maile

BY KEVIN WRIGHT, The Olathe News

Robert Maile will retire as superintendent of the Kansas School for the
Deaf at the end of the school year.

His announcement last week came on the heels of the State Board of
Education’s decision to have one superintendent for both KSD and the
Kansas School for the Blind in Kansas City, Kan.

That decision is the byproduct of both schools safely emerging from the
threat of closure by the Governor’s Facilities Closure and Realignment
Committee.

Maile’s decision to retire, however, was not based on the board’s
decision.

“I actually postponed it a bit because of the impending closure decision,”
he said.

He stayed because he thought his retirement could affect the outcome of
the committee’s recommendation to Gov. Mark Parkinson, who was looking for
budget savings by closing some state facilities.

“Now that they’ve decided, I can go ahead with my plans,” Maile said.

Maile had no aspirations as a college student to teach in the field of
deaf education. However, when he graduated from college as a math and
chemistry teacher the Michigan School for the Deaf needed instructors.

“I didn’t know any deaf people,” he said. “I went and visited and it was
interesting to me.”

That visit led to a 47-year career as an instructor and administrator in
deaf schools and programs.

Maile moved to Olathe in 1989 to begin work as Director of Instructional
Services at KSD. He was an assistant superintendent at the Oklahoma School
for the Deaf when he was hired.

“One of the reasons I came here was the deaf community in Johnson County
and Olathe is very active and involved in the school,” he said.

Another accomplishment is the increase in teacher salaries to where
they’re only one year behind teachers in the Olathe school district.

Maile said the discrepancy was something he hadn’t experienced until
coming to Kansas.

“Most special education teachers in other states were paid more than their
counterparts,” he said.

He was glad his efforts and those of the school caught on with state
legislators, especially Olathe Rep. Arlen Siegfreid, who spearheaded a law
to bring about pay equality for special education teachers.

And he’s most proud of leaving KSD intact. He has confidence KSB
superintendent Madeleine Burkindine, who will become superintendent for
both schools upon Maile’s retirement, will represent KSD well.

“If Ms. Burkindine and I had our way, it wouldn’t happen, the schools
would each have a superintendent,” he said.

He thinks the move will be positive for the school, given the alternative
of closure. The downside, he said, is Burkindine will not have time to
become involved in the community while running both schools.

“I enjoyed being involved with chamber, the city and the community,” he
said. “I will miss it.”