New Commish 2: Fear Confirmed

I posted on August 27th that I was upset, disappointed, and offended by Gov. Perry's appointment of Michael Williams as our new educational commissioner. Today I heard him speak for the first time. I was too kind on August 27th. Picture a tent revivalist, the rhythm, the speech pattern, that sense that one should say "Amen" every so often and you have a great idea of brother Williams's speaking style. That's ok, but the sermon had no content.

I found him arrogant, patronizing and condescending, and that was when he said things I agree with. His confidence grounded in ignorance is similar to the 16 year-old who knows everything and there is no chance of reason or logic. Perhaps most amazing, in a room full of superintendents and other administrators he received no applause except from the TEA claque at the front of the auditorium.

To be fair, he is able to quote statistical outcomes with poise and accuracy. He cannot interpret them worth a damn, but he can quote them. He suggested adding more money in the Ed budget, suggested promoting alternative diploma paths, and more CTE courses. Fine and thanks.

He also said technology will get us better results faster though he did not use any technology in his presentation and relied on his assumed charismatic style to transmit the speech. Reminded me of the college prof who lectures each week on the importance of varying presentation styles. He also said closing the achievement gap is our main mission. OK.

Then he said he wants the authority to require public hearings if a school district suspends too many kids of a given ethnicity. Really? Public hearings? He does not have a clue. (Our public is mad we do not suspend more!)

Bottom line for him is that improving schools will come from him, not us, and he has the answers: accountability, accountability, accountability. And I want to scream that if you set the accountability standards you should be responsible for achieving them, not us. Local schools must be able to do that. He resents federal intrusion in our schools, but has totally sipped the Koolaide of state mandates failing to recognize that from our point of view, a mandate is a mandate whether it comes from Austin or DC.

He concluded by telling us of his courageous stand as a federal prosecutor against the KKK. It took courage he said. Bull. He is a lawyer, he was qualified to prosecute, he had federal law enforcement protecting him, he was doing his job. Courage would be for me to prosecute the KKK and not be a lawyer and not have support. Courage would be to do what Robert Scott did a year ago and announce that what we are doing at the state level is wrong. Courage would be for me to post this critique of a man who appears to believe he can walk on water and part the Red Sea.

This man has no business being our commissioner of education. He does not know what he does not know and cannot imagine that there is such a thing. He successfully alienated and depressed a room full of the best public education leaders in Texas. If demoralizing the troops from a position of ignorance while cutting resources is his strategy to improve performance then he is a fool.

He is a Perry puppet. Pray for us all.