Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm of Michigan set aside any doubt last week about where she stands on the state鈥檚 superintendent of schools, Thomas D. Watkins.
鈥淗e needs to resign for the good of the state board, for the good of public education,鈥� she was quoted as saying in a Jan. 18 article in the Detroit Free Press.
The Democratic governor added in the article that Mr. Watkins 鈥渋s not providing effective leadership鈥� of the education department.
Mr. Watkins, who was hired by the state board of education and took over the post in April of 2001, had declined to step down as of late last week. He was unavailable for comment, a spokesman from his office said.
Mr. Watkins, who has called for a review of the state鈥檚 school aid system, received a vote of support from Kathleen N. Straus, the president of the state board of education. In a Jan. 19 statement, she called Mr. Watkins an 鈥渆xcellent leader and administrator鈥� who has received positive evaluations from the board for three years.
