Silber Steps Down

It was the right move made for the wrong reason. Last week, Chair of the State Board of Education John R. Silber submitted his resignation to Governor A. Paul Cellucci in order to alleviate the tensions on the Board caused by his controversial leadership. But what looked like a self-sacrificial move was really just another political power play, as Silber's resignation hinged on his being able to select his successor, James A. Peyser. While Silber's physical absence will no doubt improve the workings of the Board, we are bothered by his lingering influence on Cellucci and the system of education in Massachusetts.

Board members seemed largely satisfied with the move, which will allow Acting Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll--thought to be more sympathetic to the state's teacher unions than Silber wanted him to be--to assume his current position permanently. But questions about the future of the Board remain. "It was a necessary step, but it's yet to be proven to end the political divisiveness," said S. Paul Reville, a professor at the Graduate School of Education and chair of the Mass. Education Reform Review Commission.

Silber's controversial tenure as Chair has been marked by his ill-advised comments on the results of teacher testing and, more recently, about proposed revisions in special education programs. His poor working relationship with the teacher unions and his public bashing of the system he was supposed to oversee are remnants of his negative leadership. Additionally, his ongoing role as a chancellor at Boston University has raised concerns about that school's influence over state education programs. His departure from the Board is long overdue.

Unfortunately, by allowing Silber to choose his own successor, Gov. Cellucci has once again failed to take a real leadership role in improving the administration of education in Massachusetts. Silber's anti-public school influence will still be felt through Peyser, whose educational philosophy leans towards privatization of the system and greater emphasis on charter schools. Nevertheless, Board members who opposed Silber are cautiously optimistic about Peyser's ability to communicate and cooperate.

It won't be hard to do a better job as Chair of the Board of Education than Silber did. The question is whether Peyser will be up to doing the job the way it should be done.