Relocating to Kansas City area

[cp1969]

There is a stink going on in the DeSoto school district. Article in the paper today says the superintendant resigned and in do so, plastered the school board with mud on her way out.

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by cp1969

There is a stink going on in the DeSoto school district. Article in the paper today says the superintendant resigned and in do so, plastered the school board with mud on her way out.

Yeah, there's a stink alright. I don't have all the details, I'm still sifting through the rumors. Word on the street though is that this was a long time coming and that the end result will be a major improvement.

I'll see what I can dig up.

[cp1969]

Well, I hope that what you mean by 'major improvement' isn't the resignation of the superintendant, because our school district hired her.

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by cp1969

Well, I hope that what you mean by 'major improvement' isn't the resignation of the superintendant, because our school district hired her.

Yeah, I see she was immediately hired in Louisburg. Unfortunately, it is her resignation that is being more celebrated than lamented. But again, one has to consider sources and the propensity for rumors. Time will tell I guess ...

We are making plans to move out of the district, but for reasons unrelated to this incident.

[cp1969]

Great. I guess since all my kids are out of school it shouldn't matter to me, but I hate to see the district hire someone who is probably going to be a problem. I also read she was making $161K at DeSoto and unless I miss my guess, she probably will be making more here. Yet another starving educator; almost certainly the highest paid employee in town.

Most people I've talked with were glad to see the last one go and were hoping for an improvement. Sounds like that is questionable.

[TabulaRasa]

Originally Posted by cp1969

Great. I guess since all my kids are out of school it shouldn't matter to me, but I hate to see the district hire someone who is probably going to be a problem. I also read she was making $161K at DeSoto and unless I miss my guess, she probably will be making more here. Yet another starving educator; almost certainly the highest paid employee in town.

Eh, calling an administrator an "educator" can, quite unfortunately, be a serious misnomer, although it shouldn't be. I'm guessing your classroom teachers, the actual educators on the front lines, aren't making $161K-plus a year, eh?

[cp1969]

Originally Posted by TabulaRasa

Eh, calling an administrator an "educator" can, quite unfortunately, be a serious misnomer, although it shouldn't be. I'm guessing your classroom teachers, the actual educators on the front lines, aren't making $161K-plus a year, eh?

No, I'm sure they're not. Which leads to the question: What makes administrators such a valuable commodity?

I keep hearing about how lowly paid teachers are. But other things would lead me to believe otherwise.

For one thing, their salaries are never published, even though they are paid with tax money just like the county sheriff, dog catcher, etc. What's the deal? These people are not overly compensated yet their salaries are public information. For another thing, a few years back (1993) our district ended up booting a teacher who had no more responsibility than teaching driver's ed. His salary at the time? $43K, in 1993. Previously, he'd been the football coach but had either quit or been relieved of that. $43K, sixteen years ago extrapolates to $69K today, given 3% raises. Compared to Wall Street, that ain't big money. But compared to Main Street in the dinky town in which our teachers work? Probably at least 90th percentile pay, if not more.

[TabulaRasa]

Originally Posted by cp1969

No, I'm sure they're not. Which leads to the question: What makes administrators such a valuable commodity?

I keep hearing about how lowly paid teachers are. But other things would lead me to believe otherwise.

For one thing, their salaries are never published, even though they are paid with tax money just like the county sheriff, dog catcher, etc. What's the deal? These people are not overly compensated yet their salaries are public information. For another thing, a few years back (1993) our district ended up booting a teacher who had no more responsibility than teaching driver's ed. His salary at the time? $43K, in 1993. Previously, he'd been the football coach but had either quit or been relieved of that. $43K, sixteen years ago extrapolates to $69K today, given 3% raises. Compared to Wall Street, that ain't big money. But compared to Main Street in the dinky town in which our teachers work? Probably at least 90th percentile pay, if not more.

See, this is interesting, because I moved here from a neighboring state, where every teacher and administrator salary in any public school in the state is, in fact, published on a publicly searchable database, by name, expressly because they're publicly funded jobs. All of the information was also available in print to any person attending school board meetings, which were open to the public. My hometown district (similar in size to your town, I believe) currently starts new teachers without master's degrees at $27K. Which, in a small rural community, is liveable, but not much beyond. I currently make less than that in my current teaching position in KCMO proper right now, but you couldn't search that, anyway, because it's in a specialized private school, not public.