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As test scores plummet or stay stagnant in U.S. public schools, the usual cries from public school advocates are " we need more money." It's the same strident call we have heard since I started in education in the late 70's. Remember this bumper sticker? (you can STILL buy it online!)
That bumper sticker was usually placed next to a "Coexist" bumper sticker or some other silly progressive saying.
As a thirty-year employee of the schools who was a teacher and administrator, that bumper sticker promotes the big lie that U.S. public schools have always been underfunded. They are not underfunded. The funding they get is frivolously and poorly distributed to personnel and programs that are useless and ineffective. Even grant funds, which many schools apply for and rely on, are granted for programs that sound good on the outside but do nothing to help students achieve. Once those grants are done, school systems are left with superfluous staff who are no longer paid for by grants.
However, as in many government bureaucracies, funding is used as a way to not only overpay staff whose existence is often not based on a real need or function, but it is also a way to grow a political base that will keep certain people in positions of power. For example, look at the recent decision by Baltimore City to sign their CEO of schools in her position:
Baltimore City School Board approves contract extension through June 2026 for CEO
After eight years with current CEO, have Baltimore City schools improved?
Despite the fact that Baltimore City has schools where zero percent of students are proficient in math and or reading and the fact that they graduate students who haven't set foot in a school all year, Dr. Sonja Santelises will continue to earn her salary of $414,074 a year, which is 536% higher than the districts average salary. Yet, the Mayor of Baltimore and the City Council voted to keep her. Quite a nice salary for running a failing school system. Baltimore City schools get the most money per student in the entire state, $21,000 and is the third highest funded large school system in the country. In total, Baltimore City was funded to the tune of over 1.7 billion dollars a year in 2023. Yet, they are failing their students.
Maybe the problem is how the City spends its education funds.
Teachers in the city make a starting salary of $50,000. When going through other salaries of the Baltimore City Public Schools, there were 23 positions being paid more than $200,000 a year. That's over 5.5 million dollars a year in just salary for what were mostly central office administrative positions. One was listed as "part time." That doesn't include perks and benefits. Baltimore City Schools has over 12,000 employees and their average pay is $63,000. Average teacher's salary in 2022 was $72,976. We didn't count the number of employees making $100,000 up to $200,000. Most of them were NOT teachers.
If you would like to count them for yourself, go here:
Baltimore City Public Schools Salaries - Maryland
Better scrape off that bumper sticker. It's not the total funding that is the problem, it's how the money is allocated.
The growth of administrative positions in the public schools in Baltimore City is NOT an anomaly.
The New York Post recently published this article:
The 2024 choice on education: Trump sides with families, Harris with the teacher unions
The most enlightening facts in the article are contained in this chart:
Notice that nationally the overwhelming increase in school staffing is in administration at a more than healthy 95%. Remember, like in Baltimore City, administration makes the large salaries while teachers make approximately 6 to 7 times less for what can be longer hours and more work. Even Principals, who are considered one of the most important employees in the schools, only increased 39% in the last twenty-one years. Teacher hires have only increased an anemic 10%. This while school districts scream they cannot find enough teachers. Apparently, it's much easier to find, and excessively pay, central office administration. It seems we could recruit some administrators to teach. After all, aren't they educators?
It defies the principles of supply and demand.
Meanwhile, student achievement, as shown by recent test scores in Maryland and nationally, is. poor to mediocre.
Maryland Report Card - ReportCards - ReportCardSchool
Good luck deciphering it. We'll just say that less than 50% of students in Maryland are proficient in Reading and Math. Many districts are well below that.
Nationwide, the story is the same. American students are losing internationally in math.
American Students’ Math Skills Slide Down World Rankings
U.S. math scores decline dramatically on international test
They did slightly better in reading:
PISA 2022 U.S. Results - Reading Literacy - International Comparisons of Student Achievement
However, one would think that the United States would be able to do much better.
Maryland thinks they can make student achievement better by throwing more money at it. And, for the most part, the money they are throwing is NOT going into the classrooms.
The Blueprint for Maryland's Future was designed to assure improved academic progress in Maryland schools. Part of the formula is raising teacher salaries. By 2027, all first-year teachers in every Maryland county are supposed to make $60,000 a year. Many counties are already saying that they cannot fund this change since it is not just the $60,000 a year for a first-year teacher, but it is the accompanying equal bump to salaries up the salary scale, including bloated administrative positions. Don't forget that retirement and other benefits will also go up. Districts have a funding problem.
One solution for funding would be for counties to cut administrative positions, particularly in the central office. If you look at Baltimore City's list of employees, they have thirteen "Chiefs" in charge of such things as "Human Capital," "Equity," and "Community Engagement." None of these seem focused on student achievement and learning.
How do the salaries of other counties stack up? Here is the chart for Talbot County:
Talbot County Public Schools Salaries - Maryland - 2023
Fifty-one of employees in the district make over $100,000 a year, with the Superintendent making $203,520, which is 220% more than the average salary in the Talbot County Public Schools. Most of the employees making over $100,000 are supervisors, department heads, administrators, etc. The average teacher's salary is $74,746 a year. The county school system employs 321 teachers out of the 732 total employees.
To be fair to public school systems in Maryland, many of the administrative positions are due to state or federal mandates.
According to the Heritage Foundation in 2014, not only is this top-heavy spending hurting student achievement, but it is also killing needed changes in education in the United States:
How Escalating Education Spending Is Killing Crucial Reform | The Heritage Foundation
Want to find the salaries of people in your school district?
Go to: http://govsalaries.com
You might be shocked. And, you will be better prepared the next time your district prepares a budget.
Additional information:
Best Maryland School Districts To Teach In, Average Salaries | Across Maryland, MD Patch
Other stories about school spending:
