Governor wants special election for teachers

Gov. Juan N. Babauta is urging the Board of Education to call for a special teacher representative election in view of the current controversy between the Board of Education and teacher representative Ambrose Bennett.

Babauta said, though, that he remains supportive of Bennett.

“It doesn’t mean I don’t support him. But to put this issue to rest, let the board call for a special election,” said the governor yesterday, citing earlier complaints over Bennett’s “inappropriate” representation of teachers.

The governor said that if Bennett has the support from majority of public school teachers, it would manifest in the special election.

Bennett, he said, should then “rally the teachers behind the issues.”

While he acknowledged that as governor, he has discretion to remove Bennett from office, he asked, “On what grounds?”

Press secretary Peter A. Callaghan earlier said that the governor will investigate the allegations made by the BOE against Bennett.

The board formally asked the governor in a May 5 letter to remove Bennett from the board and call for a special election of the teachers for a new representative.

The board has accused Bennett of refusing to apologize to a fellow board member for his alleged inappropriate conduct and for repeatedly using school letterhead when communicating with teachers.

The board also said that Bennett continued to “disobey” BOE ethics and PSS regulations and “misrepresent” information to the public.

The board also said that Bennett had attacked fellow board members and PSS staff in the media, refused to recognize that no board member has the authority to speak for the board, demonstrated “arrogance and inability” to work with BOE, and “failed” to represent the interest of teachers.

Babauta said yesterday that he spoke with BOE members and he understood the board’s argument that Bennett should work with the body and or respect the board’s decision.

At the same time, he described Bennett “as a good person.”

Bennett won his seat, 78-62, over James Yangetmai in a Governor’s Office organized election held on Jan. 19, 2004. The election reflected a 28 percent turnout. Of the 500 full-time teachers who were eligible to vote, 142 teachers or 28 percent cast their votes. Two ballots were reportedly cast without votes.

Bennett is openly pushing for the creation of a teachers’ union within the Public School System.