Decades ago right-wing fundamentalists began their onslaught against public schools — not just as a way to influence education in a more Christian direction, but as a way to develop candidates and political networks to take on runs for bigger offices.
The local school board races allowed minimally qualified, single-issue candidates an opportunity to build a political resume, with far less scrutiny than typically comes with citywide or statewide office. Fewer citizens look that hard at the school board candidates, or even vote in those races, so a determined minority has a good chance to tilt the election.
Even losing such contests has its benefits. U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann got her political start that way.
Teachers unions and administrators have gotten their share of blame for the decline in public education over that period. But they had plenty of help from school board members and funding opponents who didn't have kids in public schools and acted accordingly.
I recently poked at a Colorado candidate convicted of manslaughter and sexual abuse running for the school board. But Minnesota has certainly elected its share of board members on a holy quest to parochialize public education.
For example, Westonka just elected one of those "we had to destroy the village in order to save it" school board candidates:
During the 2006 election, [Tom] Notch -- a self-employed structural engineer who sends his son to parochial school -- led a successful campaign against a proposed $58 million bond and a $480-per-pupil operating levy referendum. The bond was defeated by a 2-1 margin.
A popular Prior Lake superintendent has resigned his post rather than report to a former teacher whose dismissal he approved:
The district said it fired Lind for "job performance and insubordination" after receiving complaints about his talking to students on campus about their sexual orientation and telling a student that the day was "National Pick On Lesbians Day." The district also warned him about maintaining appropriate boundaries with students and the need to separate the role of supervisor of students from the role of friend.
Voters in Minnetonka did turn out an obstructive incumbent — but not for his creationist leanings. According to press accounts, poor attendance and apparently fudging his resume probably brought down Bill Wenmark.
"All of this is a hit piece," Wenmark said in a telephone interview with the Star Tribune. "This is all about taking down Bill Wenmark.
"My current school board members hate me and they want me off the board."
[Note: After being contacted by Bill I've edited this post, removing my long-ago observations. Not because he asked me to, but because they now strike me as unnecessarily mean-spirited. I stand by my main point, which is that he has a tendency toward self-inflation. I think the voters and current school board members had his number.]
I first met Wenmark decades ago, and we crossed running paths in subsequent years. He has been an active promoter of lifelong fitness and has certainly had a positive impact on people's lives. But I can see how his colleagues might consider him annoying, if not insufferable.
You can read his website to get the flavor, as well as see his version of the controversy about whether he misled voters about his connections to the U.S. Naval Academy.
There certainly are places where people like Wenmark and Notch can contribute positively to the world. Too bad they decide it's the school board.
