UG approves Wizards project, but…
EDITOR’S COMMENTARY
NEW DEVELOPMENT IS NICE, BUT FOCUS SHOULD SHIFT TO EDUCATION. by Wayne Hodges
KANSAS CITY, KS – If there was ever a concern the Cerner Corp/Kansas City Wizards project would end up in Kansas City, Kan., it has been put to rest. The Unified Government of Wyandotte County erased all doubt by approving the highly coveted $400 million stadium project originally destined for neighboring Jackson County. The colossal coup is expected to deliver an incredible 4,000 new healthcare technology jobs at Cerner, in addition to several thousand jobs at the Wizards sports complex. Like J.J. Evans used to say: “It’s DYNOMITE!” It should also be noted; the jobs at Cerner will pay an average salary of $54,000. Outstanding!
Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson agreed wholeheartedly with the approval and granted his blessing. “I applaud the work of Mayor Reardon, the Wyandotte County Commissioners, Secretary Thornton and the entire team at the Department of Commerce for bringing thousands of jobs to Kansas and helping our state get back on track,” said Parkinson. “The proposal we offered was responsible and did not overreach; as a result, we were successful.” Last year, I wrote an article for the Kansas City Star begging the Unified Government to recruit companies that offer more competitive salaries. Why? Most of the stores and shops at the Legends of Village West offer moderate wages; somewhere in the $7.00 to $10.00 per hour range. Not good enough.
Cindy Cash of KCK Chamber of Commerce
According to citydata.com, the median income of Kansas City, Kansas residents is a measly $36,000; compared to $48,000 for the rest of Kansas. So, as you can tell, there is a serious problem. My editorial, though positive in intent, received vicious criticism from the Kansas City Kansas Chamber of Commerce. Chamber President Cindy Cash (pictured above) issued a rebuttal through the Star; pronouncing yours truly as an opponent to new development at Village West. Cash’s assumption is certainly not true. The goal of the column was simply to generate fair, public discussion on effective ways to improve KCK income (to view Cindy’s article, click here).
Obviously, the migration of Cerner, in addition to Sara Lee Corp, is a step in the right direction. Now the focus should shift to an area that deserves emergency attention: EDUCATION. Folks, I understand the problems that plague KCK Public Schools are the responsibility of the school board. I get that. However, a surreal situation exists in KCK. If you’re familiar with Unified School District #500, you understand a paradigm shift is in order. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of residents have relocated in recent years with hopes of enrolling their children in what are perceived to be better school districts (specifically Johnson, Jackson and Leavenworth counties).
Heck, I’ve even heard stories about KCK residents falsifying their property addresses just to send their kids to schools located outside the district. Pretty sad. Through the years, the diffusion of residents has increased the tax burden on those brave souls who decided to stay. And, as many of you are painfully aware, Wyandotte County has evolved into one of the highest taxed jurisdictions this side of the Mississippi. Resident defections have also yielded a negative impact on the new housing market as several real estate developers continue to struggle to sell homes. Yes, the mill levy has decreased over 25% since 1997. Proponents of new retail development will argue that point til they’re blue in the face.
However, property values in KCK have doubled and tripled during the same stretch; resulting in even more taxes for an income-challenged populace. Financial futility, like most things in life, is also at the core of the school district’s problem. To obtain maximum funding, KCK schools are forced to meet attendance quotas involving student head counts. In other words, mo’ kids means mo’ money. The byproduct of this flawed educational method equates to classrooms being dominated by ‘class clowns,’ over-matched teachers and poor standardized test scores. Ok, I know what you’re thinking. What the hell does this have to do with Unified Government? Take a chill pill. I’ll explain.
Joe Clark shook up the New Jersey school district
The UG has the power, and apparently the unique ability to obtain capital, to lend a helping hand to the school district. It seems every time I look up, the county is approving some type of multi-million dollar retail/entertainment development. What about education? Besides, a generous donation and/or influx of additional revenue would give educators more wiggle room to discipline their students. This is what made ‘Crazy Joe Clark’ (pictured above) so successful in Michael Schiffer’s 1989 hit film “Lean on Me.” Clark, in an effort to protect his prized students, suspended/expelled the minority of misfits who weren’t learning anyway.
KCK Schools could benefit from implementing a similar scholastic strategy but can’t because student attendance is mandatory to secure state funding. Catch my drift? Mayor Reardon, the Board of Commissioners, County Administrator Dennis Hays, if any of you read this article, please schedule a meeting with school board officials at your earliest convenience and offer some form of monetary assistance. Our kids and our future depends on it.
*** To view this article on the Examiner, click here ***
Wayne Hodges, an MBA from St. Mary University, is the Editor-in-Chief of “Mass Appeal News.” He is also an adjunct professor, MPA at Kansas University, and intern with the Kansas Senate. Wayne welcomes your comments at whodges@massappealnews.com
To see a report on financially-strained school districts, click the arrow.
January 23rd, 2010 at 9:33 am
Hodges I love the nature of your article. I do believe we are asking alot to get the Unified Governtment involved. I dont see them issuing funds to help a struggling school district. I hope I am wrong but I think the UG has its own agenda. The school board is pretty much on its own.
January 23rd, 2010 at 12:19 pm
Wayne I am really impressed with your work. You dont cease to amaze me. Keep up the good work! Your articles are real and to the point.
January 24th, 2010 at 9:41 am
I do agree that more emphasis should be placed on improving the school district. But I dont think we should leave it up to the Unified Govt. I think we need to get more parents involved in the education of their children. It would be nice to see the Unified Govt pitch in, but I would not hold my breath.
January 25th, 2010 at 6:20 am
I must agree with E. Davis. I would be shocked if the UG got involved. The idea is noble but far-fetched. Mrs. Davis talked about the need for parents to get involved. And I agree 100%. The public school system will not improve until parents are held accountable for their children’s failures. We are quick to blame the school board and administrators while the parents get a free pass.
January 25th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
GREAT ARTICLE!!! If there is money available to build stores then there should be plenty of cash to improve schools. Time 4 people to get their priorities straight.
January 25th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Wayne you opened a brilliant perspective to a complicated situation. Thats why i love your work. Nice story!
January 26th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
good blog post…very informative…good use of information
January 26th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Mr. Wayne Hodges,
Good Afternoon! What a refreshing and fantastic Article. It was very enlightening!!! I only have 30 minutes of a lunch break and that article was well worth it. Your e-mail is on-time and REAL! I could feel it!!!!! I strongly felt someone is observing and talking about the “happenings” of Wyandotte County. Now.. I am wondering with tax payers paying to vehicle tags- What is the update of the person taking the money tax payers are paying for vehicle tags- WHO IS IT? and what is being done! People are being stopped and viewing information of their tags, only to find out- they did pay for tagas BUT not registered into the system. How about that???
And by the way, I see your credentials, I have my Master @ K-State U and Teaching Job Readiness and Employment SKills- always seeking opportunities as a Trainer of you know of any Reliable companies. I had to throw that out there!
Thank you for a great article and Have a Wonderful remaining Day!!!
January 28th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
hodges your article is on point but nobody cares about schools in the urban community. this nonsense with public schools has been going on for years now and nobody has done a damn thang to rectify the situation.
February 1st, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Wayne this is why I love your work. You keep it real and put it out there.
February 15th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
i do think more money would help these schools but we need parents to start puttin PRESSURE on these teachers to do the jobs they are paid to do. these teachers are gettin a free pass because parents wont attend conferences or check up on they children. why should a teacher care about your kids education if you dont????
February 17th, 2010 at 10:08 am
we need parents to put more pressure on their kids. If you create an educational expectation in the children, when they get to school, trust me they will move their teachers to the next level. They will have an expectation to learn and will be willing to point out learning distractions. Keeps the teachers from slacking off. Trust me it works.