Anonymous wrote:Consider that no public school Superintendent around here makes moser than $350k, but has to manage organizations far larger and more complex, plus answer to elected officials and citizens.

HOS pay is outrageous and, frankly, embarrassing.

Right but by that metric, we could say that cabinet secretaries or Dep Sec's make $180 and bS non-profit CEOs and industry association people in DC make $1m. That's also wrong too? ALl I'm saying is that focusing our vitriol on one aspect of the problem is super myopic. Yes public school bosses make outrageously low salaries. But we can't fault boards of private institutions for paying up.

Last I checked....they are allowed to pay whatever they want

Consider that no public school Superintendent around here makes moser than $350k, but has to manage organizations far larger and more complex, plus answer to elected officials and citizens.

HOS pay is outrageous and, frankly, embarrassing.

Folks, it's a market. The board decided to pay this. It's not the HOS' fault. I never begrudge anyone for taking a salary that the market offers them.

Hold your vitriol for these boards who seem to believe that a 20:1 differential of HOS to starting teacher is ok. It mirrors what is happening at every non-profit and every public company. 20x salary of boss to rank and file.

It's not just a private school thing. DC people of anyone should get this. This town is filled w/ industry associations of 10 people where the head makes 7 figures. I'm sure many complaining on this thread actually work at these associations.

If anything, GDS head is underpaid on metric of $ revenue vs. $ of compensation. He manages more $ of revenue per $ of compensation than peers. And as a percentage of total salaries of the entire school, GDS is right in line.

2020 Data
Landon: $560k base + $100k other income
Total revenue: $39M ($59 revenue per $1 HOS comp)
Total salaries: $19M (HOS is 3.5% of salaries)

Maret: $553k + $100k
Total revenue : $32M ($49 revenue per $1 HOS comp)
Total salaries: $17M (HOS is 3.8% of total salaries)

Potomac School: $671k + $138k
Total revenue: $53M ($66 of revenue per $1 of HOS comp)
Total salaries: $29M (HOS is 2.8% of total salaries)

GDS: $845k + $213k
Total Revenue: $75M ($71 of revenue per $1 of HOS comp)
Total salaries: $29M (HOS is 3.6% of total salaries)


(religious schools like SFS, STA dont publish)

I really hope our K-8 HOS doesn't make 20 TIMES as much as our teachers. I love her, but that is inequitable and frankly unwarranted.

Anonymous wrote:And yes, teachers deserve better and deserve more.

This is the thing that gets me the most. GDS's philosophy centers around social justice--how is it just when the HOS, whom I agree BTW should be reasonably compensated, earns over $1M, and the lowest paid full-time faculty earn, what, $50K? I think even a voluntary 10% pay cut--which would still leave the HOS with an enviable $900K annual salary!--would be symbolically very meaningful.

Anonymous wrote:I vaguely remembered that years ago people on this board were appalled to learn Landon’s head‘s salary was $800,000. I looked, and that was in 2024 - almost a decade ago. At the time all the other hos salaries were slightly lower but certainly still pretty generous. Given economics, I would bet that most of the heads around here make very high sixes, and some also get housing. GDS might pay the most this year, I don’t know. But it will be someone else’s turn next year.

I mean 2014. So what does Landon’s current head make?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Idk how HOS sleep at night, my word. And new hires make 40k. GDS alum here. Loved it but this is giving me the ick.

Probably very well. Why are you so shocked? You didn’t actually believe the mantras you were taught there, did you? Some are always more equal than others

Well said, HOS salaries here are disgusting. And during the pandemic when parents, sometimes both, were laid off, many of those families were denied aid. Would have been a show of real leadership and community building if ANY HOS started a covid tuition assistance fund by donating even a tenth of his/her salary. Do as I say and not what I do. Hypocrisy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a very good friend who is a head in a different city and he makes a over $750k. And I have to say I see it’s an incredibly complex, 60-80 hours/week job, which not a lot of people could do, or are willing to do. Expertise in education and child welfare. Safety and security. Public relations. Responsible for all personnel decisions, hiring and firing everyone from CFOs to teachers to bus drivers. Legal issues of all sorts. Finances. Dealing with parents, teachers, and students non stop. Admissions. The list is endless. Everything falls at their feet. They are the CEO. They get paid what they do because that’s what the market says they’re worth.

Not the DC market. The question we’re discussing is why this one HOS is so overpaid

And in every major city, at the very finest, most prestigious schools, there is a head who makes an awful lot of money such as at GDS. He is responsible for maintaining the reputation of the school, maintaining enrollment, managing a budget, and countless other decisions and responsibilities day in and day out. He seems to be doing it really well, so to retain him, GDS will pay him top dollar. That is the free market. And I voted for Bernie, but this is still a capitalistic society.

I stopped reading when you called GDS the very finest and most prestigious. You are purple from the kool ade.

Anonymous wrote:Idk how HOS sleep at night, my word. And new hires make 40k. GDS alum here. Loved it but this is giving me the ick.

Probably very well. Why are you so shocked? You didn’t actually believe the mantras you were taught there, did you? Some are always more equal than others

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:can you imagine if you hopped on dcum and saw a post specifically about why you are getting paid so much, and are you worth it?

I was thinking the exact same thing. Imagine if every aspect of your job performance plus salary was subject to discussion on DCUM.

Which is exactly what DCUM does to the teaching profession, who make 5-10% of these salaries.

I don’t understand why the teachers, the ones who actually work with the children, get so little. No HOS is worth anything without a strong teaching staff.

I vaguely remembered that years ago people on this board were appalled to learn Landon’s head‘s salary was $800,000. I looked, and that was in 2024 - almost a decade ago. At the time all the other hos salaries were slightly lower but certainly still pretty generous. Given economics, I would bet that most of the heads around here make very high sixes, and some also get housing. GDS might pay the most this year, I don’t know. But it will be someone else’s turn next year.

Idk how HOS sleep at night, my word. And new hires make 40k. GDS alum here. Loved it but this is giving me the ick.

k-8 shouldn’t receive more than 200,000. A teacher should know their salary because it shouod be on a published pay scale

I have no idea what our HOS makes at our K-8, but she's worth every penny. She's outstanding and we love her.

Anonymous wrote:The biggest joke is the HOS at SAES makes over 440K. To head a school that ranks that low...

Ouch. That’s harsh. A new head might do better for the school. But that head might cost more money.