The World Around You

Great commentary by Emma Dawson from my hometown Fort Wayne News-Sentinel on the geek in all of us.

Kathy Kinsley has put out a great offer to host blogs at Blog House for a very minimal price ($4!). She bills it as a home for wayward blogs. Thanks to James Joyner for bringing it to my attention and I encourage other bloggers to check it out.

The gloves have come off!!! The Bessemer City Board of Education is going to sue Dr. Richardson and the State Board of Education. I have been watching the story develop, and it has finally come to fruition.

Bessemer school board members on Tuesday voted to challenge state school Superintendent Ed Richardson saying he has “far overstepped the authority granted to him under state law.”

The board is challenging demands Richardson made after the board fired former Superintendent Linda Houghton in May.

The board voted unanimously 7-0 before an applauding crowd Tuesday night to hire a lawyer to take Richardson and the state Department of Education to court.

“They’ve had enough,” said Joe Tucker, Bessemer board attorney.

Board Vice Chairwoman Christine Knight questioned a dozen of Richardson’s directives, including his plan to extend state control of the system’s finances, his order to pay the more than $100,000 remaining on Houghton’s contract and placing Tucker, who has been paid over $700,000 during the past 2½ years, on a retainer.

It looks like a court of law will decide who really controls the schools, the state or the local board of education. Most of us with half a brain realize that the local board may have some authority, but without state funds you don’t have a school system. Dr. Richardson has the gold and he makes the rules (but I’m going to enjoy watching this play out).

I don’t know what to say about the NY Daily News obtaining a copy of the new Harry Potter book and publishing details of the plot, other than to say they certainly win the scoop of the week award.