February 26, 2015 at 6:08 p.m.
Pence should put end to bullying
Editorial
Gov. Pence:
You’ve got a problem on your hands, and it’s only likely to get worse before it gets better.
Yes, we’re talking about education, public schools and all that.
And we’re also talking about your aspirations for higher office.
Everyone knows that you were ticked off when Tony Bennett was dumped as Indiana’s superintendent of public instruction by voters who thought he was a smug jerk. You viewed Tony as an ideological teammate and funneled money to his campaign. But most of the voters viewed him as someone more interested in his own political future than what happens in Hoosier classrooms. It struck them as odd to have someone in the key leadership position in public education who didn’t really like public education all that much.
So they bounced him out of office.
And that’s where you started to mess up.
The smarter course would have been to let Tony’s successor, Glenda Ritz, go ahead and make her own mistakes. She’s proved herself capable in that regard.
Instead, your inherent desire to control things got you involved. You created a shadow version of the Indiana Department of Education, and you stacked the state board of education with people whose job it was to make things more difficult for Glenda Ritz.
And even that’s not enough.
Now, your minions are pushing through legislation that would remove the superintendent of public instruction from leadership on the state board of education.
It’s an idea that makes some sense, but in the context of the current politics it’s just a matter of bullying.
You’d also like to make the superintendent’s position one that’s appointed by the governor. That’s also an idea that makes some sense, but it also comes across the wrong way.
Here’s the thing: People — voters — don’t like bullying.
And since, at the very least, you are running for re-election and since, as some insist, you might be running for president in 2016, you might want to make this whole thing go away.
Suggest subtly to legislative leaders that any changes in education leadership take place at some date far enough in the future that your hands are clean. Pocket veto legislation that does otherwise.
That way, you’ll appear to be above the fray.
Much less like a bully and more, shall we say, presidential. —J.R.
You’ve got a problem on your hands, and it’s only likely to get worse before it gets better.
Yes, we’re talking about education, public schools and all that.
And we’re also talking about your aspirations for higher office.
Everyone knows that you were ticked off when Tony Bennett was dumped as Indiana’s superintendent of public instruction by voters who thought he was a smug jerk. You viewed Tony as an ideological teammate and funneled money to his campaign. But most of the voters viewed him as someone more interested in his own political future than what happens in Hoosier classrooms. It struck them as odd to have someone in the key leadership position in public education who didn’t really like public education all that much.
So they bounced him out of office.
And that’s where you started to mess up.
The smarter course would have been to let Tony’s successor, Glenda Ritz, go ahead and make her own mistakes. She’s proved herself capable in that regard.
Instead, your inherent desire to control things got you involved. You created a shadow version of the Indiana Department of Education, and you stacked the state board of education with people whose job it was to make things more difficult for Glenda Ritz.
And even that’s not enough.
Now, your minions are pushing through legislation that would remove the superintendent of public instruction from leadership on the state board of education.
It’s an idea that makes some sense, but in the context of the current politics it’s just a matter of bullying.
You’d also like to make the superintendent’s position one that’s appointed by the governor. That’s also an idea that makes some sense, but it also comes across the wrong way.
Here’s the thing: People — voters — don’t like bullying.
And since, at the very least, you are running for re-election and since, as some insist, you might be running for president in 2016, you might want to make this whole thing go away.
Suggest subtly to legislative leaders that any changes in education leadership take place at some date far enough in the future that your hands are clean. Pocket veto legislation that does otherwise.
That way, you’ll appear to be above the fray.
Much less like a bully and more, shall we say, presidential. —J.R.
Top Stories
9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit
Chartwells marketing
September 17, 2024 7:36 a.m.
Events
250 X 250 AD