Letter says 'no' to school election

I like when people write letters to the Knox County commissioners. Makes for easy blogging. With officials set to talk about whether the state should allow for partisan school board races and elected superintendents, folks are really responding. Here's what Diane Jablonski, a former school board and charter committee review member, sent to the commission.

Commissioners:

For the past decade, our elected Knox County officials have been riddled with scandals. False bonuses,embezzlement, fraud, and a myriad of other indictments, some ongoing. One of the few bright spots has been Superintendent Dr. James McIntyre, who has taken our system to a higher level and who has appointed highly qualified principals.

Now you want to return to an elected Superintendent, Why? Under an elected superintendent you had principalships that were used as political patronage and cronyism. The elected Superintendents spent the majority of their time campaigning for the next election and educators were coerced into working polls, which, by the way, were held at most of our schools. Under an appointed Superintendent we have seen the leadership and development of our teachers and principals elevated to a higher level. And we have seen the establishment of a strategic plan; and a school board who can set the direction for our schools and expect that the Superintendent will implement their goals.

For this reason alone you should wholeheartedly reject any movement to return to the antiquated method of electing our Superintendents and returning us to the abyss of political patronage controlling the direction of our schools.

Diane B. Jablonski