Topeka ? Two people prominent in conservative political circles – one of whom lacks any education experience – are among the finalists for the job of state education commissioner.

The announcement Wednesday by the State Board of Education raised anew charges that conservatives on the board have rigged the search for Kansas’ top public school official.

“The board majority appears determined to politicize a position that has never been a political position before, which is unfortunate and not in the best interests of Kansas children,” said John Martellaro, president of Kansas Families United for Public Education.

Board Chairman Steve Abrams, a conservative Republican from Arkansas City, denied politics was a part of the process.

“But do I want someone who agrees with us philosophically? Of course, we’d like to do that,” Abrams said.

Conservatives, who hold a 6-4 majority over moderates on the board, have gained international attention in recent months for approving science standards that criticize evolution. Conservative board members also want to make it easier for parents to take their children out of sex education classes.

The commissioner finalists selected from 20 applicants are Bob Corkins, executive director of Kansas Legislative Education and Research Inc.; G. Daniel Harden, an education professor at Washburn University; Milt Dougherty, superintendent of the Little River school district; Alexa Posny, deputy commissioner of education; and Kurt Steinhaus, deputy cabinet secretary of education in New Mexico.

The board is seeking a replacement for Andy Tompkins, who resigned earlier this year and is now an associate professor at Kansas University.

The board has scheduled interviews of the finalists for Sunday and Monday.

Conservative spokesman

Corkins, of Lawrence, is a longtime conservative operative who provides research and policy positions for legislators.

He has actively opposed recent increases in school funding and spoken out against the Kansas Supreme Court for declaring the school finance system unconstitutional and ordering more funding. He also favors school vouchers.

Corkins has no experience in the education profession, but said that wasn’t a shortcoming because he is an expert on school finance, which is one of the major policy issues before state officials.

“With all humility, I don’t think there is a candidate better qualified,” Corkins said.

Harden, the Washburn professor, also serves as vice president of the Jefferson West school board in Meriden. He has served as a principal and teacher and has helped planning for several private schools, according to a short bio of him provided by the State Department of Education.

He is known at Washburn as a strong conservative and is a friend of Abrams. His Web site – www.washburn.edu/cas/education/dharden – provides numerous links to conservative Web sites.

The Web site starts with “Traditional Education in the Year of Our Lord 2005.” And it quotes 19th century French poet Charles Paquay saying, “We will never know how many acts of cowardice have been motivated by the fear of appearing not sufficiently progressive.”

Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka said he was surprised to see Corkins’ name among the finalists.

“The last thing we would want is a commissioner with an anti-education bias,” Hensley said. “It would be like putting Phill Kline in charge of Planned Parenthood,” he said, referring to Kansas’ attorney general, who opposes abortion.

Corkins denied he was anti-education but said Kansas public school spending has been too much over the past few years.

Process under fire

Board member Bill Wagon, a Democrat from Topeka whose district includes Lawrence, declined to comment on the individual finalists.

“We have a number of viable candidates,” he said.

The process of hiring a new commissioner has been under fire.

Last week, the conservative members of the board increased the weight given to applicants for civic, political and business experience.

After that decision, the National Association of State Boards of Education, which had been hired to help with the search, dropped out of the process.

Several conservative board members criticized NASBE of not doing a good job.

NASBE executive director Benda Lilenthal Welburn responded, saying the reason the organization dropped out was because board members had taken applications of candidates “out of a controlled environment.”

She said that “violates the most fundamental principles of personnel practices.” Abrams denied the board did anything improper.

In June, the board tried to hire a replacement for Tompkins and had narrowed the search to two people, including Posny, but failed to reach agreement. It then decided to reopen the application process.