Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Voters in Monroe County are again confronted with a swarm of referenda -- nine, to be exact -- on ballots for the upcoming election. Absentee ballots are now available for the primaries.

Among these referenda, perhaps the most intriguing and significant choice facing voters in Monroe County is how to employ a superintendent of schools. Will the position remain an elective office, or should the School Board appoint the superintendent?

This proposition has been before the voters in years past -- and soundly defeated. However, this year may be different.

Somewhat to our surprise, all the candidates currently seeking election to the School Board are already on record supporting a "yes" vote: They say make the superintendent's position an appointed office, a responsibility of the School Board.

No doubt the idea of an appointed superintendent is a backfire provoked by an apparent lack of management discipline -- including fraud that led to the ouster of the elected Superintendent Randy Acevedo -- and the appointment of a temporary successor by Gov. Charlie Crist. Also in the background is concern about student achievement, a statewide embarrassment plaguing public schools throughout Florida.

Obviously, there are two sides to the question of whether to "elect" or "appoint." Here are some of the most frequently expressed views:

• Appointing a superintendent would take away citizens' ability to choose -- or fire -- their superintendent, thus undermining the democratic process.

• The superintendent's job should not be a popularity contest. This position requires a seasoned professional educator of unblemished integrity -- not a politician, and not a rookie learning on the job.

• Through the years, our schools have been well-led and -managed under the direction of elected superintendents. Voters should not overreact to problems that only recently festered -- problems that have already been remedied by newly employed financial experts such as a chief financial officer and an internal auditor.

• Enhanced learning occurs in the classroom. A professional educator will always make this goal the No. 1 priority. An elected superintendent will tend to focus on what pleases political constituencies.

• There are tensions between an elected superintendent, who serves as the district's manager, and elected board members, who are the policymakers and the taxpayers' fiduciaries. Some believe this tension is disruptive, that the board's relationship with an appointed superintendent promotes harmony with respect to policy. Others believe an elected superintendent provides a balance of power; and that the board would be inclined to hire a "yes man" as the district's manager.

• Monroe County's school system now confronts several critical issues: How to formulate a fair and accurate methodology to establish pay scales for teachers that are based in part on merit; how to introduce an international baccalaureate program for high school students; how to optimize classroom resources available to teachers and principals. Would a professional educator selected through a nationwide search be best suited to attain these goals? Or would an elected candidate with a knowledge of local educational issues be better equipped to deal with these challenges?

These are among the questions voters must sort out. But wherever residents stand on the issue, it is important that they voice their position on the primary ballot. The outcome of the election will establish how Monroe County's school system will be managed in the future. In our view, that's a choice deserving of our best collective thinking.

-- The Citizen