WWE exec and education?

I still don't understand this appointment by the governor.

Rell nominated Linda McMahon, the chief executive director for the World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., for a seat on the State Board of Education. Linda, who lives in Greenwich, apparently has her teaching certificate, but there was some controversy over her resume. I guess her resume said she earned a teaching degree. Turns out, her degree was in French.

Anyway, there was much discussion about Linda's appointment during the Executive and Legisative Nominations Committee meeting yesterday. Some said they did not approve of WWE programming and talked to Linda about the show's content. They wondered how someone who creates and promotes those shows would be in a role that has influence over children and what they learn.

The shows are scripted, was part of Linda's reply.

Ultimately, the legislative committee approved Linda's nomination 11-2. Her nomination must now be approved by both chambers of the General Assembly.

I am left puzzled.

Why did Rell decide to appoint someone who has spent her life in the entertainment business, especially when the state is still struggling to deal with No Child Left Behind mandates and other accountability measures? Education is about helping children learn and grow. While money is always an issue, education should not be considered a business.

At the very least, No Child Left Behind and the standardized test scores that so many dislike share a good goal. Through such measures, there is an effort to overcome the achievement gap. There is an effort to employ more rigorous teaching standards that will hopefully allow a student to reach his or her full potential.

I am sure Linda McMahon wants children to succeed. I don't even doubt her sincerity and her willingness to take on the responsibility of being a state school board member. I do, however, wonder if there are more qualified people in the state that could have been nominated -- people who have spent years in the field of education and who know Connecticut's educational system inside and out.

Should Linda McMahon get on the Connecticut Board of Education? Why did Rell pick her? Was it because she has contributed money to Rell's political campaigns over the years?

If Linda does get the volunteer job, I guess we will have to wait and see. I hope Rell knows something that the rest of us do not. I hope that Linda will help the state's educational system and that we will be pleasantly suprised.