Yesterday, Tuesday March 15, 2011, the Ides of March swept across Ohio as the Radical Right Republican takeover took steps to do what every good political revolutionary does when they take over. The have begun to consolidate their power by first, announcing Governor John Kasich's first biennial budget, and then, while the light was shining elsewhere, further entrenched radicals in our state's school system.
The subject of this short diary is not the Budget, that will come later. The discussion here concerns the takeover of the State School Board, and the ousting of its progressive Superintendent, Ms. Deborah Delisle. Technically, she resigned, but in reality, the Kasich administration violated the decades long principle of separating the school board from outside pressure from politicians.
John Kasich's first interference with the state school board was first diaried by anastasia p on February 14, 2011. In that instance, the Kasich team forced a member appointed by Governor Ted Strickland in 2008 on a technicality off the board and replaced her with another woman who shared his political views.
Now Ms. Delisle's story is different. It is an exercize of raw political power, a usurption of the concept of an independent school board, and the replacement of a very competent educator with Tea Party connected board president. The replaced president, by the way was a Republican.
Several board members reacted with anger and tears of their own.
"This is disgusting," said member Robin C. Hovis, a Republican who was replaced as board president earlier in the meeting by a tea party proponent. "I denounce it."
He predicted that Kasich will pick a "puppet superintendent" and replace Ohio Department of Education staff members.
Source
All of this happened while the headlines were shouting about the sound and fury of the Kasich budget, which forces draconian cuts on nearly every facet of government in Ohio, will force municipalities to raise taxes or user fees, reduces funds to colleges, intends to force state employees to increase their retirement contributions by $1.1 billion, and hundreds of other cuts and shredding of our state's social safety net, at the same time when the net needs mending and strenghtening.
I have other duties today, and this diary must end now with little more detail. I apologize for that, but duties are duties. I will publish this on my own right now, and will put it in the KasichWatch Queue
I will check back after 4:00 PM to view and respond to comments. Thanks for reading.