Corkins, Morris not well-received in tour out west (awwww!)

[atommom]

Topeka — Education Commissioner Bob Corkins and State Board of Education member Connie Morris promoted charter schools on a two-day tour of western Kansas that ended Tuesday.

But the subject didn’t go over so well, according to folks who attended the meetings.

“It was not a warm and fuzzy meeting at all,” said Marvin Selby, superintendent of the Goodland school district.

“We certainly found out what their agenda is,” said Wes Fox, a history teacher at Liberal High School. “It is to promote charter schools.”

The state education board has come under fire from many quarters for hiring Corkins, whose background is in conservative activism and as an opponent of public schools. He has no professional education experience.

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/nov/16/corkins_morris_not_wellreceived_tour_out_west/?education

[atommom]

1. Found several interesting posts on this trip here:

http://redstaterabble.blogspot.com/

Corkins and Morris arrived right at 8:00 pm at the Fort Hays State University Memorial Union. They were greeted by folks holding a wide variety of less-than-welcoming signs:

· (No) Morris 2006
· (No) Vouchers
· (No) Supernatural Science
· The Religious Right is Wrong
· KBOE: Kansas Board of Evangelism
· KSDE: Kansas Still Doesn’t Evolve
· We didn’t Elect You, Corkins!
· Teach Science, Not Intelligent Design
· What’s Wrong With Kansas? – Morris & Corkins
· Teach Science in School, Religion in the Home

This 30-minute session was billed as a meet and greet by the Kansas State Department of Education, and as an introduction of Education Commissioner Bob Corkins to western Kansas. When Morris bragged that the new science standards, just adopted, were designed to encourage kids to think critically about evolution, she was greeted with hisses from the audience.

Corkins, whose bio would have classified him as at-risk said he’s a product of public schools and talked approvingly of his chemistry teacher who told him that quantum mechanics is “just a theory,” to which someone in the audience responded, “so is gravity.”

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. A HA!

Check out this response from Corkins:
"These vouchers are only designed for at-risk and special education students."

This is their latest tactic. They think they can appeal to the parents of the neediest and least able. And the other parents will never speak up to prevent these kids from getting royally screwed. Giving these 'special' kids vouchers will get them out of the way. Everyone wins in the sick twisted minds of the RW.

Which group of kids will suffer the most if they are removed from public schools? Which group needs good public schools the most?

Damn I hate these assholes more every day.

[beyurslf]

3. Those special needs kids are the very ones that won't be accepted

by the private schools the vouchers are intended for. Those schools don't want to have to comply with federal laws regarding special education and IEPs.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Some of the charters are targeting those kids

and aiming their programs at them. It is sad. The few in this area that are trying to serve mainly special needs kids are failing miserably. The big problem is that special ed kids need non-disabled peers to make optimal progress. So putting them all together in one school won't accomplish anything positive for them.

Most special ed teachers realize this so the charters are hiring teachers who aren't certified in special ed. It is a recipe for disaster.