The New Commish

Here we go again.  Once more our governor has failed to appoint an educator to the top spot in the Texas public education system.  His last appointment was an attorney.  Now, Governor Perry has named Michael Williams to serve as our new Commissioner of Education.  I am not sad.  I am mad.

“High standards and accountable public schools are essential to our state’s future success, and no two people understand that better than Michael and Lizzette. Together, they will build on the improvements achieved during the tenure of Robert Scott and Todd Webster, and will ensure our children are prepared for the challenges of college and the workplace,” Gov. Perry said.  Williams is a past chairman of the Governor’s Competitiveness Council and Governor’s Clean Coal Technology Council, and past member of the Southern State Energy Board, National Coal Council and Interstate Mining Compact Commission. He is also past chairman of the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, former honorary chairman of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Texas, and a past board member of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, Texas Public Policy Foundation and Our Mother of Mercy Catholic School.  Williams received a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree in Public Administration, and a law degree from the University of Southern California.

So, here is what we know:  He has never worked in a public school and he has been on the board of a private school.  He clearly believes competition is the “cure” for public education and that we should be held more accountable.  One wonders if his stints relative to coal mining make everything else over his head.

I remember a conversation I had with previous Commissioner Robert Scott.  He was an attorney and a former bureaucrat in Washington and TEA.  We informally sat together at a food court, and I asked him if he would support my appointment to the State Bar Association.  Mr. Scott sat up and looked at me and said, “Bob, I didn’t know you were an attorney.”  I said, “I’m not.”  Mr. Scott said, “Then you are not qualified to be on the State Bar.”  “My point exactly,” I said.

To Scott’s undying credit, he spent enough time interacting with us in public education to see the light at the end.  He took a stand against high-stakes testing and had to resign shortly thereafter.

When will elected officials understand that this is a profession that deserves self-governance?  Lawyers govern themselves.  Engineers govern themselves.  Doctors govern themselves.  We are governed by people who could not survive one day in our PreK program, much less teaching English IV AP.  We know public schools, we know what works, and we know kids.  Asking us to do more with fewer resources does not work in the public sector any better than the private sector.  Holding us accountable based on a spurious state-wide high stakes test is professionally unethical.  Those who support moving funds from public schools to charter schools, or even worse, vouchers only undermine public schools more.

Please Governor Perry.  Find an educator!  We desperately need leadership at the state level who is a professional educator we can respect.  We do not need another Perry-Winkle or Wonk.