Senate majority leader Tony Rand said he expects lawmakers will react this session to a judge's ruling reshaping the way the state runs its schools.
Judge Robert Hobgood ruled today that June Atkinson, the state superintendent of public instruction, has the constitutional authority to run the state's schools and not William Harrison, who was appointed by Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue appointed to run the state Department of Public Instruction and chair the State Board of Education.
Rand, a Fayetteville Democrat, said he believed there would be "significant" appetite in the legislature to ensure the governor can appoint the head of the state school system.
"The convoluted system we have now doesn't appear to me to be in the interest of educational progress in North Carolina," Rand said. "This has been a continuous pain for a significant time."
Hobgood said Friday he believed it would take a constitutional amendment to grant the governor that power. Rand said he would have to take a look.
Update: Gov. Beverly Perdue released a statement about the ruling. "I am reviewing the court’s ruling. I look forward to continuing to work with Dr. Harrison and Superintendent Atkinson to achieve our goal of providing a quality education for North Carolina’s children."




Re: Rand: lawmakers should change ed law
The voters should maintain the right to appoint via votes, the person he or she wants to head up the DPI. Rand is a J E R K! He is a Black and Decker left over.