Health & Fitness
Cluster Won't Back Elected School Board Bill
Republican delegate says he's concerned about the teacher's union influencing elections.
A proposal to create a in Baltimore County has lost the support of one Parkville Republican.
Del. John Cluster supported a plan last year to create a hybrid elected-appointed school board.
This year the House and Senate each will consider bills to reduce the existing 12-member board to nine and make them all run for election in 2014. The House version of the bill gets a hearing before the county delegation Friday morning.
Find out what's happening in Parkville-Overleawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Cluster said he won't support a fully elected board because of concerns about the Teachers Association of Baltimore County seizing control of the electoral process.
Cluster said he came to the decision after reading Washington Post stories chronicling how the teachers union in Montgomery County successfully backed school board candidates.
Find out what's happening in Parkville-Overleawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"They're the kingmakers in the Montgomery County races," Cluster said. "My fear is TABCo, which has money, will become the kingmakers. That's a problem."
"If they get behind all nine candidates and all nine win, who controls the board—TABCo," said Cluster. "I don't think that's a good thing."
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