[Speed Gibson,
Saturday April 5, 2008 at 12:50am]
Gopherville: Chaper One
The time: early April. The place: the offices of State Senator George Babbitt who we met in the prolog.
"Judge Thompson is here to see you, Senator."
"Thank you, Louise," said Senator George Babbitt, looking up to see the imposing figure of Judge Virgil F. Thompson enter and extend his hand.
"Senator."
"Judge. Have a seat," he said, motioning as his aide closed the door. "You could have phoned, you know."
"No, this seemed best. Besides, I had some business over at the A.G.'s office. I think I finally found someone I can work with over there. And, the food's great, even if I don't get $96 a day. Babbitt smiled weakly.
"I'm glad you're here, Virgil.” Babbitt picked up the copy of the Zenith Weekly Sentinel. “It says here you’re talking about stripping Kennicott of some of his duties. All I could get out of him was that you’re talking about it. I don’t get it.”
“He’s a good man, Kennicott. We want to keep him. We want to keep him happy, and educating kids makes him happy. All that damn paperwork you make him fill out doesn’t. You can understand if he didn’t want to be direct with you, can’t you?”
“He was direct with you.”
“Actually, no. But we have a reliable source or two. And we have other reasons to think this might be a good change for us to make.”
“May I remind you that the position of Superintendent is set in law?”
“I’ve read all the applicable statutes. There’s no problem here. There’s nothing about the Superintendent keeping the books, planning the lunch menus, or scheduling the buses, just his educational responsibilities.”
“Not directly, but the intent is clear enough, I think. The job of Superintendent is very important. That’s why it’s a licensed position. He’s got the training and experience needed to run a district. You don’t, Judge. Neither do I. Shouldn’t the most qualified be in charge?“
Thompson nodded. “Does Kennicott have an accounting degrees?”
“You tell me.”
“No. He was a history major. Martin Arrowsmith is a CPA and has twelve years experience with our district. Shouldn’t the most qualified be in charge as you say, of the books that is?”
“He is now, under the direction of the Superintendent as in every other district in Minnesota.”
“Tradition.”
Babbitt rose. “Would you mind if I see if Senator Cortwright is available?”
“Go ahead.” Babbitt stepped out briefly, then returned.
“Louise is checking. Virgil, look. If this was just Gopherville, I’d say fine, your call, despite my misgivings. But you know better than I about that little thing called precedent. Our educational system has a clear structure, an elected board and the Superintendent they hire. It’s worked for a hundred years.“
“Tradition.”
“And if Minnesota becomes a crazy quilt of 300 different job descriptions for Superintendent?”
“Just whom is that a problem for? Not the districts who clearly would do so for local reasons.”
The telephone buzzed and Senator Babbitt answered to hear that Edith Cortwright was in committee for another hour yet. “No message, Louise. Thank you.”
“I ask again. Who has a problem if the Superintendents duties vary from district to district, beyond those explicitly in statute?”
“Now Judge, …”
“Who, George?”
Babbitt found that he didn't have an answer, not one he liked anyway. "Maybe you're right, Virgil. Let me think some more about that."
"And ask Senator Cortwright?" smiled Judge Thompson, rising to go. "Look, George, I need to leave now if i'm going to get home before nightfall. I'll be back in town in two weeks. How about dinner? We may have more to discuss then."
"There's more?"
"Maybe I'm being premature, but we're rethinking quite a few things. I'll set a time with Louise tomorrow if that's all right." Babbitt nodded. They shook hands and Thompson left. Babbitt looked out his window.
"Tradition," he mumbled.
"Judge Thompson is here to see you, Senator."
"Thank you, Louise," said Senator George Babbitt, looking up to see the imposing figure of Judge Virgil F. Thompson enter and extend his hand.
"Senator."
"Judge. Have a seat," he said, motioning as his aide closed the door. "You could have phoned, you know."
"No, this seemed best. Besides, I had some business over at the A.G.'s office. I think I finally found someone I can work with over there. And, the food's great, even if I don't get $96 a day. Babbitt smiled weakly.
"I'm glad you're here, Virgil.” Babbitt picked up the copy of the Zenith Weekly Sentinel. “It says here you’re talking about stripping Kennicott of some of his duties. All I could get out of him was that you’re talking about it. I don’t get it.”
“He’s a good man, Kennicott. We want to keep him. We want to keep him happy, and educating kids makes him happy. All that damn paperwork you make him fill out doesn’t. You can understand if he didn’t want to be direct with you, can’t you?”
“He was direct with you.”
“Actually, no. But we have a reliable source or two. And we have other reasons to think this might be a good change for us to make.”
“May I remind you that the position of Superintendent is set in law?”
“I’ve read all the applicable statutes. There’s no problem here. There’s nothing about the Superintendent keeping the books, planning the lunch menus, or scheduling the buses, just his educational responsibilities.”
“Not directly, but the intent is clear enough, I think. The job of Superintendent is very important. That’s why it’s a licensed position. He’s got the training and experience needed to run a district. You don’t, Judge. Neither do I. Shouldn’t the most qualified be in charge?“
Thompson nodded. “Does Kennicott have an accounting degrees?”
“You tell me.”
“No. He was a history major. Martin Arrowsmith is a CPA and has twelve years experience with our district. Shouldn’t the most qualified be in charge as you say, of the books that is?”
“He is now, under the direction of the Superintendent as in every other district in Minnesota.”
“Tradition.”
Babbitt rose. “Would you mind if I see if Senator Cortwright is available?”
“Go ahead.” Babbitt stepped out briefly, then returned.
“Louise is checking. Virgil, look. If this was just Gopherville, I’d say fine, your call, despite my misgivings. But you know better than I about that little thing called precedent. Our educational system has a clear structure, an elected board and the Superintendent they hire. It’s worked for a hundred years.“
“Tradition.”
“And if Minnesota becomes a crazy quilt of 300 different job descriptions for Superintendent?”
“Just whom is that a problem for? Not the districts who clearly would do so for local reasons.”
The telephone buzzed and Senator Babbitt answered to hear that Edith Cortwright was in committee for another hour yet. “No message, Louise. Thank you.”
“I ask again. Who has a problem if the Superintendents duties vary from district to district, beyond those explicitly in statute?”
“Now Judge, …”
“Who, George?”
Babbitt found that he didn't have an answer, not one he liked anyway. "Maybe you're right, Virgil. Let me think some more about that."
"And ask Senator Cortwright?" smiled Judge Thompson, rising to go. "Look, George, I need to leave now if i'm going to get home before nightfall. I'll be back in town in two weeks. How about dinner? We may have more to discuss then."
"There's more?"
"Maybe I'm being premature, but we're rethinking quite a few things. I'll set a time with Louise tomorrow if that's all right." Babbitt nodded. They shook hands and Thompson left. Babbitt looked out his window.
"Tradition," he mumbled.