Pay comparisons unfair

The recent criticisms about the “very high salary of $240,000 per year” for the new superintendent of Spokane’s school district are unfair because the arguments are compared with other government employees (governor, state attorney general).

The fact of the matter is that our superintendents throughout the greater Spokane school districts are serving as chief executive officers for the most important enterprise in our country: education. If their salaries were compared to college sports coaches in our state (e.g., over $2 million for WSU football coach) and CEOs with comparable responsibilities in the corporate world, then their salaries would actually be “very low.”

Furthermore, the school boards that are being criticized approving these salaries are comprised of business people and other professionals who understand the value of recruiting and retaining talented CEOs to lead our school districts with competitive salary packages.

These board members are also taxpayers who make salary decisions for superintendents. Our state and local budgets should always reflect the cost of education at the top of the priority list to assure a strong future for education in Washington and the positive outcome it will have for our economy.

Wes Teterud

Spokane Valley