The hypocrisy of the left reached a new high recently when the Executive Council, led by gubernatorial candidate Andru Volinsky, torpedoed the nomination of Ryan Terrell to the State Board of Education.
Volinsky claimed that the nominee was unqualified because he wasn’t a member of the education establishment. Ironically, Terrell has participated in and benefited from the types of educational opportunities that would ignite learning and improve educational performance across the state. He could have brought a fresh perspective to the education debate which can lead to the kind of out-of-the-box thinking that allowed students to continue their education during the pandemic and would improve the educational opportunities for all New Hampshire students.
The appointment occurred days before George Floyd’s death and subsequent protests/riots, but therein lies the real hypocrisy of the Democrats. At a time when we should be encouraging young African American men who want to be role models and improve the lives of people across our state and nation, there stand the three Democratic executive councilors to say no to Ryan Terrell.
This was a lost opportunity to support someone who could share a unique perspective on the education of our youth. Yet, our Democratic councilors could not see their way clear to put politics aside and support this nominee. Shame on them.
Thankfully, the voters of Nashua can do what the Executive Council did not and support his campaign for the New Hampshire House. Perhaps his education experience will be more accepted there.
SCOTT MALTZIE
Boscawen
(The writer is a 30-plus-year high school and college educator, a member of two school boards, chairman of the Merrimack County Republican Committee, and current candidate for the Merrimack County register of probate.)