Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Outgoing state education Superintendent Janet Barresi said Thursday that she has no plans to step down, despite growing calls for her resignation and fresh criticism over her recent hiring of the husband of a top agency official.
At a Board of Education meeting, board member retired Gen. Leo Baxter criticized Barresi's hiring of new assistant superintendent Larry Birney, who is married to the department's general counsel, describing the move as "cronyism." Baxter also blasted Barresi for recommending the board approve a $2.8 million, no-bid contract with the same testing vendor responsible for major disruptions in high-stakes tests two years in a row.
"I'm sick of the lack of collaboration, the lack of negotiation and, in many cases, the blatant disrespect for our school administrators," said Baxter, of Lawton, who was appointed by Gov. Mary Fallin. "It all needs to stop, and I think it needs to stop soon.
"The way I feel for that to happen is for the state superintendent to relinquish her role now, not upon re-election of a new state superintendent," he said.
Baxter joined state Rep. Jason Smalley, R-Stroud, who also addressed the board and called for Barresi's resignation.
Barresi, who was soundly defeated in a three-way GOP primary in June, said she has no plans to resign before her term ends in January. She will be replaced by the winner of November's general election between Republican Joy Hofmeister of Tulsa, who got 57 percent of the vote in the GOP primary, or Democrat John Cox.
"I reject his assertions," Barresi told reporters after the meeting.
Barresi said she plans to stay in office until her last day and will work hard to achieve a smooth transition.
"I understand that I failed at politics, but I will not fail at my obligation to the children of this state."
Barresi defended the hiring of Birney for a $90,000 position she created and said his background in law enforcement make him "uniquely qualified" for his new role, which involves overseeing potential wrongdoing in school districts.
A former San Antonio police officer, Birney has a doctorate in educational leadership and was the director of the Oklahoma Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training, according to a resume provided by the department.
The superintendent also addressed the criticism over her recommendation that the board approve a $2.8 million, sole-source contract with testing vendor CTB/McGraw Hill for conducting end-of-instruction tests for about 50,000 high school students this winter. The board voted this summer to terminate its contract with CTB/McGraw Hill after two consecutive years of major testing disruptions.
But Barresi said other testing vendors weren't interested in bidding on the winter tests and that teachers already have been trained on CTB/McGraw Hill system. She said there wasn't time to solicit bids, set up a new testing system and train teachers how to use it before December.
"We were very vigorous in trying to find other options for this," Barresi said. "Believe me, we're not excited about having to bring this item to you."
Despite Barresi's recommendation, the board voted unanimously to table action on the item until next month's meeting.
"I'm not going to vote to give another $3 million to a failed vendor. It's ridiculous," Baxter said.
___
Follow Sean Murphy at www.twitter.com/apseanmurphy
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
