That was fast

by | Oct 26, 2018 | Politics

Well that was fast. Margaret Spellings is already leaving UNC. George Bush’s Education Secretary took the job after the UNC Board of Governors unceremoniously fired Tom Ross, a highly respected and competent president, for no other reason than he was a registered Democrat. She’s only been there three years.

When they hired Spellings, Republicans heralded her as a top catch. However, Spellings proved to be less pliable than the micro-managing board desired. Her tenure has been marked with spats with the highly politicized board.

For about 50 years, the UNC Board of Governors allowed education professionals run the University system and it thrived. UNC became a model for higher education and the envy of other states. It’s been referred to as the Crown Jewel of North Carolina, a system designed to provide access to high quality education at a low cost to North Carolina residents. It’s based on the idea that education is the best tool to lift people out of poverty and provide the means for upward economic mobility.

When the Republicans took control of the General Assembly and Governor’s office in 2013, they began a transformation of the BoG by appointing conservative ideologues with an agenda. They fired Ross while the legislature was slashing the University’s budget. In another instance of fixing what ain’t broken, the Board of Governor’s has left the University system in more turmoil and uncertainty.

Spellings, for her part, couldn’t seem to quiet the controversy or meddling from the board. She seems to have done a good job as president but doesn’t have any signature accomplishments. She’s been more of a mediocre leader than any inspirational figure. Of course, fighting with a bunch of crazy people on your board can really dampen both enthusiasm and success.

When she was hired, the board was very proud of itself for finding a national figure to lead the University. Unfortunately, they found somebody with few ties to North Carolina. She ended up a Molly Broad-type figure without the tenure of Broad. For her replacement, the BoG should look for an education powerhouse with deep ties to the state. There are a number of them around, they just probably aren’t Republican. It really doesn’t matter, though. The board will likely run off whoever they hire next unless they hire a weak leader they can run over.

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