O'Brien elected state board vice chair
07/01/2015
The State Board of Education elected a new vice chair at Wednesday’s meeting. Sarah O’Brien was elected the board’s first-ever vice chair. Under the newly passed SEA 1, the vice chair leads the board in the absence of the superintendent. The vice chair is also jointly responsible for establishing agendas after receiving and considering recommended agenda items from board members.
O'Brien was first appointed to the board in 2009 by Gov. Mitch Daniels and reappointed by Gov. Pence in 2013. She is a fourth-grade teacher at River Birch Elementary School in Avon.
O’Brien is the daughter of state Rep. Bill Fine, R-Munster. Rep. Fine is a member of the House Education Committee which worked on SEA 1 during the legislative session. Some have questioned the ethics of Rep. Fine’s votes on the bill which had a direct effect on his daughter’s involvement on the board.