Two weeks ago, we expressed hope for a cooling down of hostilities between new state Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz and her Republican opponents.
With little progress toward a short-term solution to that feud, we’re turning our attention to a long-term answer.
Most people have forgotten that state leaders nearly solved the problem 25 years ago.
A proposal to have the state superintendent appointed by the governor, instead of elected, fell only one vote short of passing in the Indiana General Assembly.
“I supported the measure for obvious reasons. In the voter’s mind, the governor is held responsible for the general condition of the state, including education,” Louis Mahern, a former state senator, wrote recently on indianaforefront.com, a website for political comment.
Mahern noted that in two-thirds of the states, the governor appoints the top education official, improving the chance that they will pull in the same direction.
Back in the 1980s, “There were discussions about what a mess it would be if the governor and the superintendent had serious disagreements over education policy,” Mahern added. “We have now seen what having an elected superintendent with a different take on things from the governor means. But try having a rational discussion about that now.”
Despite Mahern’s pessimism, we think this is a good time to discuss a better way of governing Indiana schools. Down the road, we might forget why we needed a change back in 2013.
It’s possible to argue that electing the state superintendent results in more accountability. But what it really creates is divided authority, setting up the kind of standoff we’re seeing now between the superintendent and the governor. The uncertainty and gridlock make Indiana students and teachers the big losers.
Hoosiers should be able to know exactly who to praise or blame for the condition of Indiana schools. The governor should be on the hot seat by himself.
To make the idea of appointing the school chief less explosive, supporters suggest making it effective after the 2020 election. That would allow Ritz to run for re-election in 2016, so it would not amount to legislating her out of office.
Given our recent history, adding to the governor’s power might seem to favor Republicans. But Democrats served as Indiana governors from 1989-2004, and it’s impossible to forecast what Hoosier voters might do in the 2020 election. After all, just a little more than a year ago, few would have predicted that Glenda Ritz would win election as state superintendent.