We have just wrapped up the part of the session where we confirm the Governor’s appointments, which means the finish line to this session isn’t far away. The nominee that caught the most attention this year was McKenzie Snow for the Director of the Iowa Department of Education.
The Democrats had been waiting a long time to be able to have the opportunity to push back on the Governor on something, and generally this effort is front and center during Governor appointments. A confirmation takes 2/3 majority of the Senate which is the exact number Republicans have. This Assembly is the first time in decades when the Republicans have not had to rely on any Democrat votes to confirm appointees. You can probably imagine why a 2/3 majority is a very important number for us to reach as a majority to help make our process run more smoothly. The Democrats’ arguments against Snow were based on two points: 1) her qualifications 2) new legislative policies.
It’s easy to forget that what we are looking for is an administrator, not necessarily a teacher. There are plenty of other examples where companies or departments have hired someone who knows how to manage people and implement policy even in situations when the individual had very little hands-on experience within the field. One example would be President Obama’s Education Secretary Arne Duncan (2009-2015). He did not have a doctorate or a master’s degree, but rather just a BA in sociology. He was also a professional basketball player that helped start a charter school in Chicago and then became the CEO of Chicago Public Schools. Obama saw something in Mr. Duncan that gave him confidence.
Another individual that comes to mind is Lee Iacocca, the famous former president of Ford Motor Company and Chairman of the Board of Chrysler Corporation. He took a floundering company and turned it back into the world class brand that it is. He famously said to the public many times in advertising, “If you can find a better car than ours, buy it!” He did not have much background or knowledge of the actual components of vehicles, but he was brilliant at casting vision, managing people and finances, and implementing sound policy.
McKenzie Snow has more than enough experience. I have never met someone more qualified than her to manage the Department of Education. She is young, bright, compassionate, and has had a wide variety of experiences to shape her for this position. She has overseen thousands of employees in Virginia while serving in the number 2 position at the Department of Education there. She also served in New Hampshire and held the #3 position within that state education agency. Those experiences led her to President Trump’s administration where she began serving in the U.S. Dept. of Education and managed all of the K-12 priorities over a 4,400 person agency. She then transitioned to being the senior advisor to the Department of Office and Management where she was a part of the oversight of the entire Department of Education budget. These experiences have led her to Iowa where she has helped flawlessly implement a massive Education Savings Account program and helped guide new policy regarding AEA special education services.
It’s one thing to disagree with our new policies, but that disagreement should land within lawmakers. The Legislature is intended to be the part of state government that takes responsibility for policy. Voting to confirm a nominee does not mean we have to agree on legislation. Voting to confirm means we believe in the character and the competency of the nominee to be responsible over a massive and complex department. She is the most qualified person I have ever met to manage the Department of Education.
