“District Administrators” $200,000 plus; teachers only get $61k

[Anonymous]

It’s like this in most industries. The worker bees aren’t paid what they’re work. See healthcare for an easy comparison.

It’s very unfair to me that an HR person is paid double what a teacher makes.

A lot of this administration bloat closely follows the exploding amount of IEPs and 504s. And if you want to see some real bloat- look into how much they spend on lawsuits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm fine with it. Entry level employees make the least. Experienced executives make 200K+. Makes sense to me.

Okay. Please tell me what these "experienced executives" are doing that makes them so valuable to FCPS.

I mean, if you don't know what executives such as a CFO or a COO do, I'm not sure I'm going to waste my time explaining it to you, but I will ask you who the hell do you think you are insinuating that what they do isn't valuable? Where do you get off?

The nerve of you. Wow, just wow.

The problem is that the “executives” here aren’t making schools more efficient or productive. They are doing the opposite by creating unnecessary work for teachers and insisting we implement idealistic and unproven pedagogical theories (such as inclusion) that are practically impossible to make function smoothly in the classrooms. They spend millions on contracts for flawed resources that we can’t use, and are willing to replace a sharp knife with a dull one for “reasons” that turn out to be false. No, schoology does not easily integrate with SIS to make grading easier for teachers.

Currently, Gatehouse is pushing teachers to integrate AI into the classroom and we have a new contract with chatgpt - that push comes from people who want to sell tech, not teach children. It is a corporate interest, not an educational one.

Gatehouse folks occupy a sphere that doesn’t truly “govern” the parts of education that are actually still working for your kids. Teachers work around the BS handed down to us to be effective.

These administrators have been sold a crock of shit from EdTech and aren’t smart enough to realize it. There’s also the disconnect between administrators and what teachers do/need in the classrooms because nearly all of the administrators haven’t been teachers. EdTech is ruining whole generations of children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm fine with it. Entry level employees make the least. Experienced executives make 200K+. Makes sense to me.

Okay. Please tell me what these "experienced executives" are doing that makes them so valuable to FCPS.

I mean, if you don't know what executives such as a CFO or a COO do, I'm not sure I'm going to waste my time explaining it to you, but I will ask you who the hell do you think you are insinuating that what they do isn't valuable? Where do you get off?

The nerve of you. Wow, just wow.

Sure. Deflection always works.

[Anonymous]

If our administration was so good why is the boundary study and the opening of the new school such a confusing mess?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm fine with it. Entry level employees make the least. Experienced executives make 200K+. Makes sense to me.

Okay. Please tell me what these "experienced executives" are doing that makes them so valuable to FCPS.

I mean, if you don't know what executives such as a CFO or a COO do, I'm not sure I'm going to waste my time explaining it to you, but I will ask you who the hell do you think you are insinuating that what they do isn't valuable? Where do you get off?

The nerve of you. Wow, just wow.

The problem is that the “executives” here aren’t making schools more efficient or productive. They are doing the opposite by creating unnecessary work for teachers and insisting we implement idealistic and unproven pedagogical theories (such as inclusion) that are practically impossible to make function smoothly in the classrooms. They spend millions on contracts for flawed resources that we can’t use, and are willing to replace a sharp knife with a dull one for “reasons” that turn out to be false. No, schoology does not easily integrate with SIS to make grading easier for teachers.

Currently, Gatehouse is pushing teachers to integrate AI into the classroom and we have a new contract with chatgpt - that push comes from people who want to sell tech, not teach children. It is a corporate interest, not an educational one.

Gatehouse folks occupy a sphere that doesn’t truly “govern” the parts of education that are actually still working for your kids. Teachers work around the BS handed down to us to be effective.

People outside of education may believe that administrators were successful teachers who, though success and experience, have been promoted.

Those of us within education know that’s not always the case. I’ve worked for administrators with 7-8 years of mediocre teaching experience who successfully found themselves out of the classroom. I arrive before them, leave after them, and have more responsibilities than they do. It’s hard to swallow the fact they observe my classes when I have three times the successful teaching experience.

It’s one of the major reasons education is broken.

[Anonymous]

People in management make more than people not in management. Welcome to the real world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This argument doesn't make sense at all. Why would the starting salary of a teacher compare to a District Administrator who most likely has many more years of experience under their belt in addition to higher levels of responsibility and mostly likely education?

You can look up any FCPS employee's salary online - it is public knowledge and there are a large number of classroom teachers earning over $100K who are 10 year teachers or more.

I think $61,747/year starting salary for a 39-week contract with 3-6% raises each year is actually quite fair. If the payrate remained the same and teachers worked a 52-week year like most other salaried professionals, that starting salary would be over $82K.

Now, if you want to have a discussion about the amount of crap that teachers have to deal with from parents, students, and administrators, then that is another conversation with another set of solutions other than throwing more money at teachers to make all of the crap "worth it."

The question is not about their experience. The question is what do they do for the school system that benefits our students? And, what does their office bring to benefit our students.

Just take a look at Reid's PR department. Look at all the videos posted about her. Look at all the messages from her touting her comings and goings.

Please list what Reid and her people have done to make FCPS better for our students.

I fail to see how the following have made it better:

Expensive legal cases.
A bumbling roll out of a new school. While it may not affect all of FCPS, it is a premium example of lack of common sense leadership.
A terrible redistricting process that accomplishes little and delays/ignores the boundaries of the new school--which will/should have a direct effect on several high schools.
A confusing calendar with almost no five day weeks for the first months of school.

There's more.
Feel free to add her accomplishments and those of her well-paid staff.

Your participation/interaction with FCPS has always been optional. If you don’t like it….

[Anonymous]

I never want to be an administrator of any sort and generally think all districts are too top and central office heavy.

BUT I do not have an issue with a district level admin making significantly more than an entry level teacher. - a teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Fairfax County Public Schools pays its teachers a starting annual salary of $61,747 as it gives 44 of its district administrators over $200,000 per year. Meanwhile, student performance is abysmal, + teachers are paying for their own classroom supplies.


Is this fair and equitable?

What exactly is a DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR? There is no such position in FCPS. There are building administrators such as principals and asst principals. You can use administrator interchangeably with principal or AP.

No one in Gatehouse is considered an “administrator.” There are superintendents, asst superintendents directors, and coordinators. None of these people would also be called an “administrator.”

Clarify, OP. Who exactly are you talking about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Fairfax County Public Schools pays its teachers a starting annual salary of $61,747 as it gives 44 of its district administrators over $200,000 per year. Meanwhile, student performance is abysmal, + teachers are paying for their own classroom supplies.


Is this fair and equitable?

What exactly is a DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR? There is no such position in FCPS. There are building administrators such as principals and asst principals. You can use administrator interchangeably with principal or AP.

No one in Gatehouse is considered an “administrator.” There are superintendents, asst superintendents directors, and coordinators. None of these people would also be called an “administrator.”

Clarify, OP. Who exactly are you talking about?

There absolutely are adminstrators at the district level in any school system. These are people such as assistant superintentdents, executive principals, program directors, etc. whose jobs require an adminstration & supervision endorsement on their professional licenses. They are all known as district level administrators. The collective bargaining unit for these employees is called the Fairfax County Federation of Principals, Supervisors & Administrators, and plenty of people from Gatehouse are members.

If you are still unsure about this, Google "school district administrator" and you can read all about it.

-DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Fairfax County Public Schools pays its teachers a starting annual salary of $61,747 as it gives 44 of its district administrators over $200,000 per year. Meanwhile, student performance is abysmal, + teachers are paying for their own classroom supplies.


Is this fair and equitable?

What exactly is a DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR? There is no such position in FCPS. There are building administrators such as principals and asst principals. You can use administrator interchangeably with principal or AP.

No one in Gatehouse is considered an “administrator.” There are superintendents, asst superintendents directors, and coordinators. None of these people would also be called an “administrator.”

Clarify, OP. Who exactly are you talking about?

There absolutely are adminstrators at the district level in any school system. These are people such as assistant superintentdents, executive principals, program directors, etc. whose jobs require an adminstration & supervision endorsement on their professional licenses. They are all known as district level administrators. The collective bargaining unit for these employees is called the Fairfax County Federation of Principals, Supervisors & Administrators, and plenty of people from Gatehouse are members.

If you are still unsure about this, Google "school district administrator" and you can read all about it.

-DP

Please say how you know that asst superintendents and executive principals are members of FCFPSA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This argument doesn't make sense at all. Why would the starting salary of a teacher compare to a District Administrator who most likely has many more years of experience under their belt in addition to higher levels of responsibility and mostly likely education?

You can look up any FCPS employee's salary online - it is public knowledge and there are a large number of classroom teachers earning over $100K who are 10 year teachers or more.

I think $61,747/year starting salary for a 39-week contract with 3-6% raises each year is actually quite fair. If the payrate remained the same and teachers worked a 52-week year like most other salaried professionals, that starting salary would be over $82K.

Now, if you want to have a discussion about the amount of crap that teachers have to deal with from parents, students, and administrators, then that is another conversation with another set of solutions other than throwing more money at teachers to make all of the crap "worth it."

The question is not about their experience. The question is what do they do for the school system that benefits our students? And, what does their office bring to benefit our students.

Just take a look at Reid's PR department. Look at all the videos posted about her. Look at all the messages from her touting her comings and goings.

Please list what Reid and her people have done to make FCPS better for our students.

I fail to see how the following have made it better:

Expensive legal cases.
A bumbling roll out of a new school. While it may not affect all of FCPS, it is a premium example of lack of common sense leadership.
A terrible redistricting process that accomplishes little and delays/ignores the boundaries of the new school--which will/should have a direct effect on several high schools.
A confusing calendar with almost no five day weeks for the first months of school.

There's more.
Feel free to add her accomplishments and those of her well-paid staff.

Your participation/interaction with FCPS has always been optional. If you don’t like it….

Dp. We can what? Stop paying taxes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Fairfax County Public Schools pays its teachers a starting annual salary of $61,747 as it gives 44 of its district administrators over $200,000 per year. Meanwhile, student performance is abysmal, + teachers are paying for their own classroom supplies.


Is this fair and equitable?

What exactly is a DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR? There is no such position in FCPS. There are building administrators such as principals and asst principals. You can use administrator interchangeably with principal or AP.

No one in Gatehouse is considered an “administrator.” There are superintendents, asst superintendents directors, and coordinators. None of these people would also be called an “administrator.”

Clarify, OP. Who exactly are you talking about?

There absolutely are adminstrators at the district level in any school system. These are people such as assistant superintentdents, executive principals, program directors, etc. whose jobs require an adminstration & supervision endorsement on their professional licenses. They are all known as district level administrators. The collective bargaining unit for these employees is called the Fairfax County Federation of Principals, Supervisors & Administrators, and plenty of people from Gatehouse are members.

If you are still unsure about this, Google "school district administrator" and you can read all about it.

-DP

LOL! I don't think first PP has a good grasp of vocabulary.
This might help:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/administrator#synonyms

But, I am still waiting for someone to post the value of these people. There are way too many of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm fine with it. Entry level employees make the least. Experienced executives make 200K+. Makes sense to me.

Okay. Please tell me what these "experienced executives" are doing that makes them so valuable to FCPS.

I mean, if you don't know what executives such as a CFO or a COO do, I'm not sure I'm going to waste my time explaining it to you, but I will ask you who the hell do you think you are insinuating that what they do isn't valuable? Where do you get off?

The nerve of you. Wow, just wow.

The problem is that the “executives” here aren’t making schools more efficient or productive. They are doing the opposite by creating unnecessary work for teachers and insisting we implement idealistic and unproven pedagogical theories (such as inclusion) that are practically impossible to make function smoothly in the classrooms. They spend millions on contracts for flawed resources that we can’t use, and are willing to replace a sharp knife with a dull one for “reasons” that turn out to be false. No, schoology does not easily integrate with SIS to make grading easier for teachers.

Currently, Gatehouse is pushing teachers to integrate AI into the classroom and we have a new contract with chatgpt - that push comes from people who want to sell tech, not teach children. It is a corporate interest, not an educational one.

Gatehouse folks occupy a sphere that doesn’t truly “govern” the parts of education that are actually still working for your kids. Teachers work around the BS handed down to us to be effective.

Gosh, this all makes my blood boil.
Ed tech is already such an expensive and harmful failure. I can’t believe they are INCREASING spending on it when it really needs to be gotten rid of. Why “teach” kids AI when so many of them lack basic numeracy, literacy, writing and oral communication skills??
I’m not Catholic but if I had to do it over again right now, my kids would be attending Catholic or other traditional school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never want to be an administrator of any sort and generally think all districts are too top and central office heavy.

BUT I do not have an issue with a district level admin making significantly more than an entry level teacher. - a teacher

Agree. It’s mostly not that those salaries are inappropriate, but that the org is too top heavy and those with with high salaries are often making things worse more than they are helping.