A freshman Republican legislator from Stroud is calling for State Superintendent Janet Barresi and two top-level education officials to step down after the department announced the hiring of a new assistant superintendent.
Rep. Jason Smalley issued a statement Wednesday calling for resignations from Barresi, new assistant superintendent Larry Birney and the department's general counsel Kim Richey, who is married to Larry Birney. He also wants a hiring and firing freeze at the Department of Education.
Smalley referred to Birney as a "good ol' boy hire."
Department spokesman Phil Bacharach says Birney is well qualified for the $90,000 a year position, with a background in law enforcement and a doctorate in education.
Bacharach says the three officials have no plans to resign and said Smalley's comments were "grandstanding, with all due respect."
OSDE announced earlier Wednesday it had hired Birney to be assistant state superintendent for accreditation and compliance for the department.
The new position, they said, “will help OSDE’s accreditation standards division ensure local schools are operating in compliance with state laws.”
The position was not advertised, according to OSDE officials because Barresi felt Birney was the best fit. Both Birney and Richey worked together at the Council of Law Enforcement Education and Training when Birney served as executive director from 2008 to 2011 and Richey as legal counsel.
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