Brownback misstates difference in pay for Kansas, Missouri teachers

TOPEKA — Gov. Sam Brownback incorrectly contended Friday that Kansas was spending more than $7,000 more on the average teacher than Missouri.

The governor said the average Kansas teacher makes $54,907, which he said was $7,060 more than the average teacher in Missouri. But his numbers did not compare the same things, despite repeated assurances from him and his staff that they did.

“I think we need more facts in the education debate. … This is your average teacher salary between the two states and I think it’s worthy of presentation so people can get a factual setting of what’s taking place,” Brownback said at a news conference, with a large chart displaying the difference behind him.

The governor said when pressed that his number included salary and benefits. His policy director, Brandon Smith, called it an “apples to apples” comparison with numbers from both states’ departments of education.

However, Missouri does not require districts to report the cost of teachers’ benefits, so its number includes only teachers’ take-home salaries, said Nancy Bowles, spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Education.

For the most recent school year, the average Missouri teacher earned $48,483, Bowles said. In Kansas, looking at salary only, the average teacher earned $47,550.

Brownback's office attributed the mistake to the states defining pay and benefits differently. Missouri includes summertime pay in its figure, while Kansas considers that a fringe benefit. If the summertime pay is added for Kansas teachers, that bumps their average salary to $49,738.

That means Kansas teachers do earn more than their Missouri counterparts, but the gap is not as wide as Brownback originally said it was.

The governor shared the numbers in response to news reports that teachers are leaving Kansas for other states.

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, a public school teacher, criticized the governor for the mistake.

He’s not making an ‘apples to apples’ comparison at all and he’s not dealing with the facts. He’s dealing with deception,” Hensley said. “Once again, trying to make the case better than it really is.”

This story was originally published July 24, 2015 at 5:08 PM with the headline "Brownback misstates difference in pay for Kansas, Missouri teachers."