ShawneeDispatch.com

To the Editor:

I was overwhelmed to read in the April 15 issue of The De Soto Explorer a letter from state Senator Kay O'Connor.

As a mother of two college-age women, I can guarantee you that if I heard them discuss on the telephone or write a friend about the contents of a personal phone conservation without the second person's permission, they would be given a lesson in etiquette.

I wouldn't expect this behavior from a professional person elected to serve in Topeka. It's about as unprofessional as I can imagine.

Our superintendent, Dr. Sharon Zoellner, is worth every dime of her income. I know small business owners who have far less responsibility and nothing as important as the education of our most valuable resource in their hands, who make a lot more money than Dr. Zoellner. With her background and education, Dr. Zoellner could easily make twice as much in the private sector.

In corporate America, outcomes are valued over the bottom line. That's how they stay in business. Dr. Zoellner has a proven track record of turning out students who have character and are able to think and reason.

As a private citizen, I am concerned about education. Although mandated by the federal government, Congress has never fully funded No Child Left Behind. Our schools are struggling to provide quality education for all the children of Kansas. SAT and Act scores have dropped in the last couple of years. Kansas students have regularly finished third or fourth despite the state spending less than the other states in the top 10. Now we have dropped to seventh or eighth.

Sen. O'Connor seems to think educating students should be done without federal dollars, yet less than 3 cents of every tax dollar goes to education. Five cents goes to the salaries of people in government like Sen. O'Connor.

I would think we could cut back on her income and perks and give that money to our kids. About a year ago, the senator suggested that superintendents in Kansas were paid far too much and the values of their homes were printed in the newspaper. What is the value of the O'Connor home? How about the perks she receives? What is the income of her personal and private staff?

Sen. O'Connor is a public figure and costs me money. I would rather see my dollars go to the children of Kansas. De Soto's representative in the Kansas House, Rob Boyer of Olathe, is running against Sen. O'Connor for the Republican nomination for the Kansas 9th Senate District. Boyer is a supporter of education and cares about the children in Kansas.

If you are not a registered voter, do so. If you are registered for another party, change your status so you can vote in the Aug. 2 Republican primary and vote for Boyer. If you already are a registered Republican, vote for someone who won't be an embarrassment to Kansas. Vote for Rob Boyer. I know I will.

Peggy Newton

De Soto