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Akron
Beacon Journal...
Departure time
Stan Heffner quickly apologized “for my lack of judgment.” His words
came in response to a report delivered Thursday by the state inspector
general that concluded Heffner acted improperly when in May 2011, as
the interim state schools superintendent, he testified in favor of
legislation likely to benefit a private education company seeking to
hire him. On Saturday, he expanded his expression of regret. He stepped
down as the superintendent of public instruction in Ohio.
The choice to exit was appropriate. An apology wasn’t enough. The
report significantly eroded Heffner’s credibility, or the element of
trust so crucial to a public official, whether elected or not. Doubts
would persist about his decision-making, about his capacity to separate
public obligations from private interests.
Initially, Gov. John Kasich and Heffner appeared persuaded that he
could continue in the job, after some punishment applied by the State
Board of Education. Heffner has performed well in many respects. He has
been an energetic advocate for reform, minus a sharp ideological edge.
Yet his error simply was too large.
The legislation he pushed included provisions expanding the testing of
teachers. The inspector general report shows that Heffner engaged in
his advocacy even though he had signed an employment agreement with the
Educational Testing Service, a longtime testing vendor in Ohio. Enact
the bill, and ETS surely would benefit.
In time, the search for a state superintendent encountered trouble, and
Heffner was tapped for the position. Four months ago, he told
investigators from the state ethics commission and the inspector
general that he had “limited” contacts with the testing company.
Actually, he had launched his move, embarking on housing deals,
allowing the company to pay for travel.
At the time of the hearing, Heffner had a conflict of interest. Was he
acting on behalf of Ohioans or the Educational Testing Service?
Read the rest of the story at the Akron Beacon Journal
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