Atkinson: Governor's already in charge

June Atkinson says the governor is already in charge of education.

The state superintendent of public instruction told Dome that the governor appoints the members of the State Board of Education, who are in charge of education policy. She said Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Orr's plan to appoint the superintendent is unnecessary.

The positions are for eight-year terms, which means first-term governors have to deal with board member appointed by their predecessors. But Atkinson said that is not a problem for those in their second term.

Atkinson, a Democrat running for re-election, also said that Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Orr's plan to have the Board of Education elected, rather than appointed, would unnecessarily politicize the state's education policy.

"You would go from one political position to eight," she said.

She argued, however, that the legislature should clarify the roles of the superintendent and the board of education, which she said are "murky" right now.