Posted on 01/20/2005 7:59:41 AM PST by PrincipledObjection
1/19/05- G overnor Jennifer Granholm has called for the resignation of Superintendent of Public Schools Tom Watkins. There have been rumors circulating for the past few weeks that the governor is not pleased with Superintendent Watkins. Those rumors were put to rest.
Liz Boyd: "We know that Tom Watkins has a commitment to children. We know he has a commitment to public education. We simply don't feel that he exercises the kind of leadership that the governor expects from the superintendent of public instruction in the state of Michigan, and it's time for him to leave."
And with that, Liz Boyd says Governor Jennifer Granholm's wishes are official, b ut this isn't the 1st time the governor has asked Superintended Tom Watkins to resign.
Liz Boyd: "She asked for Superintendent Watkins to step down last May. May of 2004."
At that time, Boyd says Watkins committed to leaving at the end of the year. Because of that commitment, the governor decided to not make that decision publicly and give Watkins the opportunity to make a smooth transition.
Liz Boyd: "That call for his resignation was restated just recently, and now the governor is publicly calling for his resignation."
But the big question is, how did it get to this point?
Liz Boyd: "Whether its failing to really help those really high priority schools meet higher goals, whether it's failing to use technology to promote learning in middle schools, whether it's a failure to have a strong strategic plan for the department of education, there is no single reason why the superintendent has failed to gain the governor's confidence."
The only problem is the governor does not have the authority to ask Superintendent Tom Watkins to resign.
Liz Boyd: "The superintendent does report to the State Board of Education."
I left several messages at the State Board of Education for a comment. My calls were not returned, b ut the State Board of Education President Kathleen Straus did issue a written statement. In that statement, she says , "for him (Tom Watkins) to be terminated under the present circumstances would compromise the state board's constitutionally protected autonomy and system of checks and balances. Other members of the board and I strongly support Tom and hope he fulfills the term of his contract."
That contract ends January of 2006. The ball is now in the State Board of Education's court.
Is Watkins a good guy, or not?
The situation in Detroit, the largest school district is even worse than the State as a whole but that is small consolation. This coupled with the financial implosion of Detroit in virtually every other facet of public endeavor in addition to it's schools does not bode well for improvement anytime soon. There is little time to waste and heads should roll and now, not with a delay of a year while everyone's 'feelings' are protected and smooth transitions are engineered for inept bureaucrats, as has taken place in this instance.
"for him (Tom Watkins) to be terminated under the present circumstances would compromise the state board's constitutionally protected autonomy and system of checks and balances. Other members of the board and I strongly support Tom and hope he fulfills the term of his contract."
I'm calling on Granholm to resign. She's incompetent, blames others for the state of the Michigan state budget, and is going to be unelected in 2006 anyway.
Granholm = Blanchard II
At least we won't have to pay for her wedding on Mackinac Island, since she's already married.
I'm waiting for the helicopter rides....
Granholm, deck chairs, Titanic ...
At least the Titanic sank, giving one the opportunity to start anew, improving watertight integrity, equipping subsequent vessels with adequate life saving materials and improving procedures for operations in hazardous conditions. Unfortunately the Michigan Educational System will not disappear (As in a wholesale Housecleaning) meaning long, expensive measures to root out the embedded corruption and inefficiencies will have to be taken.
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