Corkins resignation a loss

So Kansas Education Commissioner Bob Corkins has resigned (11/23, A-1, “Turbulent Corkins era ends”). What a shame!

In Corkins, we finally had a commissioner who was beholden to the parents and taxpayers and to the education of all our children rather than to the education establishment and the unions.

Corkins was an attorney who had a background in management, policy analysis, and promoting innovation for better effectiveness. He had a willingness to embrace education alternatives. The liberals on the Kansas Board of Education could not abide the latter because it included being open to charter schools.

Rather than thinking about what is best for our students, the liberal board members are doing what is best for the powerful teachers’ union.

It is unbelievable that liberal board member Janet Waugh made a fuss about accepting Corkins’ resignation “with regret.” Waugh and Sue Gamble are two of the members who bellyached continually about anything Corkins did. Before they help seat some retired establishment superintendent as the new commissioner, they need to read the solid research in the book Education Myths: What Special-Interest Groups Want You to Believe About Our Schools and Why it Isn’t So by Jay P. Greene.

Donna Gillett
Leavenworth

Comments

[Engineer]

cooker
You are correct, but it semed simpler to use only two classifications. Perhaps it would have been clearer to use the designations "Those following the dictates of NEA/KEA" and "Those independent of NEA/KEA", as the differences cross party lines. The new Board will be governed by what imo T. Hanson would call "a liberal viewpoint" although, as it will be opposed vouchers and probably to charter schools as well, it will not be liberal as it will be opposed to change.

[cooker_fox]

Actually the current board is still consv. The 2 ultra-rights that go voted out were beat in the primaries running by republicans. Even the repubs knew the ultra-right ones were a joke!!! Sorry Eng... your wrong again... as CRD is so fond of saying... you frequently put in information that is not entirely accurate. You may count them as left because they are not right of say someone like connie morris, but that does not make it a true fact.

[Engineer]

T. Hanson
The Kansas Board of Education has never been all Left or all Conservative. There has always been a minority of one or the other. When the new Board takes office in Jan. there will be a majority of the Left.
The Board just before the current one had a majority of the Left.

[T. Hanson]

"The liberals on the Kansas Board of Education could not abide the latter because it included being open to charter schools. "

For the last few years I never thought I would hear liberal and Kansas Board of Ed in the same sentence. Since of course they are very conservative on Evolution and Sex Ed.