Blunt appoints charter school supporter to education board

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Matt Blunt appointed a Kansas City charter school official to the state Board of Education on Thursday, his second nominee in recent months to embrace alternatives to traditional public schools.

Blunt said he chose the Rev. Stanley Archie because he wants a "diversity of opinion" on the board that oversees Missouri's K-12 public schools. The governor also reasserted his support Thursday for his October nominee, Donayle Whitmore-Smith of St. Louis, a school voucher supporter who is opposed by many of the state's public school teacher and administrator associations.

Archie, 44, is the senior pastor at Christian Fellowship Baptist Church in Kansas City and a board member of the city's University Academy charter school, which opened in 2000. He replaces education board member Thomas Davis, whose term expired this summer but who continued to serve until a successor could be chosen.

If confirmed, Archie's term would run until July 1, 2014.

Blunt said he was counting on Archie and Whitmore-Smith to "ask tough questions" and "really try and press the envelope" on the eight-member education board. Most of the state board members have experience as public school teachers, administrators or board members.

"I want a diversity of opinion on the state school board," Blunt said. "I don't think it is in the best interest of Missouri taxpayers or Missouri schoolchildren to have a monolithic viewpoint on the state school board that just wants to embrace and defend the status quo."

As both a candidate and governor, Blunt has stressed public education, and he frequently touts the annual state funding increases to K-12 schools. But Blunt also backs legislation that would give state tax credits for donations to not-for-profit groups, which would provide scholarships for students in struggling schools to attend private or better-performing public schools.

Critics of the plan claim it is little different than direct vouchers, because state money could indirectly be used to benefit private schools.

Charter schools still receive tax dollars but operate independently from the other public schools in the districts where they are located. They currently are allowed only in Kansas City and St. Louis and typically are sponsored by state universities.

Although not opposing it, Archie did not embrace the tuition-tax credit proposal during a Capitol news conference announcing his appointment. He instead said the state should first focus on improving its current system of traditional and charter public schools.

"I do believe in a competitive market when it comes to education, because I think it leads to strong accountability," Archie said.

Whitmore-Smith runs School Choice Missouri and led a rally at the Capitol for the tuition tax-credit legislation. She also founded the private Ptah Academy of Arts and Science in the St. Louis area, which has closed.

The Education Roundtable, which includes the state's main public education groups, has come out in opposition to her confirmation.

By tradition, gubernatorial appointees are sponsored for Senate confirmation by the senator in whose district they live. Sen.-elect Jeff Smith, D-St. Louis, said he has not decided whether to sponsor Whitmore-Smith. If he doesn't, Blunt's office has said it would withdraw her nomination.

Blunt said Sen. Yvonne Wilson, D-Kansas City, has agreed to sponsor Archie.