“What’s the Matter with Kansans Valuing Tax Cuts above Education?” KCK School Superintendent Cynthia Lane asks in her blog.
“Have we considered the ramifications of these actions on our communities and way of life?
Perhaps Kansas is comfortable accelerating a system of the “haves” and “have nots.”
When it comes to the “haves” Ms. Lane is clearly among them. Lane, who came to this writer’s attention for her purchase of a $47,000 piano for Sumner Academy, makes a cool $234, 971 excluding her generous benefits package.
According to the most recently posted statistics, Sam Brownback makes less than half of what Lane does at $110,000 a year. The Chief Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court makes $139,000 a year, nearly $100,000 a year less than Lane.
State Treasurer Ron Estes makes $82,000 a year. Secretary of State Kris Kobach makes $86,000 a year.
In the way of background, Lane got her bachelors and masters at Pittsburg State and a doctorate in special ed at the University of Kansas. By contrast, Kobach graduated summa cum laude from Harvard, earned a doctorate at Oxford, and a law degree from Yale and yet still makes nearly $150,000 a year less than Lane.
Cynthia Lane
The average school teacher makes $46,000 a year. Even using Common Core math, that is less than one-fifth of what Lane makes.
It is not as if the KCK District looked far and wide to find Lane. She has worked there all of her career, starting as a special ed teacher. Even if the District cut her salary by $100,000 she would still be out earning the governor.
These considerations did not stop Lane, of course, from testifying before a three-judge panel that the state was not meeting its constitutional requirements to fund Kansas schools–or the Lane lifestyle.
“What I do know is that Kansans need to carefully consider the implications of the decisions that will be made as a result of the school finance debate,” says Lane. “Preparing our kids for their futures is clearly at stake. It’s Up to Us.”
If the kids’ future is really up to us, Cynthia, how about kicking a little back?
Rich Steele is a citizen journalist and head of the NSAAS (Non-Smokers Against Anti-Smoking).
Brownback receives a salary? Insult to injury…
The most important vote you cast is for school board members. My numbers are old but education is #2 after the military in spending. I’m sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.
Better a piano than a new football scoreboard. No?
In Delaware County, PA all the school boards were interconnected in incestuous relationships where a board member here was the legal counsel there.
Of course if you have ever been a school board member who puts education as your top priority, you tend to get frustrated and lonely.
Here’s a question for you, Steele. How many guys with Kobach’s educational pedigree choose to accept a job that pays $86K year? I make far more money than that with only a high school education.
Now, why would he do that? I think you know the answer.
Is governor really a good comparison. Is she given free housing, car and driver, etc.? And if Kansas is paying Kobach a dime that is too much IMO.
Reminds me of the story about Babe Ruth when he was asked how he felt about the fact that he made more money than President Herbert Hoover. He replied that he had a better year than Hoover did.