Oklahoma Budget Crisis

[Shadowrider]

Some big numbers for some districts. What it doesn't show, for example, Enid Public Schools has the head Sup(which is listed in the PDF), and an assistant HS Sup, an assistant Jr. High Sup and an assistant Sup for the elementary schools. Then multiple principals for each building. Craziness.

It is showing some of that to an extent. Many of those listed are pulling down salary AND bennies each as a teacher, super and principle and in some iterations multiples of each. In some of the smaller districts out in BFE that have maybe 18 kids you see that a lot and those folks might bring in 50k total. Then there are the others with the letters before and after their names. It seems to me that the average salary is around $100k with giant variances both ways, but mostly upwards. I don't know how many there are but more than 77 supers is too damn many, there is almost 100 pages of them in that document I posted. When I hear them say we need more money for education I say

anybody notice Kay County? Our Super draws over $200k a year. Second highest in the state last year. I didn't go through the list to see who was over him.

I think Norman was at $265k.

 

[Dale00]

I would guess that football at most D1 schools and even high schools are self sufficient programs, even ridiculous coaches salaries. Other sports such as girl's volleyball, girl's basketball, and softball are probably not self sufficient. Knowing that, is this where our money should be going???

My impression is that football is a money drain for Oklahoma colleges and public schools.

 

[Dale00]

It is showing some of that to an extent. Many of those listed are pulling down salary AND bennies each as a teacher, super and principle and in some iterations multiples of each. In some of the smaller districts out in BFE that have maybe 18 kids you see that a lot and those folks might bring in 50k total. Then there are the others with the letters before and after their names. It seems to me that the average salary is around $100k with giant variances both ways, but mostly upwards. I don't know how many there are but more than 77 supers is too damn many, there is almost 100 pages of them in that document I posted. When I hear them say we need more money for education I say



I think Norman was at $265k.

Something tells me that these highly paid state employess are generous political contributers. Lots of legal backscratching going on I would imagine. Might be worth doing some political contribution checks on them

 

[dennishoddy]

Something tells me that these highly paid state employess are generous political contributers. Lots of legal backscratching going on I would imagine. Might be worth doing some political contribution checks on them

It was reported today that DOJ employees were contributing to the very person they are supposed to be investigating. Clinton....

 

[Grendel]

I don't know how many there are but more than 77 supers is too damn many,

Why stop there? why not just have 1 superintendent for the whole state? Or better yet, why not just have 1 superintendent for all of the schools in the entire country? and we can pay them minimum wage (since it will soon be $15 per hour it should be a pretty good wage).

I thought conservatives were all about having local control over everything? Why would you propose to centralize control over the state's school systems when the Sate itself can't even keep it's own business in order?

Why not centralize all of our law enforcement agencies? OSBHPI (Oklahoma State Bureau of Highway Patrol and Investigation) can handle all of the local police and sheriff's office duties also. Oh, we should also have the State control all of our water boards. And our rural electrical coops. There's no reason for each county to have it's own water and electrical coops.

While we're at it..Just go ahead and have the Federal Government take those over as well. No reason to have 50 different water boards or electrical companies across the country when we could do it with just one.

Maybe the real reason is that you are letting your hatred of education and the teacher's unions get in the way of your better judgement about what is best for our schools and children.

I stand by my earlier statement. Let's start cutting the pay of our elected officials, and laying off their staff. I guarantee you things will get solved quick when we start dipping into THEIR pockets.

 

[Shadowrider]

Why stop there? why not just have 1 superintendent for the whole state? Or better yet, why not just have 1 superintendent for all of the schools in the entire country? and we can pay them minimum wage (since it will soon be $15 per hour it should be a pretty good wage).

I thought conservatives were all about having local control over everything? Why would you propose to centralize control over the state's school systems when the Sate itself can't even keep it's own business in order?

Why not centralize all of our law enforcement agencies? OSBHPI (Oklahoma State Bureau of Highway Patrol and Investigation) can handle all of the local police and sheriff's office duties also. Oh, we should also have the State control all of our water boards. And our rural electrical coops. There's no reason for each county to have it's own water and electrical coops.

While we're at it..Just go ahead and have the Federal Government take those over as well. No reason to have 50 different water boards or electrical companies across the country when we could do it with just one.

Maybe the real reason is that you are letting your hatred of education and the teacher's unions get in the way of your better judgement about what is best for our schools and children.

I stand by my earlier statement. Let's start cutting the pay of our elected officials, and laying off their staff. I guarantee you things will get solved quick when we start dipping into THEIR pockets.

Below is the bottom line as I see it, but this is actually from Brookings. You can download the whole report at the link. It seems to support my view that we are wasting a bunch of tax dollars. If a super is making $100k, as I see it we could hire two teachers and pay them a living wage of $50k. But I'm just a dumb right wing redneck that's never set foot on an ivy league campus.

Ultimately, the authors conclude that when district academic achievement improves or deteriorates, the superintendent is likely to be playing a part in an ensemble performance in which the superintendent’s role could be filled successfully by many others. In the end, it is the system that promotes or hinders student achievement. Superintendents are largely indistinguishable.

School Superintendents: Vital or Irrelevant?

 

[Dale00]

Below is the bottom line as I see it, but this is actually from Brookings. You can download the whole report at the link. It seems to support my view that we are wasting a bunch of tax dollars. If a super is making $100k, as I see it we could hire two teachers and pay them a living wage of $50k. But I'm just a dumb right wing redneck that's never set foot on an ivy league campus.

I disagree. It is more likely graft than waste. I see politicians not as dumb and wasteful, but rather as clever and crafty grafters.

 

[jmike314]

Teachers are paid just fine, get another job if you don't like your 9 month job payscale.

1. No. Teachers are not paid "just fine".
2. 9 months.....Ha! I wish. I work all year.

 

[Jack T.]

1. No. Teachers are not paid "just fine".
2. 9 months.....Ha! I wish. I work all year.

The number of people in this world who think they themselves are paid "just fine" can be counted on one hand. . .but, like you, we all knew what we were gonna be paid before we took the job.

Unlike you, however, I don't get to use tax dollars to lobby for more money.

 

[Grendel]

The number of people in this world who think they themselves are paid "just fine" can be counted on one hand. . .but, like you, we all knew what we were gonna be paid before we took the job.

Unlike you, however, I don't get to use tax dollars to lobby for more money.

Until our elected leaders can actually accomplish something worthwhile, they shouldn't get paid a single dime, and all of their staff should be laid off.

We have the 17th highest paid state legislators in the country, and the lowest paid teachers in the country. No legislator is worth getting paid the $38,000 a year that they get for working a part time job and not actually accomplishing anything. Until they accomplish something, they can STFU about how much teachers do or don't get paid.