Terry Stoops and Perry Woods had a running exchange today on the qualifications of Heather Losurdo and Kevin Hill to be on the Wake County school board.
Stoops, director of education studies for the conservative John Locke Foundation, kicked things off in this blog post today responding to Woods saying on the Bill LuMaye Show that Losurdo lacked qualifications for being on the board.
Citing the broad qualifications in the state Constitution, Stoops writes that "it is an implicit acknowledgment that experience and credentials do not guarantee competence." He adds that "diverse perspectives and experiences strengthen elected bodies."
Woods, a Democratic political strategist working for Hill's campaign, pointed to Wake's size and responded that Losurdo "is woefully under ‘qualified; for the position she seeks."
Stoops responded by questioning whether Woods was arguing that board members in large districts should have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and a minimum of three years of experience in an education-related field.
Woods responded that "you should not have to have a batchelor’s (sic) degree to serve on a School Board, but it likely is helpful, and I acknowledged lay people can make good Board members, but they generally bring other qualifications and skill sets to the table." He wrote that "you would be hard pressed to make a case that Ms. Losurdo is qualified to serve on a School Board of any size."
Comments
Interesting how
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 21:32 — logosisdead"diverse perspectives and experiences strengthen elected bodies," but apparently this is not true of learning communities. Just wondering about the convenient hypocricy.
I noted this irony as well
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 22:08 — WhalerCaneI pointed out that Terry indicated the lack of diversity brings about ‘groupthink’, which ‘discourages creativity, innovation, and enterprise. It stifles vision.’ The same could be said for educational environments.
Yes...
Fri, 10/28/2011 - 01:03 — Bob_SconceThus, the need to bring in Tata. And look at the apoplexy from the groupthink -- Morrison criticizing his books for not being "scholarly."
And for
Fri, 10/28/2011 - 00:20 — nmoskalThe same could be said for political parties and political ideology groups.
I agree.
Fri, 10/28/2011 - 00:43 — WhalerCaneI agree.
Nothing new here
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 21:05 — AgentPiercePerry Woods has negative opinions about a great many people including The N&O's very own T. Keung Hui. A great many people have negative opinions about Perry Woods. He is in the negative opinion business.
Fortunately
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 22:03 — WhalerCaneI do not think you have too many negative opinions of me.
I would disagree however about the negative opinions business. In fact, I would point to the recent election of Nancy McFarlane whose campaign did not do one thing negative and she won 2 to 1.
I appreciate you have strong opinions and think of yourself somewhat in the entertainment business. Me too.
As to Keung, you do not have to worry, he will confirm I communicate my opinions and concerns directly to him.
So do I
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 22:16 — AgentPierceI communicate my feeling about Keungy to him too. I choose to do so in the same medium where he shares his "unaffiliated" opinions.
:-)
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 22:18 — WhalerCaneFair enough. I hope you and Blondie are well.
Thanks
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 21:38 — logosisdeadFor not using one of your creepy nicknames for the hardest working blogger at the N&O.
Do you mean .....
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 22:19 — AgentPierceDo you mean T. Keungster .... El Keungy-O ..... if "creepy nicknames" bother you I shall go out of my way to use them more often. Don't forget RobReilleWho and Stevie Ford and Barry "Sportin' Life" Saunders.
You guys can't really think
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 20:58 — JoeTarheelYou guys can't really think Losurdo is qualified to be on the school board of the 17th largest system in America do you?
1) She has no college education. Raleigh and Wake County is one of the most educated regions in the nation. a much larger portion of our students do plan to attend a major university, post-high school. shouldn't our Board know what it actually takes to get accepted into UNC, Harvard, NC State, or Peace College?
2) Her husband is a convicted felon
3) She is an apparent racist as is evidenced by her facebook postings
4) She has no experience ever in a classroom as a teacher, adminstrator or even a freaking secretary
By your logic then
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 21:51 — VillageMentalityWe have a guy currently running the country who was/is incredibly unqualified - he not fit to serve 200+ millions of constituents?
I voted for Obama despite his lack of qualifications because he had a desire to serve and promoted a change in the way we do business.
So who's to say Losurdo can't serve on the school board. She can learn - it's called getting an education.
1. So what if she doesn't have a college degree? Has nothing to do with her ability or potential to serve.
2. Her husband's legal issues have no bearing on her abilty or fitness to serve - so here's another prime example of your idiot showing up.
3. You think she's the only person who laughed at an off-color/over the top or "racist" joke? Pu-Lease....
4. You don't need to be a teacher to serve either. Teachers and administrators got us into this mess in the first place.
Very appropriate...
Fri, 10/28/2011 - 07:22 — bpuli9999user name.
Argh..
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 21:41 — Bob_Sconce(1) You don't think she has that knowledge? Heck, do you think YOU do? A lot has changed since you and I went to college.
(2) Is not.
(3) Silly. A joke at the President's expense, even one that references his Euro-Afro heritage does not make one a racist.
(4) Guess what -- neither does Keith Sutton or Anne McLaurin.
Personally, I think it's funny that Kevin Hill has been on the board for 4 years and, instead of running on his accomplishments over those 4 years (crickets chirping), has to fall back on his experience. Guess what -- qualifications don't matter if you don't put them to use to do the job your constituents elected you to do.
In a word
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 21:34 — FSandYOUYou freakin' betcha! A goat would be better than a guy who has done NOTHING for his constituents.
Word. Or more than one.
As to what AP said above about the LuMaye wanna be, spot on. Guess that $60 every other week gig helps offset his losses during the election years.
Who Qualifies to be a Parent?
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 20:22 — MissVThat same old, smug, less than healthy, Perry Woods. Ready to rewrite the rules, when suitable. Why didn't he speak up about Superintendent qualifications?
Did former superintendent Del Burns 'earn' his doctoral degree online thru Nova rather than in a NC university? Was former Superintendent Bill McNeal considered more than capable, despite his not having a doctorate?
Wake County parents come from across the spectrum. What they want in leadership and policymaking, in my opinion, is someone who is approachable. And, who listens.
Why now is a military veteran, like Heather, considered less valuable than Kevin Hill, who seems to always eat from the government trough? venitapeyton.com
Somehow....
Fri, 10/28/2011 - 07:31 — bpuli9999eating from the government military trough is better than eating from wcpss trough? serving our children is somehow worse?
I don't know what Heather did the in the Air Force, but I am curious. Serving as, for example, a supply clerk in the military is better than serving our children in the school system as a teacher/principal? Also, is working for a defense contractor the same as working for the military?
At least now you know why you did not get many votes.
Wow...
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 21:48 — logosisdeadI know it's wrong to judge, so this is the second draft of this post. Don't military veterans earn their money from the government as well? I'm curious how one public servant is compared to a pig to try to win points for another public servant.
Hmm...
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 20:32 — Bob_SconceLosordo, being ex-military, presumably knows the importance of not being AWOL. Hill, on the other hand, has been AWOL from representing his district for 4 years.