The State of Education
After a lively lunchtime debate over improving the quality of public schools, I propose the following at state level:
20% pay increase for all classroom teachers, plus inflation, phased evenly over four years.
20% immediate pay cut for all administrators and non-classroom teachers, supported by immediate implementation of a performance bonus program with maximum target salary of 10% above current levels plus inflation.
Non-classroom professional roles not well-covered by the performance bonus program are subject to immediate job criticality review. Review challenges differential value to students, with the goal of aligning the bonus program correctly or eliminating the position.
Overall budget increases capped at 5% plus inflation each year for four years.
No Federal involvement in states’ education management or policies. Administrative savings applied exclusively to Federal deficit reduction.
Subject to individual review, teachers and administrators showing unsatisfactory performance results are subject to formal performance management programs and/or termination. Pension buyouts offered extensively to poorly-performing long-tenure teachers.
Federal education funding restricted to a state education superfund to be distributed to single-school or single-district applicants via a selection panel staffed by the state Chamber of Commerce. Federal funds also permitted to fund states’ pension buyouts/forced retirements.
Current pension and insurance benefits frozen or reduced, subject only to cost of living increases.
Professional retirees, who lack certification but are willing to work for less money and less benefits, will be heavily recruited and supported in obtaining certification.
With the drastic pay increase for teachers, I would expect a nearly immediate review of staffing levels followed by staff reductions of the least effective personnel. Many ineffective or excessively-paid senior staff would be bought out, encouraged by Federal pension buyout assistance. States’ pension liabilities would begin to ease, with benefits freezes supporting long-term solvency.
Poorly-performing administrators not leaving following the paycut will be driven out by cost pressure to support necessary staff levels of classroom teachers. Specialists and other non-classroom professionals will be pushed back into the classroom. This will be attractive due to the pay increase relative to non-classroom staff.
After-school and extracurricular/fine-arts programs will be placed under significant pressure. Superfund grants will help support programs not capable of reducing budgets or promoting higher booster club activities. The administrator bonus program would heavily reward good performance (and existence) of such groups, so administration is encouraged to “cut and cope” rather than eliminate programs altogether.
After the first four years, budgets will be reviewed. By this time, universities will have graduated the first class of teachers who began their education under the new system. Hiring for classroom jobs would be highly competitive, especially when competing against retirees for positions.
I actually think paying teachers more could work, with the right strings attached.