Dispatches from the Conservative Legislation Lab

Hey, remember when I introduced you to Glenda Ritz, the Democratic (and democratically elected) Superintendent of Public Instruction for the state of Indiana, who the Republican state legislature and Republican governor are trying to get rid of, because she is trying to stop them from destroying the state's public education system?

Welp, here's a cool update:

Democratic schools Superintendent Glenda Ritz is one step closer to losing her position as leader of the State Board of Education.

The House Education Committee voted Thursday to advance a proposal that would allow the board to choose its own chairman, most likely ousting Ritz from her current position.

Lawmakers also approved changes that would increase the board's size to 13 members, maintaining the 10 seats currently appointed by Republican Gov. Mike Pence. A similar House proposal would keep the current structure of 11 members.

Those in favor of the GOP-led push say the change is necessary to fix a dysfunctional education board, while opponents call the move a political power grab that undermines voters who elected Ritz in 2012.

The bill now goes to the full House for consideration.

That's what happens when a Democrat gets elected to a prominent position in Indiana.

People can yell at Hoosiers all they want that we need to vote for change, but when we vote in a Democrat to save our public education system, the GOP gets rid of her.

I know lots of public school teachers in Indiana, and all of them, irrespective of political affiliation, are super pissed about this. It's not even a Democrats versus Republicans battle. It's a people of Indiana state versus their rogue legislature battle.

Ritz was elected specifically to stop the aggressive dismantlement of the state's public education system. And she won her seat with a higher percentage of the vote than Governor Pence won his. But now he and his cronies are orchestrating her ouster, in contravention of the people's will.

As but one example of the mountainous fuckery Ritz is up against: The "pass a test, become a teacher" program to which Ritz objected? Means there are now public school teachers in Indiana with no training. Not even in special education classes. There are students with developmental disabilities being taught by teachers in Indiana with no idea how to teach or interact with them. And they're teaching alongside people who have master's degrees in special education, who are watching helplessly as students are essentially poorly babysat by instructors who have no idea what to do.

The Republican Party argues this is good for kids. It is not good for kids. The only thing it is good for is destroying the public education system.

And so they're literally just getting rid of the woman elected to stop them.