Red State Rabble

Other than writing their personal religious beliefs into the science curriculum and appointing Bob "Heckuva Job" Corkins as Education Commissioner, the Kansas school board has little to point to in terms of accomplishments under the leadership of Steve Abrams, John Bacon, Ken Willard, Connie Morris, Iris Van Meter, and Kathy Martin.

We've covered the science curriculum issue consistently here at RSR, so what about the Corkins appointment?

Here's how Kansas educators see him:

• "Bob's in way over his head," says Winston Brooks, superintendent in Wichita Unified School District 259, the state's largest school district.
• "I think Bob has some talents," says Milt Dougherty, superintendent of Little River USD 444. "I don't think leadership is one of them." That's from a man who says he's often been mistaken by his colleagues as a booster of Corkins.
• "So far the commissioner has not seen fit to reach out," says John Koepke, executive director of the Kansas Association of School Boards.

Of course nothing will ever beat this:

John Vratil, R-Leawood, vice chairman of the Senate Education Committee, said Corkins' appointment seemed "sort of like making Saddam Hussein president of the United States."

Since Corkins was appointed, the professional staff at the Kansas Department of Education, like good soldiers have remained silent, but they've voted with their feet and the department has been decimated by retirements and resignations.

Even so, Corkins, like Bush, won't cut and run. He pledges to stay the course:

"I don't know any other way to proceed other than to continue on the course we believe is sound for this department and schools across Kansas," says Corkins.

We're sure Corkins doesn't know any other way -- it would take having gained some professional experience in the field of education for that to happen.

Kansas voters, however, may may feel they have other options.

Electing Don Weiss and Jack Wempe on Nov. 7 will help insure that Corkins isn't in charge of our children's education in the future.