Say What?

I made my opinion known and stayed out of the Superintendent fray in Nashville. They've decided to offer the job to Jesse Register of Chattanooga. The Tennessean headline was probably most accurate in identifying the move as 'hesistant'. It seems to be their MOS. Of the three candidates available I believe they made the best choice.

Of more concern to me was a comment from female and black MNPS BOE member Karen Johnson (District 6-Antioch) which caught my ear the other night. I've gone to WKRN, WSMV, WTVF and WZTV and reviewed their on-line videos and not one of them has the quote but I know I heard it while surfing the late news as did several commentators at the Tennessean web site. Metro 3 isn't re-running the live broadcast so I can't check that. The video showed her saying that her immediate reaction to hearing Jesse Register was among the candidates was doubt that a white man could run such a diverse school system. To her credit she eventually voted for him. However, I'm disappointed she thinks that way. I'm very surprised to hear her make this comment in public.

What about being white disqualifies anyone for a job? I'd like to know when we will actually get past the assumption that only people 'like' people can actually advocate for them and serve them well. It's the same sort of nonsense that says only women can understand women's issues or vote for their good. What's the use of all this diversity training if the end result isn't people who can understand someone else's POV and need? Would it be good to have Hispanics, women, the handicapped involved in the governing of our world...yes. But I'm looking at the BOE and I don't think lack of 'diverstiy' at the top of the system is really a problem.