Power Struggle:

This morning’s Journal North, in a copy righted story by Andy Stiny, “Cordova Scolded In Board Fracas” (April 12, 2010) neatly summarizes the power struggle in Taos for control of the Taos Municipal Schools. Ironically, Mayor Cordova claims he has joined in the attack on the schools begun by administrators and The Taos News because he’s concerned about education and economic development. In fact, he has thrown gasoline on the fire. The negative publicity can only harm efforts at reforming the local institution—sending parents and students out of town to look for alternatives.

Unlike a municipality, which is modeled on the top-down structure of the corporation, school systems are composed of different but equally powerful constituencies. Elected officials, the Superintendent, administrators, the teachers’ union, the state’s Public Education Department, parents and students all have a say in the operation and management of the system. No single constituency has a monopoly on political power.

Ultimately, the system must employ an extraordinary Superintendent with board support to succeed. The current board voted unanimously to employ Dr. Weston. The vote to hire this Superintendent was the first unanimous vote for a superintendent taken by a board in recent memory. The community, including the Mayor, Taos News, unions and administrators, parents and students need to stand behind the decision if they truly support positive changes in education.

The problems in Taos are analogous to the structural problems of education we see across the country, whether in Chicago, Detroit, New York City, or Espanola. But the Mayor, The Taos News, administrators and supporters have turned the attempt to make changes into a battle of personalities. The issues are far more complex than the Mayor, apparently, understands. While the Mayor, a musician and radio buff, may fancy himself a Richard Daley (Chicago) or Michael Bloomberg (New York City) and want to take over the schools, the benefits of replacing local elected officials with appointees selected by a state agency with a poor record of educating students, is far outweighed by the law of unintended consequences.

This pesky pundit endorsed the Mayor as the best leader for town government in the recent election. And he  endorsed a majority of the board members. The Mayor should rethink his position and lead the way not toward divisiveness but towards consensus. Bringing attention to the education crisis is good but reconciling with the goals of this board is better. Let’s support the new Superintendent.

Bill Whaley