Do Texas Schools Spend Too Much on Administration?
by Morgan Smith2/25/2011
Reference Material
Texas Superintendent Salaries 2009-10 CSV (96.8 KB) download
Beaumont Independent School District is the 64th largest in Texas. It is also the home of the state’s highest-paid public school administrator. Superintendent Carrol Thomas takes home $346,778 annually — a fact that could soon bring an uncomfortable spotlight to the community.
For lawmakers scrutinizing every possible saving, the broad category of “administrative costs” presents an easy mark.
State Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston and the vice chairman of the Senate Education Committee, called the 58,575 people employed in nonteaching support positions by Texas public schools —”your math department supervisors, your curriculum experts” — a "soft target" for budget cutters. Those positions “must be seriously addressed,” he said. “That number is not based on reality.”
According to Patrick, the ratio of teachers to nonteachers, which includes those employed in administrative and support capacities, in districts has grown to nearly 1 to 1 today from 4 to 1 in the 1970s.
For new state Rep. Rodney Anderson, R-Grand Prairie, the number of school districts in Texas is a prime example of out-of-control administrative costs. He has said the state should look at consolidating districts. State Rep. Fred Brown, R-Bryan, has introduced a bill that would combine districts within counties.
Still, Patrick cites a staggering statistic — Texas school districts are the fifth largest employers in the world — to suggest there is plenty opportunity for slimming down.
“As the old saying goes,” he said, “when I start seeing districts’ firing assistant football coaches, then I’ll really know that they’ll have a lean budget.”
http://www.texastribune.org/texas-education/public-education/do-texas-schools-spend-too-much-on-administration/print/
School superintendents are like the CEOs of big companies. They are paid outrageous sums way beyond what they are worth and are a true detriment to Texas school system. TEA is almost as worthless as far as enforcing the rules--no teeth to correct abuses. School superintendents in many cases are the king or queen over their own little kingdom and do whatever they want with no one to stop them. Especially if they pander to the local school board. This is wrong! Texas needs to fix this now and quit wasting my hard-earned taxpayer money on these overpaid public servants. Teachers and others in the education system earn their money. Superintendents should too.
ReplyDeleteWhy are we laying off teachers instead of downsizing the Regional Service Centers? What can the Service centers really provide that educators can't get directly from TEA? Also, talking about perks --- while educators are getting laid off --- China Spring Superintendent took a pay raise this Christmas! The reaction by school districts seems to be to lay off intervention aides and teachers that directly work with the kids while rewarding those already receiving too much! How do you keep your job in Texas? Be a superintendent or coach! TAKS scores should be really great for the next few years!
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