How low will Governor Jindal sink in his vindictiveness toward his own appointee, Superintendent of Education John White, because of their disagreement over Common Core?In a sign of rising tensions over Common Core, state Superintendent of Education John White told Louisiana’s top school board Wednesday that he is being unfairly targeted personally for possible wrongdoing by Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration and its allies.
“I am no stranger to politics, and I know that political rhetoric can be heated,” White said in a four-page letter to members of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
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White sent his letter on the same week that Smith said controversy over Common Core test contracts could spark charges of ethics violations by White and others in the state Department of Education.
Smith cast her concerns in general terms — a posting on Facebook and a telephone interview — and did not offer any documentation.
However, she said unnamed parties are investigating whether employees of the state Department of Education acted improperly.
Are there any limits at all to what Kristy Nichols (Commissioner of Administration) will do and say to support her boss and his unbridled ambition? I guess not, or she'd quickly be out of a job, for Jindal brooks no dissent.
Jane Smith, a staunch supporter of the governor, lost her bid for election to a seat in the Louisiana Senate, so Jindal gave her the consolation prize of a seat on BESE (Board of Elementary and Secondary Education) to continue the march to destroy public education in Louisiana. Now, Jane Smith resorts to smearing John White by innuendo on Facebook.
Thanks Governor. You and your honchos are a real class act.
Probably the most interesting thing about Jindal is the same interesting thing about Rick Perry:
ReplyDeleteThey are both from states the national pundits pay no attention to.
Slate had an article about GOP POTUS nominees that included Jindal as someone who could actually "transform" the GOP because of his "ideas." Perry was included. But no mention of how they had "transformed" their states, because Texas and Louisiana resolutely do not matter. Indeed, the only non-east coast states that do are California (definitely) and maybe Florida (but not really; and technically it's east coast, but, again, not really).
So Jindal, like Perry, is an absolute failure in his own state (Perry didn't run again because his star has fallen so low, even deep in the heart of GOP Texas). But what matter is that?
I'll retire to Bedlam.....
The latest is that BESE has voted to join a group of Louisiana citizens who are suing Jindal for his attempts to block Common Core testing. I have doubts as to whether teaching to the tests is the best way to go, but teachers and students will be suffering from whiplash from being jerked back and forth about the tests. Teachers have been following the rules, and now, quite suddenly, they may be forced to abide by new rules.
DeleteAlso, I and others suspect Jindal may want to dump Common Core in order to allow junk science to be taught in public school science classes because of pressure from religious fundamentalists.