Something for everyone’s radar prior to entering the holiday news dead zone.

In June of 2014, Senator Jerry Tillman filed Senate Bill 880 titled the Education Simplification Amendment.  It passed the first reading and was sent to the Education/Higher Education committee.  See the bill’s history here.

According to the SB 880’s opening text, the NC Superintendent of schools position would be changed significantly from and elected superintendent to a Governor appointed ‘secretary of education’ through a state Constitutional amendment:

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION OF NORTH CAROLINA TO SIMPLIFY THE MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION BY PROVIDING FOR A SECRETARY OF EDUCATION TO REPLACE THE CURRENT SYSTEM OF A SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION AND, STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  Section 4 of Article IX of the Constitution of North Carolina is repealed.

SECTION 1.(b)  Section 5 of Article IX of the Constitution of North Carolina reads as rewritten:

“Sec. 5. Powers and duties of Board.Department of Education.

The State Board of Education There is established within the Executive Branch a Department of Education which shall supervise and administer the free public school system and the educational funds provided for its support, except the funds mentioned in Section 7 of this Article, and shall make all needed rules and regulations in relation thereto, subject to laws enacted by the General Assembly. The head of the Department of Education shall be appointed by the Governor in accordance with law subject to confirmation by joint resolution of the General Assembly. The General Assembly shall provide by law for the filling of temporary vacancies in that position.“

My 2 Cents
While NC’s Department of Public Instruction has become bloated and wields far too much unchecked power, eliminating the election by the people of its leadership is not the answer. I know only about a dozen states have elected Superintendents, but personally, I’d rather the people decide than a single person.

It would appear North Carolina isn’t alone in this desire to remove an elected position. Indiana is also looking at a shift and that the ‘structure needs to change‘.  This proposal appears to be backed by the Chamber of Commerce there. Reminder: The US and local Chambers of Commerce are ardent Common Core supporters. They would not be backing this move if there were not some sort of logistical benefit.

The department needs far greater transparency, their website is a confusing labyrinth and the legal aspects of agreements and grants the current DPI has entered North Carolina into beg for increased oversight.

Oversight and transparency like the fact our State Superintendent is now President of one of the D.C. trade groups that holds the copyright on Common Core and is pushing the standards ten ways from Sunday?  If that doesn’t scream conflict of interest, I don’t know what does.

Related Reads:
About That Race To The Top Money

About That Race To The Top Grant – Part II

About That Race To The Top Grant – Part III