$9,860/student vs. $14,858.40/student; Paying for Educational Priorities and/or Structural Change: Oconomowoc vs. Madison

Chris Rickert summarizes a bit of recent Madison School Board decision making vis a vis educational outcomes. Contrast this with the recent governance news (more) from Oconomowoc; a community 58 miles east of Madison.

Moreover, it's not like Madisonians are certain to oppose a large tax hike, especially given the way they responded to Walker's bid to kill collective bargaining.

Before that idea became law, the board voted for -- and the community supported -- extending union contracts. Unions agreed to some $21 million in concessions in return for two years' worth of protection from the law's restrictions.

But the board could have effectively stripped the union of seniority protections, forced members to pay more for health insurance, ended automatic pay raises and taken other actions that would have been even worse for union workers -- but that also would have saved taxpayers lots of money.

Board members didn't do that because they knew protecting employees was important to the people they represent. They should be able to count on a similar dedication to public schooling in asking for the money to pay for the district's latest priorities.

Christian D'Andrea

The changes would have a significant effect on teachers that the district retains. Starting positions - though it's unclear how many would be available due to the staff reduction - would go from starting at a $36,000 salary to a $50,000 stipend. The average teacher in the district would see his or her pay rise from $57,000 to $71,000. It's a move that would not only reward educators for the extra work that they would take on, but could also have a significant effect in luring high-level teachers to the district.

In essence, the district is moving forward with a plan that will increase the workload for their strong teachers, but also increase their pay to reflect that shift. In cutting staff, the district has the flexibility to raise these salaries while saving money thanks to the benefit packages that will not have to be replaced. Despite the shuffle, class sizes and course offerings will remain the same, though some teachers may not. It's a bold move to not only retain the high school's top performers, but to lure good teachers from other districts to the city.

Tuesday's meeting laid out the first step of issuing non-renewal notices to the 15 teachers that will not be retained. The school board will vote on the reforms as a whole on next month.

The Madison School District has, to date, been unwilling to substantively change it's model, one that has been around for decades. The continuing use of Reading Recovery despite its cost and lower than average performance is one example.

With respect to facilities spending, perhaps it would be useful to look into the 2005 maintenance referendum spending & effectiveness.

It is my great "hope" (hope and change?) that Madison's above average spending, in this case, 33% more per student than well to do Oconomowoc, nearby higher education institutions and a very supportive population will ultimately improve the curriculum and provide a superior environment for great teachers.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at April 30, 2012 3:28 AM
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