Mountjoy & Draud: Teaming to reenergize Education Reform?

The Courier-Journal had some nice words to say about the selection of Helen Mountjoy as Education Cabinet Secretary. All well deserved.

There will be rejoicing among school reformers over the appointment of Helen Mountjoy as Education secretary. The former state school board chairman from Owensboro is very highly regarded, and justly so, by those who understand that education is Kentucky's most important opportunity and biggest challenge. She is insightful, compassionate and deeply prepared on the issues she will face.

Indeed, it would be hard to find another Kentuckian who has invested more in school reform than she has. A member and chair of the Daviess County school board for two terms beginning in 1981, Mountjoy served on the Kentucky Board of Education for 14 years, beginning in 1991. She chaired the Kentucky Board of Education from 1998 to 2004. She was there for KERA's rocky start, oversaw it's maturation, and witnessed legislative neglect. She was KERA's complete defender.

When she left the state board the Herald-Leader applauded the vital role she played in "transforming the Kentucky Education Reform Act's lofty principles into actual practice."

It wouldn't surprise me if she thought of KERA as "her baby." With so many personal ties within the Department of Education, is it possible she thinks of KDE as her baby, too?

If so, how will that square with Jon Draud as Kentucky's new commissioner?

Some KSN&C readers have wondered if Mountjoy was chosen to add some measure of control over the Fletcher board's chosen commissioner. But it seems to me that the selection of Jon Draud brings together two strong-willed education leaders who would seem to have many common goals. If their personalities mesh, this could be a strong team dedicated to reenergizing education reform in Kentucky. If not, look out.

But my money's on teamwork.

The only apparent area that could prove interesting is assessment. Mountjoy oversaw the original KIRIS assessment and its improved CATS and has been slow to support changes to the assessment program in the past - but now, after a few years of federal intrusion and state tinkering it's hard to know where she'll stand. The present CATS is pretty far from the performance-based test once envisioned under KERA. When the Bluegrass Institute asked Draud if he would consider scrapping CATS and going to a better assessment program...he said "yes."

Asked by the Enquirer-Messenger recently about the finalists for the commissioner's position Mountjoy said the commissioner's job will be challenging at a critical time in Kentucky's history.

The challenge is not just reaching proficiency in seven years, she said. "A lot of work needs to be done to make sure high schools are preparing students for success in higher education or the workplace... the new commissioner must be a visionary, a policy leader and an active advocate with multiple groups - most notably, the legislature, superintendents, school boards and teachers, "to make sure everybody is moving in the right direction," Mountjoy said.

Mountjoy told the Messenger-Enquirer (Nov 29), that governor-elect Steve Beshear has "articulated a vision, at least the outlines of one, for things that will build on the successes we have had in the past." It will "be exciting to be part of the process to flesh out that outline and make sure ideas he has become reality for students" from preschool age to adults returning to education.

The Education Cabinet encompasses 22 subdepartments, covering everything from Kentucky Educational Television to the Department of Workforce Investment.Working with the various entities of the cabinet will be exciting, Mountjoy said. She has worked with several components of the department in the past. Her work with the Workforce Investment Board will be something different, she said."It's a wide range of things," she said. "It's exciting to think
about the possibilities that can occur when they all work together." ...

...Beshear said Mountjoy's commitment to making Kentucky a better place dates back to her service with him on the Kentucky Tomorrow Commission when he was lieutenant governor."Helen has a wealth of knowledge and experience in our state education system," he said in a press release. " ... Her drive, ambition and institutional knowledge make her a welcome addition to the Beshear/Mongiardo administration."

And, coincidently, KSN&C has it on good authority that one of the state board's lead staffers, Mary Ann Miller, is Steve Beshear's sister.
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The Herald-Leader did a nice overview piece on Jon Draud today with the following audio files from Raviya Ismail's interview:
Draud on his experience in public education
Draud on being called a right-wing extremist
Draud on his credentials
Draud on his first priorities as education commissioner
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This from the Cincinnati Enquirer:

Draud facing down critics

...Draud bristles at the criticism, saying that his years as a school teacher, principal, coach and superintendent of the Ludlow Schools for two decades more than qualifies him for the job.

"I would not have applied for this position if the only thing I had ever done was be superintendent in Ludlow," Draud said last week. "You have to look at the wide range of experience that I've had." ...

... "From what everyone tells me (Beshear's concerns) were not directed at me," Draud said. "I don't know for sure. But I do this know, I can work well with Steve Beshear and I demonstrated that with (former Democratic Gov.) Paul Patton."

Draud, rarely viewed as a hardcore partisan during his years in Frankfort, said the Democratic chairmen of the House budget and education committees and the Republican heads of the same Senate committee supported him for the job. "I've had great support from the General Assembly," he said.

It was well-known that outgoing Gov. Ernie Fletcher supported Draud for the seat. Fletcher lost the governor's race after suffering through a long criminal investigation into his administration's hiring practices. Officials were indicted, including the governor, for handing out jobs based on political connections rather than qualifications.

Fletcher pardoned those charged, and the charges against him were dropped in a deal he made with prosecutors. But critics have said supporting Draud was Fletcher's last political move.
Draud said he isn't really worried about such talk.

"Gov. Fletcher and I got along quite well together," Draud said. "I respected him; he's a good moral person. I'm one of these people that are loyal to people. If you treat me right, I treat you right." ...