Hill:Elected Superintendent More Accountable

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Cindy Hill says a bill in the Wyoming Legislature to transfer leadership of the state Department of Education to a person who would be appointed by the Governor would eliminate the ''voice of the people of Wyoming" on education issues.

Hill says she is not the issue, but rather the real dispute is whether 'the voice of the people is taken away". Hill also says an assessment of the education department done by a Liaison from the Legislative Service Office was conducted by someone with a PHD in psychology. Hill says his background meant assessing the department was "not his area of expertise". Hill also says student test scores in Wyoming are going up and the quality of education in general is improving, although she concedes there is still room for improvement.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Matt Teeters (HD 5) and Sen. Hank Coe of Park County, who chair the House and Senate Education Committees. It would not eliminate the office of State Superintendent, but would re-assign leadership of the Education Department to the appointed position that the bill would create. Supporters say the proposal would remove politics from decisions about education, and say the current system is not serving the state's educational needs. Some lawmakers also say Hill has mismanaged the education department.