Monday, July 17, 2006
Kansas Dept. of Education: The Brain Drain
As The Topeka Capital-Journal editorial board observes, "when 20 percent of an organization's employees quit in one year -- double the rate of the previous year -- one has to wonder why."
And that is exactly what's happened at the Kansas Dept. of Education under the leadership of Commissioner Bob "Heckuva Job" Corkins and the fanatical right-wing majority of the state board of education.
When Corkins was first appointed, RSR predicted that we would soon see professional staff resign or be forced out at the Kansas Department of Education.
That prediction was quickly confirmed -- and we certainly take no joy in it -- by the resignations of Communications Director Kathy Toelkes and Deputy Commissioner Dr. Alexa Posny.
And, these foolish decisions do have a cost. We're finding there is a price to pay.
Toelkes was replaced by David Awbrey, who quickly embarrassed the department with ill-considered public statements and resigned after just a few months on the job.
Now we learn that The U.S. Department of Education has decided the department could lose $80,000 because it hasn't met Federal No Child Left Behind requirements.
Posny's area of expertise? No Child Left Behind.
Once qualified leaders at the department such as Toelkes and Posny left, it didn't take Corkins long to run the ship aground.
This pattern will keep repeating itself over and over until right-wingers on the state school board, who time and again put their bizarre ideology ahead of our kids education, are replaced. John Bacon, Connie Morris, and Ken Willard all voted to appoint Corkins.
It's time to "Take Back Kansas" by voting them out.
And that is exactly what's happened at the Kansas Dept. of Education under the leadership of Commissioner Bob "Heckuva Job" Corkins and the fanatical right-wing majority of the state board of education.
When Corkins was first appointed, RSR predicted that we would soon see professional staff resign or be forced out at the Kansas Department of Education.
That prediction was quickly confirmed -- and we certainly take no joy in it -- by the resignations of Communications Director Kathy Toelkes and Deputy Commissioner Dr. Alexa Posny.
And, these foolish decisions do have a cost. We're finding there is a price to pay.
Toelkes was replaced by David Awbrey, who quickly embarrassed the department with ill-considered public statements and resigned after just a few months on the job.
Now we learn that The U.S. Department of Education has decided the department could lose $80,000 because it hasn't met Federal No Child Left Behind requirements.
Posny's area of expertise? No Child Left Behind.
Once qualified leaders at the department such as Toelkes and Posny left, it didn't take Corkins long to run the ship aground.
This pattern will keep repeating itself over and over until right-wingers on the state school board, who time and again put their bizarre ideology ahead of our kids education, are replaced. John Bacon, Connie Morris, and Ken Willard all voted to appoint Corkins.
It's time to "Take Back Kansas" by voting them out.
