Have the culture wars arrived at search for a new Ohio superintendent of public

The year 2021 may become known as the year the culture wars arrived with a bang in our public schools, including at school board meetings and also at the ballot box.

The surge of new school board candidates opposed to critical race theory was followed in Ohio by successful efforts to water down a 2020 anti-racism Ohio board of education resolution that saw two governor-appointed state school board members quit — and the electoral district contours of others targeted this year.

Now, with 27 contenders to replace the longtime Ohio superintendent of education, Paolo DeMaria, it looks increasingly as if the conflict over public education curriculum has arrived at the state superintendent’s office, too.

The state board of education chooses the state superintendent, who in turn has broad administrative authority over kindergarten-to-12th-grade education in Ohio, albeit not over funding amounts, spending priorities, curriculum or other educational policies set by lawmakers.

DeMaria was a former state budget director and well-known advocate of school choice when he took the job in 2016.

Among contenders to replace him, cleveland.com’s Laura Hancock reports, is lawyer Kimberly M. Richey, “who served in the U.S. Department of Education under Betsy DeVos” and who has defended “the administrative autonomy of school districts regarding school discipline.”

Another applicant is former Columbus Community State College official Steve Dackin, who quit that job Dec. 1, Hancock reports, explaining in his resignation letter that, “I have been asked to lead the search for our state’s next Superintendent of Public Instruction, which is underway as I write this letter.” It’s not clear how much input Dackin, who just resigned from the state school board to seek the superintendent’s job, had in the search.

So what should the priorities be in the quest for a new state superintendent of schools? Our Editorial Board Roundtable offers its formulations.

Leila Atassi, manager, public interest and advocacy:

Among public officials, the state superintendent of schools should be most impervious to politics. The board should seek a candidate with an innovative spirit, focused exclusively on helping our kids navigate the world beyond the trauma of the pandemic. I can pretty much guarantee that anyone who served the Trump administration is not that candidate.

Thomas Suddes, editorial writer:

The State Board of Education isn’t supposed to be a cultural referee. The next superintendent of public instruction should be chosen based on her or his regard for and experience with classroom teachers — Ohio and America’s front-line educators.

Ted Diadiun, columnist:

The biased shorthand used to describe Betsy DeVos, Kimberly Richey and other conservative administrators who try to maintain school discipline, school choice and parents’ right to have a say in their kids’ schooling is stunning. I wish DeVos were still U.S. education secretary. I’d have no problem with her protégé as Ohio schools superintendent.

Eric Foster, columnist:

Ideally, the first priority would be someone who views facts as different from opinions. Critical race theory is not taught in K-12 education. It’s disheartening that still has to be said. Ohioans need someone who can accomplish the Herculean task of depoliticizing education. Children are the consumers, not their parents. Prioritize their wants and needs.

Lisa Garvin, editorial board member:

If the wrong person is chosen, I fear for the future of Ohio public education. More money could be taken from cash-starved school districts for private school vouchers. The new superintendent should be an educator with impeccable credentials, not an ideologue who believes that teaching kids critical thinking skills is a bad thing

Victor Ruiz, editorial board member:

Priorities include: adequate funding for districts that need it the most; standards that move Ohio forward and prepare our children for a changing world; curricula that is not censored nor whitewashed. We need a superintendent that will work towards a better future for all, versus keeping us stuck in a time that only benefits some.

Mary Cay Doherty, editorial board member:

The state superintendent should fiercely protect students from the insidious onslaught of woke ideology masquerading as incontrovertible truth. Keep schools focused on education, not indoctrination. The superintendent should also defend parents’ right to voice and choice in their children’s education. Moreover, intestinal fortitude would be an asset. In this climate, these tasks won’t be easy.

Elizabeth Sullivan, opinion director:

Isn’t it sad we’re even having this discussion? Education is about widening horizons, not narrowing them, and truth in all its complexity is the most precious gift we can give our kids. Once we lose sight of that, we might as well sign up for the Vladimir Putin Crash Course in Historical Distortion.

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