Thanks to Diane Ravitch, I just learned that our Mayor, Kevin Johnson, who has thankfully failed in having much influence in our city’s schools, is now telling other cities that they should give up their right to vote for a school board and leave it in the hands of their mayor.

He went to Bridgeport, Connecticut last week to tell voters there they should support an initiative for mayoral control. His remarks included this:

The Sacramento school board is elected, and Johnson said he wished his city was about to switch to an appointed board.

Yup, I bet he does. But that sure isn’t going to happen.

A fellow former NBA player, John Bagley, happens to be an elected member of the Bridgeport Board of Education. He penned a response to KJ in the local paper. Here’s an excerpt:

Maybe “KJ” and his `reformers’ can explain why the city of New Haven, which has an appointed board, has more failing schools than Bridgeport.

This is true, despite the presence on their appointed Board of Education of the former director of CONNCAN, the Connecticut leader of takeover policies.

I have only one final piece of advice for `KJ’, don’t come into my house and mess with my right to vote!

KJ might want to read what the research says about mayoral control, too….