North Dakota: Also considering ed. governance overhaul

A resolution has been introduced in North Dakota that would create a single department of education to oversee early learning, K-12 and postsecondary education. The governor would appoint the director of the department for a three-year term, and would also appoint an 11-member educational council, with the advice and consent of legislative leadership.

If the resolution passes both houses of the legislature, it will go to voters in 2012, as the proposed actions would require that the state constitution be amended.

An article on a North Dakota news Web site points out that this measure would also effectively eliminate the state board of higher education.

Utah may also consolidate ed. governance under governor

A measure in Utah would transfer oversight of K-12 and higher education to the governor. Already passed in the Senate, the resolution will go to the House. If passed in the House, the proposal will go before Utah voters to make necessary changes to the state constitution.

According to a Deseret News article about the proposal, the resolution's sponsor has clarified that the bill would not abolish the state board, but would remove the board's constitutional authority.

Arizona: Bucking the trend in postsecondary governance?

The last blog post spoke to the recent trend in consolidating education governance, primarily under the governor. One more example in this vein is a new bill in Oklahoma, which would replace the state board of education with the governor, secretary of state and attorney general. It must be mentioned, though, that there are proposals out there to move away from consolidated education governance.

Legislation introduced in Arizona would abolish the board of regents and establish a governing board for each of the state's four-year institutions.

Governors seeking greater ed. oversight

It is clear that one of the biggest trends so far in 2011 is for governors to seek a more substantial role in overseeing education:

• Governor Kasich in Ohio has appointed a secretary of education.
• Governor Gregoire in Washington is seeking to consolidate early learning, K-12 and higher education under the authority of a gubernatorally-appointed secretary of education.
• Governor Kitzhaber in Oregon has issued an executive order creating an Oregon Education Investment Team to redesign education funding and governance from birth through higher education. Legislation has also been introduced that would make the governor the state superintendent, responsible for appointing a deputy
  

Not to mention that in their 2011 state-of-the-state addresses, several governors mentioned a redesign of education governance among their goals for the coming year. More about those proposals in a future post.