Philosophical shift seen on school board

The November elections that swept away the pro-Weast majority marked a philosophical shift on the Board of Education.

According to the Gazette, the election of Nancy Navarro as school board president "had board members and observers this week talking about a shift of power and in philosophy on the board."

‘‘The recent election has resulted in what I believe is a significant philosophical shift among members of the board in regard to the board’s role and responsibilities,” says school board member Sharon W. Cox, a longtime defender of the Weast status quo who is best known for her role in the "veggie sex" video scandal.

The board broke precedent by failing to elect Cox, who had served as vice president for most of 2006, as president. The school board vice president traditionally becomes president the following year, but the new board rejected Cox in favor of the reformist Navarro.

The Gazette notes that Navarro "was often an outsider on the former board." She was outnumbered consistently in her calls to root out cronyism and apparent corruption from among MCPS leaders.

But now, Navarro is "in a position to set the tone for the board for the year to come."