At the most recent meeting of the state Executive Council, Councilor Andru Volinsky voted against Ryan Terrell’s nomination to the State Board of Education, calling it “inappropriate and demeaning” because Terrell lacked “experience in educational governance.”
At a time when New Hampshire has an increasing number of minority students and its schools have been closed due to the pandemic, Terrell would have been one of the only African Americans ever to serve on the state board and the only one to have experienced a similar school closure.
Under the law, experience in educational governance is not a qualifying condition for the position. The guidelines for the State Board of Education provide that its members “shall not be technical educators or professionally engaged in school work, but public spirited and interested citizens willing to serve the state without pay and to give the time necessary for an understanding of the education needs of the state, and of the best way to supply them.”
Terrell is public spirited and willing to devote his time to education. Apparently, his stated passion for public education and his willingness to serve the state render Terrell, in Councilor Volinsky’s mind, entirely unqualified.
Obviously, Terrell is qualified to serve as a member of the State Board and would bring a needed and diverse perspective. His nomination should not have been turned into a partisan political issue.
Be honest. The only qualification lacking in this case was party affiliation.
LESLIE LUDTKE
Concord