By Steve Gunn
EAGnews.org

BERKELEY, Calif. – The Berkeley school board has tentative plans to hire a new superintendent who believes in carefully managing taxpayer dollars, holding teachers accountable for student progress and giving parents more school choice.

So of course he’s an unpopular pick in this bastion of liberals and union sympathizers.

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The school board has announced its intention to hire Edmund Healy, who was until recently the superintendent of Clayton County Public Schools in Georgia. He certainly seems like a solid choice, considering his track record in his previous job.

Clayton County schools had a huge budget deficit and had lost its accreditation before Heatley came to town, according to Pam Adamson, president of that district’s school board.

“He came to our county when we were in the worst condition, and I’ve been here 40 years as a teacher and administrator,” Adamson was quoted as saying. “Every year he reduced expenditures. Without losing any major programs he was able to make us financially sound again.”

But those credentials did not impress Cathy Campbell, president of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers. She spoke against Heatley because of his affiliation with the Broad Superintendents Academy, which favors “corporate management styles, favors charter schools and favors tying teacher pay to student test scores,” the news report said.

“In districts where Broad-trained superintendents have been hired, there is a pattern of adversarial and unproductive relationships with teachers unions,” Campbell was quoted as saying.

That means Heatley is willing to stand up to the unions to save taxpayer dollars and demand classroom accountability. How could that possibly be a bad thing?

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Some Berkeley parents were upset because Heatley reportedly opposes gay marriage and prompted the Clayton County school board to pass a resolution to that effect. We’re not sure why such a resolution was necessary, but it doesn’t detract from the great work he did in other areas.

We’re certain that the Berkeley teachers union and other radicals would prefer a superintendent who spends his or her time bashing the United States and smoking pot with staff members. The need for fiscal responsibility and quality instruction doesn’t show up on their list of priorities.

Sadly, the radicals may yet win this fight. The school board president said the district will “slow down the process” and do further background checks on Heatley.

The district would lose a potentially great leader, but Heatley would be fine either way. There are countless school districts that would love to have him at the helm, if officials in Berkeley are dumb enough to let him get away.