SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Senate has voted to take the superintendent of public instruction off the ballot.
Senators voted 23-7 on Wednesday to make the governor the state’s education chief and to require him to appoint a deputy superintendent with at least five years of experience in education.
Superintendent is currently a separately elected position, but proponents of the bill say the governor has a louder bullhorn to advocate for education. They say many of the state’s brightest education minds may be deterred from seeking the top schools job because they don’t want to mount a campaign.
Opponents of the change say voters should decide whether to elect the schools chief.
Gov. John Kitzhaber has supported the legislation and Superintendent Susan Castillo has opposed it.
