Great Idea: Elect the State School Board
Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, June 12, 2015 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler
On May 16th the Georgia Republican Party passed a resolution to elect members of the State Board of Education, and there’s good reason for that. Many folks might not know that state school board members are appointed to seven-year terms. They don’t get paid for serving, but they are reimbursed for expenses.
They are not accountable to voters, although their actions affect all children in public schools. Since they are not elected, state school board members have no incentive to reflect voter values or wishes, even though schools under their control are funded by Georgia taxes that build, maintain and support education. Over half of the state budget is spent on K – 12 schools and higher education, so taxpayers have every right to expect all school board members – state, as well as local – to respect and support the values of students and their parents. While appointed school board members may seek parental approval, their primary allegiance is more likely to be to the person who appoints them, which, in this case, is the governor.
The Constitution of the State of Georgia describes the state school superintendent’s job as “the executive officer of the State Board of Education,” but think about this: The power of the State Board of Education, whose members are NOT elected, supersedes the power of the elected state school superintendent in setting the agenda for each state board of education meeting, in hiring and firing staff, as well as staff directly within the Department of Education. That arrangement subjugates the elected state school superintendent to policies made by 14 state school board appointees that are not accountable to voters.However, the Republican resolution provides a remedy for that: The state school board should be elected, and the State Constitution should be amended to reflect that change. With that change, elected state school board members would have a greater incentive to work alongside the elected state school superintendent, and, together, they could uphold voter values.
The resolution concludes, “The 2015 Georgia Republican State Convention Delegates urge the … Legislature to introduce a constitutional amendment [to allow] voters in each congressional district to elect their own representative to the state school board. … Delegates to the Georgia Republican State Convention oppose all efforts [to] take away our right to elect our state school superintendent, and urge members of the Georgia Legislature to oppose all efforts to change the Constitution to allow for the appointment of a state school superintendent.”
Copies of this resolution are being sent to all elected Republican officials in the Georgia House and Senate, the Governor, Lt. Governor, and House Speaker. For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, Your Capitol correspondent.