Major Elected Education Positions With No Pay and Major Headaches Gives Louisiana Teacher Unions A Opening

This must be giving Bobby Jindal a headache too trying to ensure people he would like to see run actually do. See John Maginnis: Education leaders need to step up

...Increasing that majority became a cause for business groups that pledged to raise money for like-minded candidates. But their problem has been finding the candidates. Fewer public-spirited citizens are willing to run for an office that comes without salary but with strict financial disclosure requirements and that entails enduring long, often contentious board meetings, all to advance policies that often are rejected or sidetracked by the Louisiana Legislature.
On the other side, the new group Coalition for Public Education, comprised of the teacher unions and local school officials, has formed for the purpose of picking off one or two seats held by administration supporters and thus flipping the board majority. Besides his three appointees, the governor can count on the votes of only three of the eight elected BESE members — and now two of those seats are in doubt....

Also of major interest long term and beyond the BESE Board is this bit of news in the article:

..Almost as uncertain is the situation in the capital region, where the member pegged by some to be the next chairman, Chas Roemer, has yet to declare whether he will run again, after saying earlier this year that he might not. His silence is keeping other like-minded candidates from getting into the race, leaving the field so far to the coalition candidate, respected retired Ascension schools Superintendent Donald Songy.

Roemer, oldest son of the former governor, is every bit as intelligent and eloquent as the old man but also smoother and cheerier. He possesses all the political gifts except the burning desire that would put ambition before his young family and business career. Part-time service on BESE seemed to suit his lifestyle. Yet, as simple a step as running for re-election, given mounting expectations of him, could set him on an irrevocable course in his father's footsteps that he may not want to follow...