TOPEKA, Kan. — Gov. Laura Kelly on Thursday called on Kansas' top public school administrator to resign following reports that he made an inappropriate remark during a recent conference.
Kelly said in a statement about Education Commissioner Randy Watson that the State Board of Education "must take issues of derogatory and discriminatory language seriously." The 10-member elected board appoints the commissioner to run the State Department of Education.
The state board scheduled a special meeting for Friday, and its agenda says only that it will have a session closed to the public to discuss personnel matters and consult with its attorney.
But board member Ann Mah, a Topeka Democrat, told The Topeka Capital-Journal that Watson made what she called an inappropriate remark during a conference and informed her of it afterward.
Watson did not immediately respond to a request for an interview Thursday morning made through the department.
He became commissioner in November 2014 after serving as superintendent of McPherson's public schools. As commissioner, Watson has pushed for a redesign of the state's public schools to place more emphasis on personalized learning and better preparing students for adult work.
Kelly said Watson has had a long career in "advocating for children" but, "There is no question that Randy Watson must resign his position immediately."
