i am not just speaking off the cuff as i have 2 sisters in Ca. public education. Plus i have more than most seen the guts of Ca. public education administration and there is shocking waste and incompetence,as for over 2 years i sold 403b's/TSAs to school teachers and administrators for a slighly sleazy insurance company-i know, aren't they all-and saw the paychecks and saw or was told how little p.s.admins did for their OVER $70,000 salaries. This was in 1989-1992 in Silicon Valley.
When we Californians recently had the oportunity to cap at a reasonable 10% the public school admins costs per school district,i was disappointed at the lies and distortions L.A.Unified and the others pulled out to defeat the measure. But then these admins/non elected officials have never cared more for public education than their own personal enrichment. And the u.s. and ca. press share the blame in always pandering to the rich regardless of the subject. Until we stop talking to ourselves like sick greedy little children,"mine mine mine!" and start treating our growing super-rich caste like adults that can and should pay much much more in taxes, the middle caste will continue to suffer and decline, as will American culture and democracy. Does a movie star really need the tax breaks to buy 5-10 personal major airliners, John Travolta? Do c.e.o.s really need the tax brake to skim salaries of 10-50- 100-200 MILLION DOLLARS per YEAR ?? i am sure they are laughing at all of us foolish, less well educated, less saavy,less political, less wealthy citizens that will have to carry their baggage, and pay for it!,no tip. Does it really matter to the top 30% wage earners if gas is $2/gallon or $8/gallon or if public schools continue to decline in ca.when they send their kids to private schools or if housing prices increase 20-25% per year ? No, it does not, other than the obsessive sick greed,that the RNC worships, pangs them that they will be paying 6% instead of 5% of their salaries and gross assets for living basics of food,clothing,shelter,transit and the rest on selfish frivolous luxuries that seem to be the only thing fueling our nation's ecomony now.
So let's talk Ca. public education. Basically every school district in the state is probably guilt of the same general philosophy,like a child/teenager, "if you give me no strings ,free tax money, i will spend it all, for sure, and probably on stupid stuff,but i will definitely spend it all. Cuz if i have any left over ,you will want it back,right? And next year you will give me less, right?" So why do ca. public schools have to act adult and responsibly and live within a budget that is logical and practical? My sis in SoCal tells me that L.A.Unified is one of the worst offenders in practice by constantly buying new no-bid ourtrageously overpriced textbooks almost every year,but switching from "literature based" to "phonics based", constantly, primarily to use up all those millions each year,so the next year they can get more free tax dollar millions. And the bloated staff of vice-principals and assistant superintendants all making over $70k/yr is amazing.
Here are 2 example of paycheck stubs i have seen of clear admin.staff waste. The first is from the most prestigious public school district in Silicon Valley,you might think a smart area. This assistant superintendant with my companies 403b was making over $70k/yr, yet complained one day that all she had to do that day was run the copier. Also in the same public school district, i attended a school board meeting and was surprised that they were talking about placing a new classroom over an existing sewer,thus having to move the sewer,,,and planning to do the same foolish wasteful thing next year,,,with the audience silent. So ,not being a parent,but what the hell, i asked why they would place 2 classrooms over a sewer in 2 years and move the sewer line twice,,,versus say put the classrooms elsewhere in the large play field? The answer was exactly as i feared,,,"because it is in our budget".
And there will be the bleeding heart response from some over-paid public school admin that they are working so hard. Well, our public school teachers are expected to teach, go home and make lesson plans and grade homework for hours,and meet with irresponsible parents,plus ca.s public school admins saddle them , the teachers, with admin responsibilities,like committees,especially if they complain about rampant lousy admin.So it is a punishment,not a shared responsibility of leadership. Ca. has never since the 60s just let the teachers teach. And now our Republican,rich- worshipping Governor wants to take away their special pensions because STRS and PERS are trying to clean up wall street, and cut their special tenure, when the vast majority of new school teachers quit in the first few years. And forget about the downed-cow teacher's unions as they are as much against change and improvement as the selfish greedy public school administrators.
Another example of outrageous public school admin waste? We have all heard about their golden hand shake hiring and golden parachute leaving contracts. I was at the Vocational School and my client had her position contract terminated,she was not fired,but by terms not for 6 months. So she had "nothing to do for 6 months but show up for work and plan my wedding all day".
So half of over $70k/yr is at least $35,ooo for six months this assistant superintendant just and only,,, planned her wedding.
We californians will hear more from our sacred rich cow worshipping Governor about our terrible teachers and how we use to be among the top public schools of the nation but are now at the bottom with the likes of louisiana. But i'll bet we hear very little from him or the lousy at oversight,be it budget or national security, Republicans about the ones who should be held accountable for the seeming permanent loss of quality public education in ca. that keeps democracy strong,the public school administrators.
