Kelly Soderlund, writing for the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, reports on the debate between the candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction. Richard Wood and Tony Bennett are vying to replace the retiring Sue Ellen Reed. Wood, the Democrat, is local to Lafayette, so I am partial to him. Tippecanoe County schools are, in general, very good. He was superintendent there for 19 years. So, by that measure, he has been a success. I don’t know much about Bennett, the Republican. He is in his second year as superintendent of Greater Clark County Schools in southeast Indiana.
The most divisive one was whether public money should be funneled to private schools through vouchers. Bennett is for the concept; Wood isn’t.
Wood believes that if private schools are willing to accept public money, they should be willing to kick down the barriers many children face when wanting to attend those schools – namely, tuition. He also cited his interpretation of the Constitution, which he said doesn’t allow public money to be placed in educational institutions where religion is taught, thus separating church and state.
Wood is a local guy, he has a history of success, and his views on education seem more in line with my own. So, I’m wishing him luck.
Leave a Reply