Pr. George's senators approve county school plan The Prince George's state Senate delegation voted 7 to 1 on a bill that would restructure the county school system, allowing the county executive to select the new schools superintendent and choose the chairman and vice chair of a retooled Board of Education. County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) had sought to take over the county's struggling school system, asking state lawmakers to put him in charge of the schools chief and the school system's $1.7 billion budget. Sen. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George's) voted against the measure, saying the bill was moving through the legislature too quickly. The county executive will most likely end up with the power to name a new schools chief and the leadership of the school board. Baker will have more power than his predecessors and exert more influence over schools than any other county executive in the state, but he failed to get the dramatic changes he initially said were needed to help move the school system forward. But Baker said after the vote that he was satisfied with the changes. "It puts us on the right path," he said. School Board Chairman Verjeana M. Jacobs (District 5) said the legislation does not include a plan to improve student achievement. What are the reform efforts? Jacobs asked. We're talking about moving adults around, but what are we going to do for the children? I haven't heard that yet. Under the bill, Baker will be able to appoint three new members to the board. The county council will appoint one member. Although the school board had selected three finalists to replace former superintendent William R. Hite Jr., the bill would create a new search committee that would review dozens of candidates for the superintendent position and ultimately recommend three to the county executive. Though Baker received wide support from Prince George's delegates and senators, the county executive met resistance from other state lawmakers concerned about the statewide precedent Baker would set by having control of the schools chief and school budget. Their concerns led to changes in the initial bill and ultimately to the watered-down version that was passed Wednesday. Sen. Paul Pinsky (D-Prince George's) said after the vote that he expects that it will be some time before all parties work together collaboratively, given the opposition of board members. "I think there will be initial tension on the board," he said. But hopefully people will look beyond that to look at what is best for the students. Pinsky said he expects the new structure to ultimately "cement the county executive and board" working relationship.