Endorsements for Wempe

Jack Wempe, who opposes creationist Board member Ken Willard, gets two endorsements from Republicans. Donna Viola, who attempted to unseat Willard in the primary, says that Wempe "truly cares about educating our kids in this state," and that this is not sour grapes. "What the current majority of our State BOE has done and is continuing to do has undermined the intelligence of our kids in this state!"

Sue Greenleaf, a party-line Republican voter, also writes to endorse Wempe.

There was a time that I would have never considered [endorsing a Democrat] and would consider anyone who did a traitor to their party. However, that was when the party's focus and base was much broader than it is now.

As an active Republican, I am choosing to support a conservative Democrat in an attempt to broaden our base to its former foundation. … [M]ore generally I am comfortable supporting Jack Wempe because I do not believe it is in the best interest of the students and children of our state to consider public education a political issue. Considering the educational needs of the children of Kansas, we need a general, bipartisan effort.

Among Willard's mistakes, hiring Bob Corkins as Commissioner of Education. I'm told that the Wichita school system has asked him and his consultants not to visit, because every time they do, they propose a bunch of ideas that are already implemented, or that were tried and failed.

He handed out thousands of dollars to any random person who said they wanted to help with charter schools. He hired a right-wing hack as a press secretary, who used his brief tenure to rag on all the people (most of Kansas) who opposed the bogus science standards.

Wempe is looking for people to put up signs and to help volunteer on election day, so go help him out if you can.