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McCain Education Adviser in Hot Water
Yet another aspect to John McCain’s record on education policy is understanding his influences and advisers. It’s useful to know who will help the potential president, and knowing if those people have radical ideas or corrupt and incompetent management ethics is every American’s concern.
Lisa Graham Keegan, former state superintendent and current education adviser to John McCain’s presidential campaign, has become the center of controversy for her role at the New Way Learning Academy. New Way is a non-profit private school in Scottsdale that has been praised for its teaching program for learning disabled children. Recently, in her role as Chairwoman of the Executive Board for New Way, Keegan fired Director of Education Dawn Gutierrez, who has worked at the school for over twenty years. Parents, teachers, and students at New Way describe Dawn as “the heart and soul of their school” and have demanded her reinstatement.
Keegan has refused to comment on Dawn Gutierrez’s dismissal and has reneged on promises of negotiating a settlement with a coalition of parents and teachers committed to forming a new Board of Directors (which currently does not have any teachers, faculty, or parents) and forcing the resignations of the entire current Board. Keegan has refused to step down and has not agreed to meet for any mediation.
This is exactly the sort of incompetence and arrogance that will be part of a John McCain Administration. Despite protests from 80% of tuition-paying parents and literally the entire faculty, Keegan and her fellow cronies have not given in to their reasonable and proper demands. Keegan has been the center of controversy before: she was crucial to implementing the AIMS test in Arizona as state chief of schools, her Educator’s Leadership Council was the focus of a government investigation into mismanagement of federal funds, and her involvement with shady online-learning companies. Throughout the week, we’ll update on this scandal and detail more of Keegan’s record. She isn’t just a campaign adviser, as she has been named as McCain’s possible Secretary of Education.
The kids at New Way Learning Academy deserve their Director of Education and a Board that cares for their interests. Arizona’s students deserve a fair shot at learning and the education needed to compete in a dynamic and worldwide marketplace. This country deserves a competent and honest Secretary of Education. And we deserve an honest President who will work hard to make public education better for all of America’s kids.
Posted By: Tim Wilson @ Apr 7, 05:45 PM
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It’s taken this school 40 years of building to get to a point where the buildings are paid for and the staff is talented and dedicated to the kids. In one foul swoop the executive board took it upon themselves to make sweeping changes with out even informing parents,staff or board members. Parents went to a meeting with Lisa Graham Keegan where after two and a half hours of not getting any explanation or answers to parents questions , she has single handedly at this point destroyed this wonderful school!Teachers do not want to return. Parents do not know what or who will be there next year.
Why is this purely voluntary board that’s meant to serve the best interest of the students determined to ignore the mess they have created? The vast majority of parents and staff have asked the executive board to resign.
Why are they determined to hold our school hostage?
— Solly Michaan Apr 7, 09:09 PM Permalink