Kid Stuff

One reason Manrique is unfit for the job, Keith contends, is that he spent more than $240,000 on education materials from New Century Learning, a company that employs former Superintendent Cuevas, the man who gave the former legislator his first job in the system. Cuevas, you might recall, was fired in 2004 for bad leadership and botched land deals. His firm wasn't named in state and federal grant applications filed last year, so it is not supposed to receive money, Keith contends.

Manrique insists he did nothing wrong, adding he has never met with Cuevas and that New Century is among 20 new vendors selling products to the 21 adult education schools. He says, "The principals are the ones who pick and choose the materials they want to use."

Carlos Manrique

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More About

• Carlos Manrique
• Dale Keith
• Roger Cuevas
• Continuing Education
• Social Policy

Keith is a disgruntled employee with an ax to grind, Manrique claims. The fact that he never completed college shouldn't be a barometer of his experience. He's a great example for high school dropouts. "I'm the perfect person to put in front of them," he says. "I am proud of my accomplishments and what I've done."