Is State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell An Idiot?

The answer is clearly yes. Either that, or he's off his medication or something. And I say this as someone who voted for him, a Democrat, in the last election.

Why is Jack an idiot? Two recent reasons. The first was his opposition to 8th grade algebra, giving the classic "soft bigotry of low expectations" excuse. The most recent reason, though, is this:

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell announced Thursday that educators with the state's migrant education program will distribute information to farm worker families about protecting themselves against heat-related illness...

O'Connell said it is time educators do their part to help keep families healthy. (emphasis mine--Darren)

Jack? Bite me.

A more intellectual response is this one, from one of the commenters at the link above:

May I assume these state educators also will expand their workload to cover instruction on birth-control, safe driving next to irrigation ditches and canals, cooking meat without incurring food poisoning, safe home electrical wiring, drownproofing, why to not ride a motorcycle, using a ladder without falling off, choking hazards from small toys, rules for safe pedestrians, the need for smoke detedtors near residence bedrooms, safe storage of household chemicals and cleansers, skin cancer caused by excess exposure to sunlight, and the incipient hazards of global warming? Is there anything "in the best interest of our children, our families,... and our state" the Superintent (sic) of Public Instruction should NOT be teaching?