From Deseret News archives:
Selection of ed board faces review
Should it keep its current hybrid form two candidates appointed to the ballot in each district by the governor, then one elected by citizens?
Or should the board just be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate, taking citizens out of the loop completely?
Certain board members, like board chairman Kim Burningham, have angered some leading Republicans by taking stands against laws passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature.
And now the non-partisan Constitution Review Commission will study how, or if, the governance of the board should be changed, with a report to the 2008 Legislature.
It may turn into an emotional fight, complete with strong personalities holding strong opinions, especially about private school vouchers.
"I don't like the current hybrid system" of electing the 15 State School Board members, House Speaker Greg Curtis says. "We should just have direct elections" doing away with the current system where a commission screens applicants, passing on names to the governor, who picks two for each final district race. Voters then choose between those two.
How board members are elected is not in the Constitution; it just says that board members will be elected, not appointed. But review commission members said they may want to recommend whether board members are appointed as is the State Board of Regents, which oversees public colleges and universities.
And while Constitution Review Commission members said their study will not be directly related to vouchers, a highly politically charged issue to be decided by voters Nov. 6, the commission members and legislators alike can hardly avoid the issue.
Burningham, a former moderate GOP House member, clearly has become a political lightning rod regarding vouchers. The education board chairman is involved in the anti-voucher charge and at times been a face and voice for a political issue committee that's spending millions of dollars aimed at defeating the new law Nov. 6.
At the same time, GOP legislative leadership, including Curtis, formed an opposing political issue committee that's fighting to keep vouchers.
Recent comments
What the public really needs to decide is whether education officials...
Frustrated | Oct. 1, 2007 at 5:22 p.m.
I wonder that they have not suggested changing the balance by having...
David | Oct. 1, 2007 at 9:31 a.m.
The real travesty here is Kim Burningham's attitude. He has been...
Concerned Parent | Oct. 1, 2007 at 1:52 a.m.
- Soccer MVPs know how to win 1:56 a.m.
- Alta's Ohai is Ms. Soccer 2009 1:56 a.m.
- High school soccer: Past MVPs 1:37 a.m.
- Senators want food tax restored 1:27 a.m.
- Utah women lag in higher education 1:16 a.m.
- Hatch empathizes with Muslims 1:14 a.m.
- Matheson gets no thanks from GOP 1:13 a.m.
- Mitchell seeks to block witnesses 1:12 a.m.
- Party insiders may take on Bennett 1:11 a.m.
- Input sought on nondiscrimination 1:11 a.m.
- TCU showdown has big implications
- Seniors helped BYU regroup
- Lambert surprisingly tops news
- Hope for single moms
- Bystanders framed for child porn
- Korver and Miles to be evaluated
- Soccer MVPs know how to win
- Utah Jazz Extra: Whose hot/not
- Matheson gets no thanks from GOP
- Newhouse Hotel, an explosive end
- House passes health care bill
228 - TCU showdown has big implications
183 - Lobo suspended
182 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
154 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
131 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
118 - Thousands protest health bill
114 - RSL rallies to advance
103 - No 'backlash' for pioneers, gays analogy
97 - Utes pound winless Lobos
89
Meghan McCain, the daughter of former presidential candidate John...
Why do so many people live so close to refineries in Utah and elsewhere?
Sounds like a good option if you can't or won't switch to AT&T for the...
I worked with and around Bill Sederburg for 5 years while he was at...
hand. He needs to work on his moves to the basket and rebounding. Lateral...
play Fez or Koufos tonight. He went with a smaller line up and Boozer, Okur...
I've met Bennett before and he is a nice man. He also knows the Constitution...
That's never been a secret. Everyone will pay for it except those that don't...
I agree with NonMormon. I am active LDS, and I enjoy Ash's articles, and I...
I kept saying don't resign Milsap, especially after Portland offered that...
BYU is the slowest team that has ever been in the top 25. Utah will put up a...
i think u have the cowboys ranked too low! at least an A- LOL nice work!

