Our former state school superintendent, Linda Schrenko, has been indicted for embezzling funds to fund her distarous campaign for governor and get a face lift. Schrenko was once the princess of the Christian Coalition–advocating for teaching creationism will do that–and the first woman elected to a statewide office. (And if I remember correctly the first Republican since reconstruction.)
Conservative political commentator Bill Shipp called Schrenko the worst politician in the history of the state. Schrenko spent more time setting herself up to run for governor than doing her job. The last few months in office she never bothered to show up to work. She hired her Augusta friends into positions in the superintendent’s office, including her pastor and his wife. (This was known as the Augusta Cabal.) She didn’t even go to state schoolboard meetings.
I remember Schrenko for giving a talk in Washington to republican lawmakers in support of NCLB. She was arguing that Georgia needed Washington’s help. I couldn’t help but think that Schrenko was our State Superintendent; she has the power to fix our schools herself. Appealing to Washington lawmakers demonstrated to me that she was lazy and ineffectual.
The indictment couldn’t have happened to a better politician.
