Louisiana’s Next Superintendent: Baghian, or Brumley, or Neither?
Louisiana’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) expects to vote on Louisiana’s next state superintendent on May 20, 2020.
However, according to a May 07, 2020 tweet by Advocate reporter, Will Sentell, none of the six candidates has the necessary 8 out of 11 BESE member votes to be elected as the next superintendent:
BESE President Sandy Holloway says none of the six finalists for state superintendent of education have required eight BESE votes. Says she hopes for consensus by May 20 so confirmation by Senate possible before adjournment June 1. #laed
See Will Sentell's other Tweets
I was not surprised by this behind-the-scenes polling of BESE members. Former state superintendent John White’s presence in his position was never brought to a formal vote because behind-the-scenes polling had his reappointment deadlocked at 7 to 4, with the one elected BESE member not purchased by out-of-state billionaires/Louisiana Business and Industry (LABI), Kathy Edmonston, holding out, as did the three governor-appointed BESE members. So, John White’s second, four-year stint had him in his job as a month-to-month employee, which allowed the ed-reform, LABI/out-of-state billionaire-bought, 2016 BESE majority to keep White as state superintendent by default. The strategy: Just don’t bring the issue to a vote.
But now, we’re in 2020, and some deal was cut such that days prior to Louisiana governor, John Bel Edwards’ second, 2020, inauguration, White resigned. Prior to CONTINUE READING: Louisiana’s Next Superintendent: Baghian, or Brumley, or Neither? | deutsch29