Branstad names Linda Lantor Fandel as governor’s special assistant for education

Governor Branstad chooses the controversial DES MOINE REGISTRAR'S Education Writer as his advisor to help design and set policy.  Linda Lantor Fandel is no fan of public education as is evidenced in the slanted point of view seen in her work in the REGISTRAR for years.  This choice is telling and--we're afraid--not good for public educaiton in Iowa.
(URBANDALE) – Gov.-elect Terry Branstad today announced that Linda Lantor Fandel will serve as the governor’s special assistant for education in the Branstad/Reynolds administration.

“I am excited to bring Linda into our administration, and will draw upon her extensive knowledge of the world’s education systems as we work to make Iowa’s schools the best in the country,” said Branstad. “Jason Glass and Linda Lantor Fandel will be a formidable team, as they both care deeply about the direction of education in our state, and they will energize Iowans with a forward-looking agenda for Iowa’s students.”

Fandel, 54, has been The Des Moines Register’s editorial-page editor since July 2009. Prior to that she spent more than 20 years covering education in Iowa as a reporter, editorial writer and deputy editorial-page editor. Fandel’s project looking at how Iowa — and the nation — could have world-class schools won several journalism awards in 2008 and 2009.

She graduated in 1978 from Scripps College/Claremont Men’s College (now Claremont McKenna College) with a B.A. in political science with honors. She attended graduate school in Russian studies at Georgetown University before her first job in journalism at the Montgomery County Sentinel in Maryland.

She went on to work for the Journal Newspapers in the Washington, D.C., suburbs and the Baltimore News-American before coming to the Register in 1986. Fandel is a native of Kennewick, Wash.

“Iowa’s children must be ready to compete with young people around the globe for high-skilled jobs when they grow up,” said Fandel. “That calls for making sure our young people are as well prepared as those in Canada and other countries that rank among top school systems internationally. Iowa has a tradition of a strong commitment to education. Serving as special assistant for education in the Branstad/Reynolds administration is a great opportunity to help shape that commitment for the future.”

For more information on the Branstad/Reynolds transition please visit www.GovernorBranstad.com.

She graduated in 1978 from Scripps College/Claremont Men’s College (now Claremont McKenna College) with a B.A. in political science with honors. She attended graduate school in Russian studies at Georgetown University before her first job in journalism at the Montgomery County Sentinel in Maryland.

She went on to work for the Journal Newspapers in the Washington, D.C., suburbs and the Baltimore News-American before coming to the Register in 1986. Fandel is a native of Kennewick, Wash.

“Iowa’s children must be ready to compete with young people around the globe for high-skilled jobs when they grow up,” said Fandel. “That calls for making sure our young people are as well prepared as those in Canada and other countries that rank among top school systems internationally. Iowa has a tradition of a strong commitment to education. Serving as special assistant for education in the Branstad/Reynolds administration is a great opportunity to help shape that commitment for the future.”

For more information on the Branstad/Reynolds transition please visit www.GovernorBranstad.com.