Dear Source:
It is ironic. The primary reason behind the negative vote concerning Dr. Spampinato's nomination seems to be her job history. Her specialty is fixing broken education systems. The Senators are concerned. She has had many jobs over the last decade, appears to have ruffled a few feathers along the way and holds fast to her principles.
I'm going to use the analogy of an automobile mechanic. Suppose you have been taking your car every week to a mechanic and it still doesn't work properly. As a matter of fact, it runs worse each time you take it. Still, you continue to be faithful to this mechanic for years and the car runs worse and worse. You finally look around, do some checking and take your car to a next mechanic. Bam! He fixes your car in one day, shows you how to keep it running smooth and then moves on to another car. The next week you see your old mechanic, who wants to know: why haven't you brought your car in? When you tell him another mechanic fixed the car and you won't be bringing it to him anymore, now the man is vexed, bad! He was counting on your business and money for years to come. He probably has some bad things to say about your new mechanic, if anyone were to ask him.
I believe we should ask ourselves; do we want an Education Commissioner who takes years to fix our system or one that fixes it one time, maybe ruffles a few feathers, shows us how to maintain it and moves on to the next challenge? I know what my answer would be.
Ken Floyd
St. Croix
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