Mercedes Schneider has doggedly sought the records for State Superintendent John White to determine if he meets the legal requirements to qualify as a local superintendent. He does not.
He does not have the teaching experience required by law.
She has had to file freedom-of-information requests for the documents.
He does have experience in Teach for America. He did attend the unaccredited Broad Superintendents Academy. But that does not help him meet the requirements of Louisiana law.
As billionaire Leona Helmsley is reputed to have said: “Only the little people pay taxes.” That was shortly before she was convicted for not paying taxes. She was sentenced to 19 years in prison for tax evasion, but got out after 19 months.
In Louisiana, it seems, laws are for the little people.
When you wonder about the disrepute of civics, start with the examples set by our leaders: Trump, White, and others who figure out how to do a workaround.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Chinese historical drama like Three Kingdoms, King’s woman, Princess Wei Young, Ten miles of Peach blossom…has exposed the living condition of poor commoners, all dirty tricks of incompetent authorities and the extreme hardship that good people have endured.
In short, the most intelligent people on earth are the people who faithfully believe in humanity, compassion and detachment of wealth, fame, fortune and lust. Being tranquil from the absolute detachment of all material and emotional impermanence is the ultimate enlightenment. Back2basic
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So who is going to take Mercedes’ excellent research and sue? Power concedes nothing without a demand.
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It’s my understanding that some regular Louisiana citizens filed a suit, but the judge ruled that, even though they were taxpayers and citizens and thus, were, respectively, paying and employing White to perform his job, they didn’t have standing to file suit.
However, people within Louisiana state ed. department, up to and including the governor, had such standing. Although the governor is an opponent of corporate reformers such as White and with whom White is allied, much behind-the-scenes pressure is being brought to bear upon him to not file such a suit.
Time will tell.
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Karen,
You assume that the government you learned about in Civics class still exists. Somehow, I think that formerly imperfect construction, which served the White Middle Class fairly well for a few decades, has become a fairy tale. We are in the Age of Empire, and the trappings of ‘Law’ are simply there in order to mask reality, for fear of the genuine power of the multitude to revolt. Every year, it seems, that mask becomes more transparent.
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It didn’t make a difference in New Mexico, either. Hanna Skandera never met the qualifications, either. Can’t the billionaires find ANY ex teachers that will agree with their own educational philosophies?
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Yes, they can find em as long as long as they pay them enough!
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New Hampshire is in the same club as NM and LA…
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…and Came Anderson lacked the moral turpitude AND qualifications, but Chris Christie appointed her anyway. She did leave…of her own volition…after being run out of town. Why are these unqualified idiot no-good-doers allowed in? WHY?
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