BATON ROUGE, La. -- The state's public education chief, Paul Pastorek, has lawmakers calling him arrogant, school board members lambasting his policies and education groups calling for his ouster.
Pastorek's got the most important backing to keep his job as state superintendent of education, the support of Gov. Bobby Jindal. But can he be an effective leader with a style that rankles even some who agree with him and with local educational leaders refusing to talk to him?
In recent weeks, the Louisiana Association of Educators and the Louisiana School Boards Association have called for Pastorek to be removed from his post. Both groups say he has lost the trust of education officials. The school boards association refused to even meet with the superintendent.
"For such a meeting to be fruitful there must be a modicum of trust between all parties involved," said a letter to Pastorek signed by Tammy Phelps, president of the school boards association, and Nolton Senegal, the group's executive director.
Pastorek, in office since 2007, has said he won't step down and will continue trying to reach out to education groups. Each time a complaint is raised, Jindal issues a statement of support for Pastorek.
"We are disappointed that these organizations perceive my efforts to improve public education as 'an assault on public schools' rather than my genuine intent, which is to dramatically raise the quality of Louisiana's education system," Pastorek said.
Much of the conflict centers on Pastorek's push for the state to take over failed public schools and convert them to independently run charter schools, and his attempt to revamp laws governing local school boards to lessen their authority. Pastorek won approval for the school takeover plan from the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, but lost his bid in the state Legislature to change school board laws.
Each step of the way, Pastorek has angered some local education leaders as he pushes for striking change in the way Louisiana educates its 650,000 public school students. Supporters say that's what it takes to revamp a public school system that has failed students for generations.
Opponents say Pastorek refuses to consider the ideas of local officials and is undermining public education. And those angry local education officials have sway with the state lawmakers and BESE members that Pastorek needs on his side to get his agenda passed, raising questions about whether Pastorek's approach is undermining his own efforts.
"Superintendent Pastorek has created conflict rather than education reform," LAE President Joyce Haynes said.
The education superintendent isn't known for his soft touch and diplomatic skills. Instead, Pastorek approaches his agenda with an aggressive, in-your-face manner and only so much tolerance for people who fail to feel his same urgency for change.
"I think it's possible that style issues could overwhelm substance, but I would also say that I think what you're really seeing is the groups that oppose reform efforts are using this to go after reform efforts in a different way," said Barry Erwin, president of the Council for a Better Louisiana and a staunch Pastorek supporter.
The situation has grown tense enough that another statewide teachers union, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, called on Jindal last week to mediate the disputes between Pastorek and education groups.
It seems unlikely _ at least so far _ that Jindal will intervene.
However, an intervention of sorts might be needed so the disputes don't create a stalemate that renders Pastorek ineffective or stymied as superintendent.
LFT President Steve Monaghan summed it up in his letter to Jindal: "The last thing our children need at this moment is a bitter feud between the superintendent of education and the organizations that represent teachers and school boards."
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