The lieutenant governor is an ex-officio member of the State Board of Education (North Carolina’s version of the Zion Council). At minimum, it means that the lieutenant governor can raise important issues and concerns at SBE meetings. More importantly, it is a mechanism designed to bring some accountability to the otherwise unaccountable State Board of Education.

A brief survey of the minutes of the State Board of Education does not give us much insight into the contribution (or lack thereof) of lieutenant governor Bev Perdue during her eight year tenure, but a few entries caught my attention.

SBE Meeting Minutes for 2/4/2004

“Lt. Governor Perdue expressed concern that the Board was considering replacing a national test developed around national standards for a new test tailor-made for North Carolina teacher education programs. She asked if there was going to be significant differences in the two tests to justify to taxpayers, General Assembly members, and parents that a state test is better than a national measure. In addition, she asked if there was something different going on in North Carolina that justified that they have their own test questions. Lastly, she remarked that better communication was needed.” (p. 17)

Comment: If she objected so strongly to the NC testing program, why didn?t she do anything about it over the last four years?

SBE Meeting Minutes for 8/5/2004

“Lt. Governor Beverly Perdue had the honor of pinning Dr. Sadler with an SBE pin. Other recognition included a picture with Chairman Lee, Dr. Ward, and Lt. Governor Perdue, along with an SBE mug. … Lt. Governor Beverly Perdue had the honor of pinning Ms. Alfaro. Other recognition included a picture with Chairman Lee, Dr. Ward, and Lt. Governor Perdue, along with an SBE mug…. Because Lt. Governor Perdue never received her SBE pin, Board member Tom Speed presented and pinned Lt. Governor Perdue with an SBE pin.” (p. 22)

Comment: Wasting time…

SBE Meeting Minutes for 1/5/2006

“Lt. Governor Perdue urged that the Board and Department not hold a large reading summit but rather invite ten or twelve key players to the table and you let folks know that you are in charge. Those players should include the community college, the university system, NCAE, the Teacher Academy, and others that are so effective in their own little kingdoms and offer that se [sic] do not have a lot of money, and we do not have a lot of time. Nevertheless, we are going to measure how you play with us and if you don?t play with us for the good of the children in North Carolina, then we are going to tattle on you; that is called management by objective.” (p. 14)

Comment: I call this ?management by infant?