Moffly a Dragon? So Says Brian Hicks

"For her final curtain call, she brought down Superintendent Nancy McGinley." Former Charleston County School Board member Elizabeth Moffly tops Brian Hicks's list of politically-incorrect people.

Think of that imaginary (?) list as a guide to those who won't go with the status quo and are not cowed by liberals or Brian Hicks. Why, even though Moffly's left the school board, she's "still trying to influence education." The horror of it all!

No doubt Moffly wished she could get rid of McGinley by herself. Don't we all? A majority of the board's members voted McGinley out--with plenty of good reasons that start with the dismal results of Vision 2016. Hicks instead persists in the myth that McGinley is a saint fired over the Academic Magnet fiasco. It's the standard liberal line.

Moffly's proposal to the county GOP of breaking up the school district has too many pitfalls to be realistic, but she has, as Hicks concedes, "started the conversation" about a deeply flawed organization. On the other hand, Charlie Lybrand's Letter to the Editor in Friday's paper makes salient points. He proposes to give the eight constituent boards the clout they have lost under McGinley: the chair of each constituent district becomes its member on the CCSD Board of Trustees and is elected by his or her district rather than by the county at large. Mt. Pleasant could no longer select who represents North Charleston, as happened during the last election. Lybrand also proposes three at-large members, although he doesn't explain why the necessity.

I would add an additional caveat: that these positions become partisan, with those on the ballot revealing their political affiliations. Liberals (Democrats and Greens) and conservatives (Republicans and Libertarians) do not share the same ideas on what should happen in public schools. Having parties vet the candidates would prevent the election of the more egregious narcissists. Members would be required to represent something other than their own self-aggrandizement or sub rosa sponsorship by mayors or the Chamber of Commerce.

Where do Democrats hang out in a Republican district? on the nonpartisan school board, of course. Why is the race for mayor of Charleston nonpartisan? so that a Democrat can be elected. No Republicans are running. That fact reveals the effect of "nonpartisan" on the mayoral race. Why would the CCSD Board of Trustees be any different?