Should county execs be able to appoint superintendents? Depends on whom you ask

Gov. Martin O'Malley's suggestion that he and county executives be allowed to appoint their school superintendents has drawn a mixed reaction, including this from Sen. Paul Pinsky: Be careful what you wish for.

"It's a double-edged sword," said Mr. Pinsky, a Prince George's County Democrat who chairs a Senate subcommittee on education.

"The governor can run education policy and say how he thinks it should happen. This makes it less independent," Mr. Pinsky said. "Depending on the governor, it would be a mixed blessing."

Mr. Pinsky was responding to Mr. O'Malley's comments Thursday to WYPR radio host Marc Steiner, who...