If you think the JCPS school board is going to decide on who the new JCPS superintendent will be, you're only partially right. The real decision maker is the Jefferson County Teachers Association: the teachers union.
It works like this: The teachers union raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for the candidates they want elected to the board — candidates they can control. It is an efficient machine. There have been times when they boasted that all seven of the school board members were endorsed, backed and controlled by JCTA. This is one of the most organized, powerful and influential unions anywhere because it controls the school board that makes the decisions for the teachers, the schools and your kids.
This works in part because you and I don't pay enough attention to who's running for the school board. Shame on us for not doing our homework before we go into the voting booth. We vote on the candidates with the most yard signs and those are the ones backed by the financial muscle of the teacher's union.
So will the next superintendent be the most qualified candidate available? Maybe, but the top criteria for the board will be someone JCTA has chosen and can control. In fact, do you know who chose Hazard, Young and Attea as the search firm for the next superintendent? If you said, "JCTA," you'd be right.
Incidentally, there is nothing illegal or nefarious about this. The teachers union just works the system to their benefit better than anyone else. But the only way to stop their absolute control of JCPS and return balance is for us to be smarter voters. We have to stop being lazy when we vote, because lazy has real consequences.
If you have any thoughts on this, we'd love to hear them. Call us or reach out on social media.
I'm Bill lamb, and that's my Point of View.
