't doing their job.
• County Commissioners don't want to be forced to choose between a County Executive or an expanded Board of Supervisors and a County Administrator. Having three people administrate and not having any legislative authority in the county council has made it very hard to figure out who's doing what ... a safe place for politicians.
• None of these groups wanted to support the anti-nepotism law, a place where all elected officials just plain look foolish when they hire their own family members. Oh yeah and then there is the law that forbids municipal employees from becoming their own bosses on the elected boards and commissions. In Valparaiso I believe 3 of the council members are city employees.
  

Now I read an article this morning that State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Bennett, has suggested that the state has the authority to step in and take over school systems that are performing poorly. Uh Oh.

Check the quote from the Indianapolis Schools:

"IPS Superintendent Eugene White said he won't fault the state for taking over schools that fail to achieve but said he hopes the state does so fairly. For instance, IPS is required by state law to negotiate with the teachers union and must pay teachers accordingly and follow specific steps to dismiss teachers. If the state were to come in and ignore those laws, White said it would give them an unfair advantage in achieving success there.

"If the state paid people more money and didn't honor the teacher contract and got rid of teachers," White said, "then, yeah, they can do better."

Mr. White, if the schools can be run better ... why aren't you doing it? Why don't you have the legislature write you a law that gives you the ability to do what the state may have to do? Or if you are unable to go head to head with the teachers or cut administrators, leave please.

So the state now pays for schools, not local property taxes. I'm not even sure that local school boards elected by local citizens makes total sense. I guess a blend of elected and appointed by city or county officials may make better sense in an environment wherein the board members are spending state money. Another place for reform, efficiency, and yes I'm sure ISTA and the Indiana School Boards Association will be quick to run to Indy to try and save their flow of money and jobs.