The conservatives on the State Board of Education may have finally done it. By selecting Bob Corkins on Tuesday to be state education commissioner, members of the board majority may have done something so boneheaded that the public will rise up and vote them out of office next year. Corkins has no classroom experience, no education administration experience, no academic training in education and no significant managerial experience. He also has lobbied against more funding for public education. So of course the board put him in charge of K-12 education for the entire state.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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44 Comments
But….most importantly, does he follow the teachings of the Flying Spaghetti Monster? Or is he a Connie Morris diciple?
I like the way his credentials sound. Finally, they have somebody besides an educrat toady. My son will continue to do quite well in public school, so I’m not worried.
Oh God, Kansas’ answer to Michael Brown!
But your son’s teachers will flee, leaving your child behind.
The problem with this isn’t even that Corkins is blatantly incompetent. The problem is that they chose him over at least three very highly qualified candidates. Next time we need staff, I wonder if we’ll get the cream of the crop, or just a bunch of Corkins clones.
This is the Michael Brown/Harriet Miers brand of hiring.
I’ve heard it’s not what you know but who you blow that gets you the job.
Religion aside..who is this Corkins guy? Phillip listed everything that the guy is not, but what is he? If he is older than 18, he must have some work experience somewhere. This is a tad one sided on the reporting. Not that I am defending him, not in the least..but would like to know.So..what has he done? Lived in a cave and meditated? Brokered peaceful elections in Albania? Tuned pianos for concerts?
There is a vast emptiness…I would like to know what work this guy has done. Don’t just dole out the jobs he hasn’t held..tell us what he has done.
He’s run various conservative think tanks and PACs. He’s a conservative activist. Advocates vouchers and cutting education spending as well as various cockamamie business issues.
I blogged this a month ago:http://jgrr.blogspot.com/2005/09/board-announces-names-of-commissioner.html
If liberal atheists hate him that is good enough credentials for me.
Thanks for the response, Josh. Vouchers? Lobby against increases in education spending?
The actions of the K BOE remind me of former gov of California, Gray Davis..when he realized the recall was serious and he could lose. Davis went on a binge of granting “exceptions” to toxic waste firms (after huge donations to his campaign). He granted “exemptions” of state law to a insurance company (after another huge donation). My point is that he realized he was losing, so he went all out in a self destruct mode.
Not sure why politicians do things like that, but it is pretty clear the BOE is doing the same thing–they appear to be trying to get kicked out of office.
Faik–
What school does your, uh, “son” attend?
Is his name “Fake” too?
I don’t know anything about Corkins other than the post above that he works for corporate conservative interests. (doesn’t surprise me) But, given the current majority of kookaloons on the state board of education, I’d say he is a fellow traveller of said kookaloons, in other words a fudamentalist bible banger.
Why does this surprise anyone? The goal of the GOP is to kill public education in favor of vouchers and private and religious schools. Ray, Josh, and the rest of the conservative crowd, I’m not trying to be a smart-ass, but this is what you voted for. No classroom experience, no education administration experience, no academic training in education and no significant managerial experience? If you needed heart surgery, would you chose someone who had no medical experience, had never been inside a hospital, and thought prayer was the way to cure all ills?I’m with Phillip. I hope voters in Kansas will wake up and just this once, vote in favor of their own interests. But I won’t hold my breath.
This is just one more step back toward the Dark Ages in Kansas.
Anyone who is against public education can’t be all bad.
XXX–I hate to ruin your fantasy with facts, but I did not vote here in Kansas since I just moved here from another state recently.
Even if I had been eligible to vote, I have never voted a straight ticket in my life, so your assumption of my vote would be incorrect on that basis as well.
Facts, XXX, let’s just stick with them, ok?
If Bush can have an oil industry lawyer for his science advisor why not have a political hack in charge of education?
Appoligies Ray. I figured by your posts you were just another Kansas wingnut.
It looks like I’m both a liberal atheist and a conservative. Does that make me a moderate?
Galahad, I am sorry to offend you. My name rhymes, a little bit, with “bike”.
I cannot tell you where my son attends because he is the only Turkman in his school and he has already been bullied by people of Mexico. Why do you ask? It does not seem important for this discussion. Do you want to hurt him, too?
We are very happy with his school. I am only unhappy that, in America, the teachers and their managers come from the bottom of the college students instead of the top, like in other countries.
I was hoping the new commissioner could correct that because he is not one of them. The system seems very incestuous to me. I hope he can correct that.
First off, welcome to Kansas Ray.
I often wonder what the people that voted this school board in think? And is there a way that the rest of Kansas could vote them out. Already I have noticed a real “Dumbing down” when it comes to what our students have to learn. As if the majority are being perpare for no better jobs then working at wal-mart or fast food. I work for wal-mart so I guess I am not too bright. But back in the seventies when I was in high school the goal was to perpare for college. Even if most had no intention of going farther in their education.
This state BOE seem to have no other desire for our children then to teach them from the bible.
Fake–
Teachers are less qualified because under the American system it’s a somewhat demeaning job and the pay sucks.
I taught high-school for two years as a full-time teacher before I bailed. What with the rah-rah-sis-boom-bah, the lunch duty, the constant bookkeeping and the low pay, it just wasn’t worth it to me.
You and Andy should get together. Maybe you guys can play cards or something at 2:30 in the morning . . .
Thank God! Ian hates public education.
Every time you post something really vile about blacks, Jews, and Hispanos, be sure to include that you’re a conservative and you hate public education.
Never change, bro.
Corkins’s selection is an affront due to more than the mere fact that he is unqualified. He is the former leader of the Flint Hills Center – read the anti-tax propoganda arm of Koch Industries. His selection would be like putting Karl Peterhead – oops, excuse me – Peterjohn in as the commissioner of education, or Hitler as chairman of the Jewish Defense League. Just incredible!
I thought at first that, in an uncharacteristic way, Phillip was over-reacting with the above entry. Having read more, I don’t think so.
There has to be a way to recall these bums – voting them out is insufficient!
This action by the KS BOE is the equivalent of giving the citizens of Kansas the finger, while cackling “. . . and your little dog, too.”
The outrageousness of this is UNBELIEVABLE!!!
Agreed, Steve, good posts.
Galahad,You demean my name. Why? I don’t mind if you disagree. Why do you insult? I do not insult you. You are like the bullies who bother my son.
It is tempting to resort to paranoia and think that Connie, Abrams, et al. are out to so severely discredit the Board of Education that voters will insist upon disbanding it. In today’s Eagle – Mike Everhart suggests this action. But one has to show signs of intelligence to put together a conspiracy — so, I guess I will have to find a different delusion.
Give the Whackjobs on the State BOE credit: they won’t let a little thing like credibility get in the way of advancing their pro-market agenda.
Sunday’s guest editorial from John LaPlante of the Flint Hills public policy ‘think tank’ (read: spin whores paid by big capital) was well-timed; I imagine it will be Corkins’ playbook for the next year. Nice job using the media by the BOE to set up the announcement of Corkins.
I’d love to see phone logs from the state BOE to the FHCPP.
Okay, Faik, I’ll play along.
Isminiz nedir? Hosgeldiniz. Istiyorum buyuk bira.
What year did you come to the United States? Tell me in Turkish.
Faik? Faik?
C’mon, Fake, surely you could find an on-line Turkish dictionary by now, couldn’t you?
4:00 p.m.
Just checking in with Faik/Fake.
“Why you make fun of my name? You bully like those who taunt my son?”
Slandering Mexican kids in pidgin English . . . just unbelievable.
Puny Augustus, get a flippin’ life.
Damn Galahad, I think you just killed another one. Way to go! Maybe next time, his name will be “Hydra” for obvious reasons.
I understand Faik’s confusion as to why teachers are ‘bottom of the barrel’. It’s more the fact that all the good teachers get hammered down by the system and go to a job where the stress and work is less, appreciation is higher, and the pay adequate. There are a few good teachers out there, just like there are a few good priests. Some actually believe in what they’re doing.But, as for Galahad and XXX the method of arguing your point is not too dissimilar to what the school board is doing that you profess to have such profound grievance with. Or is it they just don’t agree with you?
XXX–
Thanks, man. Fake made a mistake this time. He picked a language that Bablefish.org can’t translate. Blew his cover.
Bob–
Uh, wow, that was profound, dude. It was so profound I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.
Whan that Aprille with his shoores sooteThe drought of Marche hath perced to the rooteAnd bathed every veyne in swich liquorThat of virue engendered is the flower . . .
Then longen on folk to go on pilgramages.
I’ll take that one bob.
I think Galahad and XXX are acquitting themselves fine here. The subject was the choice of Corkins. (Who you by the way do not even mention) The talk was of teachers. Now Falk (or whoever he will appear as next) you perhaps? demeans teachers. You pay lip to a system that “hammers down the good teachers, forcing to take better jobs”
bob? Corkins has absolutely no experience in education. (well unless you count trying to dismantle it) He was selected over four other candidates each having extensive education experience, including in classroom. If we need someone who can relate to teachers, I’m not thinking Corkins meets the bill. What say you bob?
And you will forgive XXX Galahad, myself and others our frustration with “Flak” or was it fake…..er falk. It gets a little frustrating dealing with folks who do nothing more than lie (Abrams), change their identities (Connie Morris) and toss bombs. But I gotta go bob. You keep looking for flakes …….er I mean Falks answer to Galahads question. I know I will be.
Sheesh a Turkish immigrant that can’t speak Turkish. Is my memory failing me or wasn’t B August a woman?
Turkmen are not Turks, Galahad. You and your friends show only your ignorance. I do not play your games. I left my country to avoid your kind.
I agree with what you’re saying about Corky, I feel the same. Unfortunately, I can’t in good conscious endorse the manner you all use to argue.
Oh, sh*t that’s rich, Fake!
Puny Boy, I wondered how you were going to finesse your way out of this one.
Thanks for a good laugh, you utter fraud.
Well, Bob,
Since you don’t argue at all, I can understand your hesitation.
Get with it or get out.
Turkman:
http://www.iranchamber.com/people/turkman_tribes_cultural_athletic.php
Heh, nice try. But again the truth raises is unpleasant head–
“The Turkish as spoken in Turkey actually is only one of many Turkic languages, but they are all very closely related and generally speakers of one of these languages can communicate with speakers of another related one. This implies that if you know some (basic) Turkish you can more or less get around all the way from Turkey to Mongolia: in general, in many of the countries along the old Silk Road.”
For instance, the numbers one through ten in Turkish are almost identical to Turkmen.
http://www.xs4all.nl/~iamback/turkic/index.html
Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why doesn’t Puny Augustus just quit with all the fake personas and just post his own point of view like everybody else?
Then we could dispense with all the crap, couldn’t we.
Golly, Galahad’s an expert at all the Turkmen languages, too. Gets his info from a few websites and thinks he can bully Faik with it. I agree with Bob, the trash talk here is bad.
Poor, pitiful, Faik–
I just want him to translate a date into his native language as some evidence that he is who he says he is, and I’m a “bully” and a “trash talker.”
1984 in Spanish “diecinueve otro cuatro.”
How hard is that?
What I love is seeing how the weasel behind Faik has to contort himself dizzy to squirm out of it . . . very entertaining.
Actually it’s “ochenta y cuatro.” Ought to practice Spanish more often . . .