Kathy Cox
Encyclopedia
Kathy Cox is a former superintendent
of public schools for the U.S. state
of Georgia
, and is a Republican
. A high school teacher by occupation, Cox also served two terms, from 1998 to 2002, in the Georgia General Assembly
, representing Peachtree City
, Georgia, prior to her election as superintendent in 2002. Cox sought re-election in 2006, defeating Democratic challenger Denise Majette
(a former U.S. representative), earning almost 60 percent of the vote.
Cox is not related to Cathy Cox
, a Democrat
who was Georgia's elected secretary of state
from 1999 until 2007. The similarity in names became the subject of mostly humorous news stories in 2002, when Kathy Cox's defeated opponent, Barbara Christmas, complained that she had lost because of voter confusion between the two Coxes.
On September 5, 2008, Cox became the first million-dollar winner on the American television game show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
Her final question was, "Who was the longest reigning British monarch?" Cox correctly answered Queen Victoria. Cox intended to donate all her winnings to three schools in Georgia: Georgia Academy for the Blind in Macon
, Atlanta Area School for the Deaf in Clarkston
, and Georgia School for the Deaf in Cave Spring
. All three schools are under the auspices of the Georgia Board of Education. These plans were affected by her personal bankruptcy in late 2008.
In May 2010, she announced her resignation effective July 1, 2010 in order to take a position as CEO of a new non-profit
U.S. Education Delivery Institute in Washington D.C. She will no longer seek a third term in office. Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue appointed Brad Bryant
as the interim State School Superintendent until a replacement (John Barge- Republican) was elected in November 2010.
" from Georgia textbooks and replace it with the phrase "biological changes over time." In justifying her decision, she claimed evolution was a buzzword
that created problems for teachers in conservative and rural areas, and that she had not been attempting to water down the subject matter. Among those criticizing the proposal were former President Jimmy Carter
–a Georgia resident, a Democrat and a well-known Baptist
–saying he was "..embarrassed by Superintendent Kathy Cox's attempt to censor and distort the education of Georgia's students... there can be no incompatibility between Christian faith and proven facts concerning geology, biology, and astronomy."
due to the failure of the husband's home construction business, listing $3.5 million in debt and $650,000 in assets. The bankruptcy also affected the money won for the schools on Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader. Fidelity Investments
, the investor charged in creating a fund for the donor schools, donated the winnings back to Fox
in December 2008 from the schools, putting the prize money in jeopardy.
On August 19, 2009, protesters representing deaf and blind children picketed the office of bankruptcy attorney Gary W. Brown in Newnan
, over his efforts to take control of the winnings. According to Brown, the winnings belong to the bankruptcy estate, and should be used to pay back creditors.
In October of 2010, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge W. Homer Drake signed off on an agreement to split the $1 million winnings into two equal parts: one half for creditors and the other half for the three state-run schools for the blind and deaf.
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
of public schools for the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, and is a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. A high school teacher by occupation, Cox also served two terms, from 1998 to 2002, in the Georgia General Assembly
Georgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
, representing Peachtree City
Peachtree City, Georgia
Peachtree City is a city in Fayette County, Georgia, United States.Census estimates in 2005 indicated a population of 34,524. In 2007, the city announced a plan to formally annex an unincorporated area between Georgia State Route 74 and the border with Coweta County that is commonly referred to as...
, Georgia, prior to her election as superintendent in 2002. Cox sought re-election in 2006, defeating Democratic challenger Denise Majette
Denise Majette
Denise L. Majette is a Democratic U.S. politician from the state of Georgia.Born in Brooklyn, she attended Yale University and completed a Juris Doctor degree at Duke University in 1979...
(a former U.S. representative), earning almost 60 percent of the vote.
Cox is not related to Cathy Cox
Cathy Cox
Lera Catharine "Cathy" Cox is a Georgia politician, a member of the Democratic Party, the former Secretary of State of Georgia, and a candidate for Governor of Georgia in 2006...
, a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
who was Georgia's elected secretary of state
Secretary of state of Georgia
The secretary of state of the U.S. state of Georgia is an elected official with a wide variety of responsibilities, including supervising elections and maintaining public records....
from 1999 until 2007. The similarity in names became the subject of mostly humorous news stories in 2002, when Kathy Cox's defeated opponent, Barbara Christmas, complained that she had lost because of voter confusion between the two Coxes.
On September 5, 2008, Cox became the first million-dollar winner on the American television game show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? is a television game show format based on asking grade-school level questions to adults, hosted by Jeff Foxworthy...
Her final question was, "Who was the longest reigning British monarch?" Cox correctly answered Queen Victoria. Cox intended to donate all her winnings to three schools in Georgia: Georgia Academy for the Blind in Macon
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
, Atlanta Area School for the Deaf in Clarkston
Clarkston, Georgia
Clarkston is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 7,554 at the 2010 census. The city is home to the central campus of Georgia Perimeter College....
, and Georgia School for the Deaf in Cave Spring
Cave Spring, Georgia
Cave Spring is a city in Floyd County, Georgia, United States. It is located south of Rome, Georgia. The population was 975 at the 2000 census. It is part of the 'Rome, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The name of town was named after its cave and water spring hence "Cave Spring". The...
. All three schools are under the auspices of the Georgia Board of Education. These plans were affected by her personal bankruptcy in late 2008.
In May 2010, she announced her resignation effective July 1, 2010 in order to take a position as CEO of a new non-profit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
U.S. Education Delivery Institute in Washington D.C. She will no longer seek a third term in office. Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue appointed Brad Bryant
William Bradley Bryant
William Bradley "Brad" Bryant was appointed superintendent of public schools for the U.S. state of Georgia by Gov. Sonny Perdue in 2010, filling the vacancy left by the resignation of Kathy Cox...
as the interim State School Superintendent until a replacement (John Barge- Republican) was elected in November 2010.
Evolution controversy
Cox made national news in 2004 by proposing to strike the word "evolutionEvolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
" from Georgia textbooks and replace it with the phrase "biological changes over time." In justifying her decision, she claimed evolution was a buzzword
Buzzword
A buzzword is a term of art, salesmanship, politics, or technical jargon that is used in the media and wider society outside of its originally narrow technical context....
that created problems for teachers in conservative and rural areas, and that she had not been attempting to water down the subject matter. Among those criticizing the proposal were former President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
–a Georgia resident, a Democrat and a well-known Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
–saying he was "..embarrassed by Superintendent Kathy Cox's attempt to censor and distort the education of Georgia's students... there can be no incompatibility between Christian faith and proven facts concerning geology, biology, and astronomy."
Personal bankruptcy
On November 17, 2008, Cox and her husband declared Chapter 7 bankruptcyChapter 7, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 7 of the Title 11 of the United States Code governs the process of liquidation under the bankruptcy laws of the United States...
due to the failure of the husband's home construction business, listing $3.5 million in debt and $650,000 in assets. The bankruptcy also affected the money won for the schools on Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader. Fidelity Investments
Fidelity Investments
FMR LLC or Fidelity Investments is an American multinational financial services corporation one of the largest mutual fund and financial services groups in the world. It was founded in 1946 and serves North American investors. Fidelity Ventures is its venture capital arm...
, the investor charged in creating a fund for the donor schools, donated the winnings back to Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in December 2008 from the schools, putting the prize money in jeopardy.
On August 19, 2009, protesters representing deaf and blind children picketed the office of bankruptcy attorney Gary W. Brown in Newnan
Newnan, Georgia
Newnan is a city in Coweta County, Georgia, about 30 miles southwest of Atlanta. The population was 16,242 at the 2000 Census. Newnan is one of the fastest growing cities in Georgia, with an estimated population of 27,097 in 2006 and 33,293 in July 2008...
, over his efforts to take control of the winnings. According to Brown, the winnings belong to the bankruptcy estate, and should be used to pay back creditors.
In October of 2010, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge W. Homer Drake signed off on an agreement to split the $1 million winnings into two equal parts: one half for creditors and the other half for the three state-run schools for the blind and deaf.