Chirco would be ideal for county board
Editorial
Leon Beauchman’s resignation from the Santa Clara County Board of Education was a big loss. He was a thoughtful and stabilizing influence, and appointing the right person to succeed him May 6 presents a real challenge to the remaining six board members.
But on the list of applicants, one name jumps out: Judy Chirco. What an opportunity. The former two- term San Jose city councilwoman and Cambrian school board member is the epitome of the public servant, approaching civic responsibilities with careful study and intelligent, independent thought. She comfortably balances fiscal restraint with a commitment to the disadvantaged. Her only real political act since leaving the council was to sign onto San Jose’s ballot measure to raise the minimum wage.
In interim appointments like this, unlike elections, we rarely make recommendations, and we have not interviewed all six candidates in this case. But we know Chirco well. We’ve admired her even when we’ve disagreed with her, and we can’t resist urging the board to bring her talent and principled, commonsense decision- making back into public office.
The South Bay Labor Council is pushing a different candidate: Rosemary Kamei, a member of the Santa Clara Valley Water District board for 17 years, including the period when the agency was discredited for outlandish pay and other boondoggles. Kamei, a very likable person, sometimes dissented on bad decisions but was ineffective at bringing about change, which began when fresh leadership was elected in 2010.
Politically, the big issue for the county board is charter schools. Labor is ramping up opposition to charters, which teachers unions generally oppose. The board is the first line of appeal when local districts reject a charter, and it has approved many — with Beauchman’s support. Some have failed to deliver on promises, but others have significantly raised achievement for children once on the wrong end of the achievement gap.
Charter opponents may be leery of Chirco because she’s a veteran of PACT, People Acting in Community Together, whose impatience with the poor education of many low- income kids in San Jose led to advocacy of charter and small- school alternatives.
Chirco is in nobody’s pocket. She says she’s for anything that advances educational opportunities for children, but she has seen charter schools fail. She will look for solid plans, including budget and curriculum, before deciding. Other board candidates, if they’re political, may say the same thing, but Chirco can be relied upon to act on it.
This will be a tough choice for the remaining board, some of whom hope to run for other offices and may need labor support. Chirco, really, is an apolitical choice. And that just might be the best qualification of all.