Myth BustersSorting Fact from Fiction in
Texas Public Education
Presenter NamePresenter Title
Presenter’s Organization
Overview
• “We must shrink government.”
• “Public schools are wasteful/inefficient.”• “The legislature put more money into to
public education last session than ever before.”
It’s time for us to combat those myths!
Agenda
1. Examine the recurring attacks on public schools.
2. Debunk the myths with “the facts.”
3. Assist you in becoming effective advocates for your public schools.
“Districts have a Bloated Administration!”
Critics claim: • 1:1 ratio of administrators to teachers• 1:1 ratio of non-teaching staff to teachers• Schools can avoid cutting teachers
This implies:• Schools are stocked with do-nothing staff; • Non-instructional staff provide no benefit to
student learning;• Schools are mismanaging public funds by cutting
teachers rather than administrators/non-teachers.
District Administration – The Facts
• During the 2010-11 school year, schools employed 334,900 teachers vs.:
– 6,800 central administrators (1:49 administrator to teacher ratio– 25,600 central and school administrators (1:13
administrators to teachers)
•Statewide, central administration costs $1.3 billion/year vs. $2.7 billion/year state funding cut
•1:1 teacher/non-teacher ratio is true, but lacks context
• Sources: Statewide Academic Excellence Indicator System (TEA)
• School District Staffing Brief (gr.tasb.org)
“Superintendent Salaries Are Outrageous”
Critics claim: • More than 200 superintendents make
more money than the Governor
• Superintendent salaries are outrageous
This implies:
• School trustees are fiscally irresponsible• Texas superintendents are taking
taxpayers to the cleaners
Superintendent Salaries – The Facts
2011-12 Superintendent Salaries (Texas) • Average supt. salary in Texas = $123,000• Median Texas supt. Salary = $107,000
Who else makes more than the Governor?• Four of the Governor’s own staff• 392 individuals on the State of Texas payroll,
including the Education Commissioner Robert Scott.
Superintendent Salaries (Comparable States) California ($158,000) New York ($163,000) Nation ($160,000).
Governor’s non-salary benefits are significant Sources: Texas Tribune Superintendent Salary database
TASB’s Superintendent Salary Survey, 2011-12
“Charter Schools Are Better and Cheaper”
Critics claim:• Open-enrollment charter schools
operate more cost-effectively than traditional public schools
• Charter schools academically outperform traditional schools
This implies:• The legislature would get “a bigger
bang for the buck” by expanding charter schools (and spending less on traditional schools)
Charter Schools – The Facts
• For the 2009-10 school year:– Traditional public schools were allotted on average
$5,708 in M&O revenue per weighted students– Charters received $5,746 $5,746 > $5,708– Charters spend more on administration and less on
“instruction” than do traditional schools
• Accountability Ratings (2009)% of type of school by Accreditation
School Districts
Charter Operators
District Campuses
Charter Schools
Recognized or higher
73.5% 43.5% 70.4% 40.1%
Academically Acceptable
25.0% 40.6% 20.9% 47.16%
Academically Unacceptable
1.6% 11.1% 0.9% 5.8%
“Public Education Got More State Funding Than Last
Biennium”Critics claim:• The legislature appropriated $1.6 B more for
public schools this biennium than last bienniumOR• The legislature appropriated $3B more for public
schools this biennium than last biennium
• This implies:• School boards and administrators don’t need
more money, they just want it!
• Programs are being cut, teachers fired, and class sizes are growing just to scare district taxpayers
Public Education Funding – The FactsPart 1
• Disputing the $1.6B. claim: • 2009 – legislature used $3.4B. in one-time federal funds
to fund public education• 2011 – loss of federal funds left $3.4B. budget hole for
this biennium; so, legislature added $1.6B. more in state funds, leaving a budget hole of $1.8 B; and
• 2011 – legislature failed to pay for enrollment growth ($2.2B) over this biennium
• Disputing the $3B. claim: • Legislature added $3 B. more state funding than last biennium state in Article III BUT • Simultaneously reduced funding for
public ed in Article IX by $3.1 B
Source: Summary of Conference CommitteeOn HB1 (Legislative Budget Board)
“Total appropriations for the Foundation School Program (FSP) are estimated to be $4.0 billion …below the amount required to fund the school finance program.”
“General Revenue Funds outside of the FSP are reduced by $1.4 billion, or 52.8 percent compared to the 2010-11 biennium.” --- Legislative Budget Board
“Of the $50.8 billion in all funds, $47 billion is appropriated to TEA, a $4.4 billion decrease from fiscal 2010-11 appropriations. The budget appropriates $35.5 billion in all funds to the Foundation School Program, a decrease of $1 billion from fiscal 2010-11 spending.”
--- House Research Organization
Public Education Funding – The FactsPart 2
“Districts Are Shortchanging Their Students”
Critics claim:• Instructional Costs account for less than
half of school spending• “School districts are shortchanging their
students to support 19th century organizational bureaucracies”
• This implies:• Waste, waste, waste…• It’s no wonder that academic performance
isn’t on the rise when schools spend less then half of their budget on the classroom
Instructional Spending – The Facts
According to the 2010-11 AEIS, Districts spend:
• 58.4% of their operating budget on “Instruction”
• 4.5% of their operating budget on “Student
Support”
• 3.6% on “Instructional-Related Services”
• 10.4% on Maintenance and operations
• 5.2 % on Food Service
• 2.7% on Student Transportation
• 3.1% on Central Administration
• 5.5% on School Leadership
Source: Statewide Academic Excellence Indicator System (TEA)
Instructional Spending – The FactsTest Scores have improved dramatically: % of all students, by grade, that met standards – All Tests (TAKS):
Texas high schools ranked in the first two places in Newsweek’s annual rankingsTexas had 15 high schools in top 100; only New York
had more (16)Sources: State Academic Excellence Indicator System, 2002-3 & 2010-11
Newsweek, “America’s Best High Schools,” June, 2011
Grade 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11
2002-03
85% 76% 66% 75% 68% 70% 53% 50%
2010-11
83% 78% 76% 76% 75% 69% 65% 84%
Let’s Discuss!
• Combat the myths: tell your community the facts about your district and schools
• Resources :WWW.TRUTHABOUTSCHOOLS.ORG
• Stump the Chump– Heard something about your schools that
doesn’t sound quite true? Ask me.
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